Westchester Broadway Theatre Celebrates 40 Years of Great Shows
Coming out of the “Mad Men” era of New York’s advertising industry to create Westchester’s first dinner theater turned out to be a fortuitous move for Westchester Broadway Theatre’s founders Bob Funking and Bill Stutler.
The idea of creating a place where suburbanites could see Broadway quality theater productions at half the price of a New York City show was hatched shortly after Stutler visited a dinner theater in his home state of West Virginia in the early 1970s.
They were keen to bring the same kind of experience to Westchester audiences.
“It looked like fun,” Stutler said of the entertainment trend across the country at that time.
In July, the popular venue celebrated its 40th anniversary, all of it in the same Elmsford corporate park since its inception. (It has been in its current space since 1991). The 500-seat theater has hosted 184 main-stage productions and nearly 1,000 Monday and Tuesday special events and concerts.
Stutler and Funking chose to use professionals from the Actors’ Equity Association, the union that represents stage actors and managers, instead of the nonunion actors that some other dinner theaters often use.
Being close to Manhattan didn’t dissuade Stutler or Funking.
“We discovered that only six percent of Westchester residents actually go to Broadway shows anyway,” Funking noted. “Tourists make up for about 60 percent of their sales.”
Despite having little experience in either the theater and the restaurant industry, the partners forged ahead.
“The good thing was that we knew how to put a presentation together,” Stutler said of using their expertise in advertising and marketing to help them attract investors.
They hired an architect to design a space suitable for a dinner theater and included the construction of comfortable seating that would allow everyone a good view of the stage. In addition, there was the installation of professional quality lighting. The idea of providing audiences with an intimate performance was crucial to Stutler and Funking.
Opening in 1974 as an Evening Dinner Theatre, the pair chose “Kiss Me, Kate” as its debut production. When the operation moved to its current location, it was rebranded as Westchester Broadway Theatre.
While running the day-to-day operation is something they’re both involved in, auditioning is what they enjoy most. Before putting on a production, Stutler and Funking spend several days in Manhattan with a musical director and choreographer reviewing resumes and headshots to cast each production.
Even after 40 years in the business, they are often surprised by what audiences want.
“There is no sure way to gauge the popularity of a production beforehand,” Funking said.
But that hasn’t stopped them from providing top quality Broadway entertainment over the years, while helping to launch many careers.
“There isn’t a musical on Broadway that doesn’t have someone who came from the Westchester Broadway Theater,” said Stutler.
The most recent example is Andy Keslo, the male lead in “Kinky Boots.” He had the lead role in WBT’s production of “Rent” a couple of years ago.
The last five choreographers/directors who collaborated with the WBT have won Tony Awards. Others who have graced the WBT stage include actors Scott Bakula, who later starred in “Quantum Leap” and “Star Trek,” Estelle Harris, who played George’s mother in “Seinfeld,” Holland Taylor, who has starred in “Two and a Half Men” and has also won an Emmy for her part in “The Practice,” and Rob Marshall, who directed WBT’s “Side by Side” and later the films “Chicago” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
Stutler and Funking agree WBT’s success is because of their passion for providing high quality entertainment and their ability to appeal to different audiences.
“The industry is actually getting more difficult,” Funking said. “Years ago, all we had to compete with was the TV, and it was very easy to reach an audience.”
Still, Stutler and Funking aren’t deterred from offering new and exciting musical theater, tribute shows and an array of children’s productions throughout the year.
For more information about the theater, its schedule of shows and ticket availability, visit www.broadwaytheatre.com.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.
