Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 22, 2021

Al Tapper, the entrepreneur behind the hit documentaries "Broadway: The Golden Age" and "Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy" announced he will be opening a new Off Broadway theater at 354 West 45th Street. The 99 seat house will be called The AMT Theater and will bring a new level of excitement to the Broadway area, focusing on new musicals, children's theater, new play development and cabaret. The composer/lyricist of the original musicals Sessions, An Evening at the Carlyle, National Pastime, All Aboard, The Paparazzi and Upside Down will also seek to strengthen international artistic ties between the United States and Mexico. Tapper has already had three shows run successfully in Guadalajara.

Tapper sees the rebirth of the space as important for the midtown Broadway area, hoping that artists and audiences will flock to see new works after almost a year and a half of laying dormant due to Covid. "It's vital that theater not only survive but thrive," Tapper says. "People are hungry for live performances again and artists are eager to provide that service. We want to be among the first to bring the excitement and thrill of going to live theater back to the Broadway area."

Tony Sportiello will be the Artistic Director and Operating Manager of the theater. He and Tapper have worked together since 2003, producing shows not only in New York but around the country. "Al has a passion for theater, as we all do, but he also has the means to make that passion a reality. Since we've started we've employed hundreds of actors, directors, musicians and tech people, entertaining literally thousands of audience members. Covid stopped us for about two years but we're ready to get back on the saddle," Sportiello says.

Construction begins on the new space in August and Tapper hopes to have shows running in the early part of 2022. "We're not going to rush into anything," Tapper says. "We're going to take our time, we want this to be as gorgeous an Off Broadway house as any in the city. But the moment we open our doors you're going to see a beehive of activity that won't stop."

The advantage Tapper brings to the new space is a lifetime of business experience. Early in his career he and his older brother Charles purchased a variety of businesses that manufactured everything from plastic cutlery and tumblers to paper and steel wool. His business acumen brought him fortune and his financial success has helped him support his passion. His musicals have been performed all over the United States and Mexico. His documentaries have received praise and a prestigious Peabody Award for "Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy." His philanthropic efforts extend to funding college scholarships for underachieving youths, college fellowships and the Shoah Foundation.

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Al Tapper to Open New Off Broadway Theater, The AMT Theater - Broadway World

Category: Shoah
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