Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
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Nikon at Jones Beach Theater is an outdoor ampitheatre, located at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the New York City Metropolitan Area, along with PNC Bank Arts Center.
Originally opened in 1952, the venue originally had 8,200 seats and hosted musicals. The opening show was the opperetta extravaganza "A Night in Venice" by Johann Strauss II, produced by film producer, Mike Todd, complete with floating gondolas and starring Enzo Stuarti, Norwood Smith and Nola Fairbanks. (After about thirty years, the primary focus of the venue would change for concerts. [1] In 1991 and 1992, under contract from concert promoter Ron Delsener, the theatre would undergo an extensive renovation, adding a second level, and increasing the capacity to 11,200 seats. Capacity was expanded again in 1998 to hold 15,000 seats. [2]
Today, the day that the Jones Beach summer concert lineup is unveiled, generally in early May, is regarded as a sort of holiday for Long Island music fans.
In 2002, the company of clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger purchased the naming rights to the venue, giving it the name Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater for four years. [3]
On April 13, 2006, after Tommy Hilfiger, under new ownership, declined its option to keep the company's name on the theater, naming rights were purchased by the camera company Nikon, giving the venue its current name, Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. [4]
[edit] See also
- PNC Bank Arts Center An outdoor amipitheatre in Holmdel, New Jersey
- List of U.S. concert venues
- List of contemporary ampitheatres
