The Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre is a state-of-the-art performing arts center located in Red Bank, New Jersey. With its grand opening in 2021, the theater has quickly become a premier venue for concerts, theater productions, dance performances, and other events in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area.
Theater Overview
The Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre was built on the site of the former Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. It underwent a massive $23 million renovation and expansion project to transform it into a modern, high-tech performing arts facility. The renovation preserved the historic facade of the original theater while completely remodeling the interior. The project was funded through a public-private partnership between Hackensack Meridian Health and Monmouth County.
Some key features of the new theater include:
- A flexible main stage theater space with seating for up to 1,500 guests
- State-of-the-art sound, lighting, and production capabilities
- VIP lounge areas and box seating
- Expanded lobby, concession, and restroom facilities
- An intimate black box theater with seating for 200
- Digital display screens and other technology enhancements
In addition to its performance venues, the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre also houses classroom space, rehearsal halls, and a dance studio. This allows it to host community education programs and arts instruction alongside its live event schedule.
Theater Management
The Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre is operated by the nonprofit Count Basie Center for the Arts. This organization has a long legacy of promoting arts and culture in Monmouth County dating back to the original Count Basie Theatre opening in 1926. Its board of directors includes local business, civic, and arts leaders. The theater management team oversees programming, ticketing, financing, maintenance, strategic planning, community engagement, and daily operations.
Performance Calendar
Since its 2021 opening, the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre has hosted over 100 live events spanning all genres of entertainment. The 2022-2023 season alone includes over 60 headline concerts, stand-up comedy shows, family shows, dance productions, and more.
Some highlights of past and upcoming acts at the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre include:
- Pop/rock concerts – Alanis Morissette, The Beach Boys, Sarah McLachlan
- Comedy shows – Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jim Gaffigan
- Broadway touring productions – Les Miserables, Jersey Boys, Anastasia
- Dance performances – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre
- Family shows – The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Peppa Pig Live, Paw Patrol Live
- Community theater productions
The theater has succeeded in attracting top touring acts and shows that previously bypassed smaller venues in Monmouth County. Meanwhile, it continues to host local performing arts groups and emerging artists.
Theater Capacity
The total capacity of the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre depends on the seating configuration used for a particular event. Here are the different options:
Main Theater
The main theater has an adjustable layout to accommodate different crowd sizes and types of productions. The maximum capacity is around 1,500 guests.
Seating Layout | Capacity |
---|---|
Full theater seating | 1,500 seats |
Partial theater seating | 1,100 seats |
Open floor/no seating | 2,000 standing room |
For concerts where guests stand on the open floor, the venue can accommodate over 2,000 people at maximum density. But seated theater-style events are generally capped at 1,100-1,500 guests depending on production requirements.
Black Box Theater
The more intimate black box theater has fixed seating for 200 guests. It is designed for smaller productions, recitals, comedy acts, and community events.
VIP Areas
In addition to the general admission seating and standing areas, the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre has premium VIP zones that further increase the overall capacity:
- 12 private boxes seating 6-8 guests each
- Mezzanine lounge with standing room for 50 guests
- Lower-level lounge with bar and standing room for 75 guests
By utilizing all of its flexible theater zones and premium spaces, the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre can accommodate well over 2,000 guests for certain high-profile events.
Notable Events
Here are some record-setting attendance highlights at the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre since its 2021 opening:
The Beach Boys (June 2022)
An iconic summer concert by The Beach Boys sold out the main theater with 1,500 seats occupied. Total attendance including VIP zones was estimated at over 1,600 guests.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze (December 2021)
The theater premiere of Cirque Dreams Holidaze configured the stage and seating logistics to accommodate 1,300 guests in December 2021. With VIP areas included, the total attendance exceeded 1,400.
Peppa Pig Live (April 2022)
A high-energy family show, Peppa Pig Live, brought in over 2,100 guests thanks to open floor standing room. 300 seats were set up along with special kid-friendly floor seating. The theater team estimated over 1,800 kids and parents filled the standing room space.
Conclusion
In summary, the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre can hold between 1,500 and 2,000+ guests depending on the event format and layout. For fully seated theater productions, the maximum is around 1,500. Concerts and shows utilizing open floor standing room can exceed 2,000 guests. Premium lounges and boxes further increase capacity for top-tier events. In just its first two years, the theater has already set new attendance records as it attracts large crowds to Red Bank, New Jersey.