Broadway Producer Seaview Acquires Second Stage’s Historic Tony Kiser Theater Off Broadway
Seaview, the Tony Award winning production company behind such Broadway shows as Stereophonic, Romeo + Juliet, Once Upon a Mattress and All In and recent Off Broadway stagings of Hold Onto Me Darling and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, has acquired Manhattan’s historic Tony Kiser Theater, formerly owned by the Second Stage Theater company.
The sale, which was effective January 1, 2025, will see a “refreshing” of the 296-seat Off Broadway venue located in the city’s midtown Theater District and a rebranding from Tony Kiser Theater to Studio Seaview. While the Off Broadway designation will remain – Broadway venues must have at least 500 seats – the acquisition transforms the space from a non-profit venue into a commercial theater.
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The first production at Studio Seaview will be directed by Sam Gold and debut in Spring 2025, to be announced shortly. Seaview has a longstanding relationship with Gold, having recently collaborated on Broadway’s An Enemy of the People starring Jeremy Strong and Romeo + Juliet starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler.
Built as a bank in 1927, the building was transformed into Second Stage Theater’s performance space in 1999 by architect Rem Koolhaas in association with Richard Gluckman. The theater’s distinctive design “will be treated with great care under Seaview’s stewardship,” Seaview’s announcement noted. Award-winning designer Scott Pask will oversee the preservation of Koolhaas’ signature design, refreshing elements such as the bar and entry lobby to align with Seaview’s vision of “a welcoming, community-driven experience.”
The theater’s seating capacity will remain at 296, with its infrastructure including rehearsal space, dressing rooms, a fly space, and ample stage gear. These features, the new owners say, make the venue suitable for both plays and musicals and allow for expansive design possibilities.
According to Seaview’s announcement, the new owner “will honor the theater’s rich history while introducing a new generation of theatergoers to fresh and daring work.”
“Seaview is thrilled to take on this exciting new venture,” said Greg Nobile, Co-Founder and CEO of Seaview. “Seaview has been lucky enough to be working Off Broadway since the company’s inception. We are proud to join the community of theater operators and producers to bring more bold work to the city.”
Seaview recently served as the lead producer of the Off Broadway hits Hold Onto Me Darling starring Adam Driver, and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea starring Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott. Both productions were staged at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village.
Nobile continued, “Our approach to Studio Seaview is one that prioritizes both the artistic process and the audience experience. We want this space to be a place where groundbreaking work can come to life— where the traditional barriers of the theater are removed, and creativity flourishes. We are obsessed with creating an environment where people are excited to inhabit. We believe the experience of going to the theater should be just as unique as the work itself, and we’re excited to create that experience at Studio Seaview.”
Nate Koch, Seaview’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are proud to continue the legacy of the Tony Kiser Theatre, and the extraordinary work created there over these past 25 years under the leadership of Second Stage Theater by some of our industry’s most exceptional writers, creatives, performers, and practitioners. This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to the renaissance of Off Broadway – to keep a beloved, historic theater intact while expanding our ability as a company to showcase exceptional creativity, in an intimate setting, and without the constraints of a traditional Broadway model.”
Second Stage moved out of the Kiser – the name honored a Second Stage donor – in 2024, one of the clearest indicators of the financial challenges facing non-profit theaters in the city and throughout the country in the post-Covid era. Second Stage continues to produce both Broadway shows such as the current Cult of Love and Off Broadway at The Pershing Square Signature Center on 42nd Street.
“The freedom of Off Broadway allows us to take creative risks and explore new theatrical territory,” said Nobile. “We are excited to program the space with shows that challenge the traditional theater model and that might not find room on a Broadway stage. This is a place where we can nurture work that excites us and that we believe will resonate with audiences.”
Seaview’s programming at the venue will be scheduled on a show-by-show basis rather than adhering to traditional seasons, according to the producer.
Carol Fishman, former Managing Director of Second Stage Theatre and a key figure in the creation of the Tony Kiser Theatre, will join Seaview as General Manager for Studio Seaview.
“I’m energized to join Seaview in this vital new undertaking that will provide resources to visionary artists and will do so with the extraordinary freshness and imagination that characterize Seaview’s productions,” Fishman said. “The opening of the Tony Kiser Theatre was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, and I’m thrilled to return to 305 W 43rd Street, working alongside Greg Nobile and Nate Koch, to launch Studio Seaview, a theater that will be similarly transformative, Off-Broadway and beyond.”
Seaview was founded in 2012 by Nobile and Jana Shea as a New York-based theater, film, and television company. Upcoming Broadway productions this season include Good Night and Good Luck starring George Clooney, and The Last Five Years starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. London productions include Slave Play and My Master Builder.
Seaview is represented by realtors David A. Green, Vice Chairman, Tri-State Retail and Xander Green, Associate for Collier.
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