ABOUT THE THEATRE
THE VIRGINIA THEATRE

Built in 1925 by the prestigious Theatre Guild as the Guild Theatre to house its famed acting company (the Lunts, Edward G. Robinson, Claude Rains, etc.), this house has since been named the ANTA and renamed the Virginia in 1981 in honor of Virginia M. Binger, owner of Jujamcyn Theaters along with her husband James.

Prior to the hit musical "Jelly's Last Jam" starring Gregory Hines (Tony Award), this theatre housed the musical "Carrie;" the Tony Award-winning musical "City of Angels;" Ian McKellen in "Wild Honey;" a revival of "Shenandoah;" the British farce "Run for Your Wife;" a Canadian production of "The Mikado;" "Execution of Justice;" the highly successful revival of the 1936 Rodgers and Hart musical "On Your Toes", a Tony winner as Best Revival and another for the performance of ballet star Natalia Makarova; "Oh, Brother!," a musical version of "The Comedy of Errors;" "Copperfield," a musical version of Dickens's "David Copperfield;" and Derek Jacobi in the Russian play, "The Suicide."

In 1981 this theatre was acquired by the Jujamcyn Theaters. Productions in the 1970's included a memorable revival of Mary Chase's "Harvey," starring Helen Hayes, James Stewart and Jesse White; appearances by the dance companies of Alvin Ailey, Louis Falco, Pearl Lang, Paul Taylor, Nikolais and the Dance Theatre of Harlem; the musical "Purlie" from the Broadway Theatre; Julie Harris winning a Tony Award for "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln;" Elizabeth Ashley, Keir Dullea, Fred Gwynne and Kate Reid in a revival of Tennessee, Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"; the exuberant black musical "Bubbling Brown Sugar," which ran for 766 performances; Charles Repole in a revival of the 1920's musical "Whoopee!;" and Maggie Smith in Tom Stoppard's "Night and Day." Highlights of the 1960's included Hugh Wheeler's fascinating "Big Fish, Little Fish" with Jason Robards, Jr., Hume Cronyn, Martin Gabel, Elizabeth Wilson, George Grizzard, directed by Sir John Gielgud; Robert Bolt's distinguished historical play "A Man for All Seasons," which won six Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Actor (Paul Scofield) and Best Director (Noel Willman); James Baldwin's "Blues for Mr. Charlie," directed by Burgess Meredith; Diana Sands and Alan Alda in the hit two-character comedy "The Owl and the Pussycat;" Peter Shaffer's "The Royal Hunt of the Sun;" "The Thurber Carnival," a revue of Thurber sketches with Tom Ewell, Peggy Cass, Paul Ford, Alice Ghostley and others; and a loving revival of "Our Town" with Henry Fonda, Ed Begley, Elizabeth Hartman, Harvey Evans, Mildred Natwick, John Beal and Margaret Hamilton.

In 1950 this theatre was extensively renovated and became the ANTA, named for the American National Theatre and Academy. The 1950's saw productions of "Twentieth Century" with Gloria Swanson and Jose Ferrer; Judith Anderson in "The Tower Beyond Tragedy;" an all-star revival of "The Skin of Our Teeth" with Mary Martin, Helen Hayes, George Abbott, Florence Reed, Don Murray; "Say Darling," a satire with music, starring Robert Morse; and Archibald MacLeish's Pulitzer Prize play "J.B.," starring Raymond Massey and Christopher Plummer.

Courtesy of