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James Earl Jones' name is set to grace an iconic Broadway theater in New York City.
On Wednesday, the Shubert Organization announced in anews releasethat the 110-year-old Cort Theatre will be renamed after the legendary actor in celebration of his lifetime contributions to Broadway and the entertainment community.
“The Shubert Organization is so incredibly honored to put James — an icon in the theatre community, the Black community, and the American community — forever in Broadway’s lights,” Robert E. Wankel, Shubert Organization CEO and board chair, said in the statement. “That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question.”
Jones, 91, got his Broadway start in 1957, making his Cort Theatre debut in the 1958 playSunrise at Campobello. In the successful six and a half decade career that followed, he has starred in 21 Broadway shows, become anEGOT(an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner and received the Kennedy Center Honor.
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Jones scored his Tony awards — twice winning Best Actor in a Play — withThe Great White Hopein 1969 andFencesin 1987, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
Through his illustrious career, Jones has also been awarded the National Medal of Arts and seven Drama Desk Awards.
The Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street) has been under construction during the coronavirus pandemic, with the work set to be completed this summer. Once renovations are completed and the building reopens for productions, a dedication ceremony will be held to honor Jones.
Commenting on the honor, Jones said that the idea of a theater being named after him would have been “inconceivable” at the start of his acting career.
source: people.com
