Arena Takes the Stage in Crystal City
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2007
Arena Takes the Stage in Crystal City
Crystal City (Arlington, VA) – The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) today announced a major deal that will bring Arena Stage into the heart of Crystal City.
Arena Stage, Washington’s largest not-for-profit producing theater, has chosen Crystal City as its home while their 1101 Sixth Street SW location in Washington, DC is going through major renovations.
The Crystal Forum, located less than a block from the Crystal City Metro, will be transformed into Arena Stage’s performance space, with the first show opening in late December of this year. The 12,000 sq.ft, 460 seat venue at the corner of S. Bell and 20th Streets will undergo some exciting renovations to accommodate the needs of the epic theater. In addition to theater space, Crystal City will also house the Arena Stage administrative spaces – more than 10,000 square feet.
Originating from a coffee conversation between Angela Fox, Executive Director of the Crystal City BID and Molly Smith, Arena Stage’s Artistic Director, the deal was consummated by a creative collaboration of Arena Stage, the Crystal City BID, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, Marriott and Arlington County Economic Development. The terms of the deal are not disclosed.
“All of our research shows that people want things to do in Crystal City – and live theater leads the list. We cannot imagine a better partner than Arena Stage to help us make this happen. We are thrilled to bring Arena into Crystal City,” said Angela Fox. “Thanks to the incredible enthusiasm and creativity of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, Crystal City could provide a great performance space for Arena, along with area amenities to solve their short-term needs for space, offices, and location appeal. Crystal City is central, accessible, has ample free parking, and lots of noteworthy restaurants. Arena Stage helps us in achieving the goal of bringing things to do into the re-imaged Crystal City.”
“This relationship is a great synergy between art and business,” said Molly Smith. “The partnership between Arena and Crystal City is ideal because each partner completes the other. We have a robust audience and amazing artists and staff, and they have a lively area with great restaurants, shops, free parking and a need for live entertainment.”
"It’s a perfect partnership,” said Arena Stage Executive Director Stephen Richard. “Crystal City offers a perfect place for our staff and audience, just five minutes away from our historic DC location. The BID has made it possible for us to do the impossible: to move half our operations from our home of 50 years, and continue to produce the finest in theater."
“We’re very pleased to welcome Arena Stage to Arlington,” said Terry Holzheimer, Director of Arlington Economic Development. “We’ve long known of the economic benefits that our vibrant arts organizations bring to Arlington, and we’re excited to have Arena Stage be a part of the Arlington arts community. A Crystal City location puts Arena Stage in close proximity to Arlington’s top hotels and restaurants, making it an ideal location for residents and visitors alike.”
"We are very excited to have Arena Stage in Crystal City,” said Mitchell Schear, President of Vornado/Charles E. Smith. "Great culture and arts has always been a big part of our vision for Crystal City as a vibrant urban destination. We are delighted to see this vision take shape with a theater of Arena's caliber and creativity."
Arena Stage will kick-off its debut in Crystal City with “Ella,” a musical based on the life of famous blues singer Ella Fitzgerald, which runs December 28, 2007 – February 24, 2008. The theater plans to break ground on its DC location in January of 2008, followed by two years of construction and an anticipated opening of the new complex in the 2010/2011 season. During the two year renovation period, Arena Stage will operate primarily in the Crystal Forum as well as its current DC 14th & T location, the Lincoln Theater, and other DC-area spaces when needed. The nearby Crystal City Metro station provides easy access to the Forum, and there is plenty of parking in the area.
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About the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID)
The Crystal City BID is a Virginia 501(c)6 non-profit corporation tasked with the mission to make Crystal City a vibrant, 18 hour, urban destination. The BID is a collaborative effort on behalf of all business entities located within its boundaries including restaurants, retail stores, hotels, small businesses, commercial property owners, tenants, and residential apartment buildings. For more information, visit www.crystalcity.org.
About Arena Stage
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Stephen Richard, Arena Stage’s core purpose is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage is the oldest and largest of the Washington, D.C. area’s not-for-profit producing theaters, attracting a diverse annual audience of more than 200,000 patrons, including 25,000 students. Founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler and Edward Mangum, Arena Stage was one of the original leaders of the resident theater movement, and is still widely regarded by its national peers as the flagship of the American not-for-profit theater. Washington Drama Society, D.B.A. Arena Stage, is a 501(c)3
not-for-profit organization. For more information, visit www.arenastage.org.
About Arlington Economic Development
Arlington, Virginia is a world-class residential, business, and tourist location in the country's most influential region, Washington D.C. Home to some of the most powerful organizations in the world, corporate leaders have made Arlington a hub for telecommunications, information technology, defense electronics and other industries. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and was granted an award for its practices of "Smart Growth" by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2002. Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places for living, visiting and doing business. www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com
About Vornado/Charles E. Smith
Vornado/Charles E. Smith, is a division of Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO) - a fully integrated Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and a member of the S&P 500 Index. The Vornado/Charles E. Smith portfolio includes approximately 25 million sq. ft of owned and/or managed property in the Washington DC region, overseen by a team of over 400 real estate professionals.www.vornadocharlesesmith.com
