The Ambassador Theatre Group, a British-based company that owns venues in New York and elsewhere, is looking to strengthen its position on the Broadway scene, even as the industry remains shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, ATG’s parent company, International Entertainment Holdings Ltd., announced that it had acquired three U.S. theaters—the Golden Gate and Orpheum in San Francisco and the Fisher in Detroit—for an undisclosed price from the Nederlander Company. All three venues have been home for many years to touring Broadway shows.
While the theaters would retain their role as touring houses, ATG Chief Executive Officer Mark Cornell said the company is also considering using them as a stage for shows in development, including ones it may produce itself, before bringing them to Broadway, potentially at its own venues.
On Broadway, the company acquired the venue now called the Lyric Theatre in 2013 and it established the Hudson Theatre as Broadway’s newest space in 2017. An ATG spokesman said the company’s investment in purchasing and renovating Broadway theaters totals more than $100 million.
ATG has a global portfolio, with theaters from Boston to Berlin, plus 10 venues in London’s West End. It also owns Brooklyn’s Kings Theater, a 3,000-seat venue that has been used primarily for concerts in recent years.
