As the
largest not-for-profit theatre in the nation,
our family, our theatres, our unique artistry, our innovation,
and our audiences make it a reality.
Now, more than ever, we must envision our path forward—a path both of impactful artistic risk and sound financial strategy. We’re poised to thrive in a new era—one that will honor Todd Haimes’ legacy and open the curtain on another six decades of Roundabout.
To do it, we’ll need your enthusiastic support on a bold campaign—$120 million bold—to take Roundabout to new heights and create a new era of world-renowned theatre production.
Join us as we invest in:
Through the Campaign for
Roundabout Theatre Company,
We will focus on:
Our Next Legacy
Naming of the Todd Haimes Theatre and Strengthening the Todd Haimes Fund for Artistic Excellence
$50 Million
As Roundabout’s driving force for 40 years, Todd Haimes made Roundabout a home for theatrical risk, innovation, and triumph. This renaming will include much-needed internal-systems and audience-amenity renovations, and a spectacular new marquee that will bear Todd’s name.
the Todd Haimes Fund for
Artistic Excellence
is the philanthropic
heart and soul
of Roundabout.
We also will propel Roundabout into the future by strengthening our Todd Haimes Fund for Artistic Excellence. Created in 2003 by then-Board Chair Steven Goldstone, in honor of Todd, this fund was designed to empower artistic risk-taking through new work development, world-class musical production, and artist support programs.
For my legacy—not to sound overly dramatic—I would like to leave Roundabout with enough reserve funding that it can take every artistic risk it wants.
A strong fund will allow us to maintain world-class production standards and build critical artistic risk capital. By taking risks on great plays, artists, and directors, we can provide experiences audiences can’t find elsewhere. Your support will help accomplish Todd’s ultimate goal to leave Roundabout in a secure financial position, and thus a secure future for Roundabout and theatre as a whole.
Our Next Innovation
The New Studio 54 – Upgrading and Honoring Its History and Magic
$50 Million
It hits you when you walk into Studio 54—the aura, the magic. Like its own character, part of every production housed between its once glitter-dusted walls. You can sense the mischief, the fashion, the intoxicating atmosphere turning euphoric, set to disco of years past.
Although the famous (and infamous) nightclub only lasted a few short years, it made its mark not only on New York City, but also the world. But when the long lines dissipated and the club shut down, the property fell into disrepair for years. Enter Roundabout.
After a crane collapse in 1998, we were forced to relocate Sam Mendes and Robert Marshall’s Cabaret to Studio 54. At the time what seemed devastating now seems like fate. Studio 54 provided the perfect ambience for Cabaret, leading us to buy the property in 2003.
Theatre is the only institution in the world which has been dying for 4,000 years and has never succumbed. It requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive.
Today, Studio 54 is both a unique historical landmark and an active cultural venue where New Yorkers and visitors alike experience civically engaged, world-class theatre. It is the home to Roundabout’s Great American Musicals and a pillar of our organizational health. And while Roundabout continues to put on award-winning performances at Studio 54, many systems in the building are original to the 1927 Gallo Opera House. Studio 54 has never had a comprehensive renovation in its 97-year lifespan, and we can’t rely on the art of illusion for functional performances. In fact, we can do much better. Enter: the New Studio 54.
By modernizing every aspect of Studio 54, we will put cutting-edge tools in the hands of today’s most exciting artists and empower them to break new ground in a state-of-the-art venue, ushering in a new era of theatrical excellence for generations to come.
Studio 54
made its mark not only on
new york city
but also
The world.
To return Studio 54 to its place as an iconic cultural destination, this fund will:
Improve Audience Experience
We will provide our patrons with a transformed experience with Studio 54 by upgrading seats, sightlines, common spaces that recapture the theatre’s grandeur, floor raking, high-end bar areas, the balcony, and more. This includes our audience members with disabilities; we will go above and beyond ADA compliance to ensure amazing experiences for all guests.
Upgrade to Cutting-Edge Technology for Production Functionality
We will give our stage, lighting, and sound equipment a long-overdue upgrade. By putting cutting-edge tools in the hands of Roundabout artists, we will empower them to show us things we’ve never seen before. New 21st-century technology will help us bring audiences together in new ways and allow us to maintain the high caliber quality that theatregoers expect from Roundabout.
Make Our Musicals Resounding
When Studio 54 became a nightclub, the Orchestra Pit was filled in with cement to become the dance floor. This renovation is our opportunity to excavate and restore the original Orchestra Pit. In fact, rebuilding it is essential for Studio 54 to be Roundabout’s home for our Great American Musicals program.
Provide a Point of Pride for New York City
We are proud to own a part of New York history in Studio 54 and to ensure its personality continues to precede it. By renovating the space, we also know we have a great responsibility to our city. We will commit to caring for Studio 54 and its history, doing our civic duty, and attracting visitors from across the world to our shows as an economic boon to 54th Street and its surrounding area.
Our Next Generation
Sustaining and Expanding
Vital Programs
$50 Million
While focusing on underproduced revivals remains at the center of our mission, we also invest in new plays that will become tomorrow’s classics, give diverse storytellers a space to create, and provide education and community engagement opportunities. Through this fund, we will expand the impact of these existing efforts, amplifying even more voices and enhancing our educational offerings.
Theatre is a place where you can take a walk in someone else’s shoes, even if it’s just for a little while.
Classics
We are committed to sustaining our founding mission of producing classic stories that deserve to be retold, making space for overlooked plays that should be part of the classics canon. Your support enables us to expand the definition of a “classic” through the Refocus Project, a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing representation and diversity within the theatre—and transforming the canon.
We are committed
to sustaining our
founding mission
of producing
Classic Stories.
New Play Initiative
In 1995, Roundabout founded the New Play Initiative (NPI), an artistic incubator and launchpad for the most talented theatre artists of our time. Today, we’re proud to invest in new plays that will become tomorrow’s classics. As we make room at the table for more diverse storytellers, this program is key to giving Roundabout the flexibility to support new work and artists.
Education and Community Engagement
Roundabout fills the gap where our public education programs fall short, reaching students in ways traditional models cannot. We help students collaborate, create, and think deeply about the world around them. Your investment will provide operational support over the coming years and ensure all of Roundabout’s important programs continue well into the future.
Join us
Together, we are Roundabout. We are the future of theatre.
Contact Glenn Alan Stiskal at GlennS@roundabouttheatre.org
For more information about the Next Stage Campaign, naming opportunities, and making a lead gift.