How It All Began: The Firsts That Shaped Broadway Stages' Success Story
/It is 1983. "Return of the Jedi" is all the rage, and a gallon of gas costs about a dollar and a quarter. Looking to relocate to Williamsburg? You can rent a two-bedroom apartment for just $330 a month. In Astoria, Queens, a decaying movie theater sits slowly deteriorating on Broadway Street.
This is where the story of Broadway Stages began, as Tony Argento purchased a rundown theater and turned it into our first soundstage. Numerous commercials and music videos were filmed at the original Astoria facility. Top artists of the time, including Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, LL Cool J, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Celine Dion, Will Smith, TLC, and Busta Rhymes filmed videos there, as did more contemporary artists like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Eminem.
In the 1990s, we expanded into Brooklyn to not only meet the needs of our industry, but also to help revitalize the community by creating jobs and spurring economic growth. We broadened our offerings from filming commercials and music videos to hosting film and television productions, which contributed to community development.
The first television series to film at Broadway Stages was "Remember WENN," a dramedy that ran from 1996 to 1998 on AMC (then more commonly known as American Movie Classics). Created and written by Rupert Holmes (yup, the "The Piña Colada Song" guy!), the show was the network's first scripted original series. It centered on the staff of the fictional Pittsburgh radio station WENN in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
"Remember WENN" starred Amanda Naughton, Tom Beckett, George Hall, Margaret Hall, Melinda Mullins, Christopher Murney, Hugh O'Gorman, Mary Stout, Kevin O'Rourke, Carolee Carmello, C.J. Byrnes, and John Bedford Lloyd. Over the course of the show's four seasons, many notable actors made guest appearances, including Jason Alexander, Julie Hagerty, Patti LuPone, Roddy McDowall, John Ratzenberger, Molly Ringwald, Mickey Rooney, and future Oscar winner J.K. Simmons. All 56 episodes of the show are available to stream on AMC+.
The first feature film to use our facilities was 1988's "Crocodile Dundee II" starring Paul Hogan as the fish-out-of-water Australian folk hero Mick Dundee. The film was a huge hit, grossing $239.6 million worldwide on a $14 million budget.
In the sequel to the original 1986 blockbuster, Dundee has settled in New York with Sue (Linda Kozlowski), his love interest from the first film. The two find themselves mixed up with a Colombian drug cartel after Sue's ex-husband is murdered.
Today, Broadway Stages remains family-owned and boasts more than 60 soundstages, unique locations, support spaces, equipment services, and parking throughout three boroughs in New York City. Our state-of-the-art facilities are designed to attract clients that produce films, television shows, music videos, commercials, live performances, studio photography sessions for fashion, music, and lifestyle magazines, and even live performances (like The Second City) and fashion shows. These projects help to drive the economy by providing living wage jobs and boosting tourism; a typical film or television production requires a crew of up to 250 individuals. We work primarily with local businesses and in-house teams for our production needs, and our clients do the same when practical.
40 YEARS OF COMMITMENT TO INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was once an abandoned industrial area, overrun by crime and vandalism and bearing the scars of neglect. Today, Greenpoint is an artistic haven that supports New York's film and television industry and boosts the local economy. And it is now one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the region.
Over the years Broadway Stages has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvements and expansion. But that investment goes beyond bricks and mortar, and beyond the film and television industry. We have purposefully worked to have a positive impact; as a responsible neighbor, we actively support economic, social, and environmental initiatives that benefit our community, including in the areas of education, youth and workforce development, the arts, and green infrastructure.
Rich Mazur, a longtime Greenpoint resident and Executive Director of the North Brooklyn Development Corporation, said that “Broadway Stages turned a desert wasteland into oases…like planting a re-greening paradise capsule…turning a blighted, forgotten Greenpoint into a community bustling with jobs and green rooftops.”
Positive community changes don't happen overnight; they require sustained effort and dedication. Building strong communities takes time, consistent engagement, and a willingness to work together towards shared goals. At Broadway Stages our dedication to community has not wavered. Steadfast values based on decades of experience and a heritage steeped in principled tradition and community focus are at the core of our business philosophy. It was true on day one and continues today, more than 40 years later.
40 YEARS OF COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
As part of our larger commitment to sustainability, we have sought to enhance ecosystem services and community benefits through green initiatives and numerous projects with local environmental organizations and innovators.
In 2008, Broadway Stages funded New York City's first-ever fully operational organic rooftop farm. At 6,000 square feet, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm also hosts an onsite farmers market and a range of farm-based educational and volunteer programs.
In 2010, we teamed with local businesses to install and maintain 50,000 square feet of solar electric facilities on five of our buildings throughout Brooklyn. This project represents one of the largest combined solar arrays deployed on a private facility in New York and the largest in the film and television production industry. The solar panels generate 1.2 million kilowatts of energy annually, helping to offset approximately one third of our annual electricity consumption.
In 2016, we partnered with local organizations including Alive Structures, New York City Bird Alliance, and Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA) to create Kingsland Wildflowers, a 24,000+ square foot green roof at one of our Brooklyn studios. The rooftop hosts educational programs led by NCA and performances curated by NOoSPHERE Arts which, since 2018, has served as the arts producer and presenter at Kingsland Wildflowers. In 2019, we were awarded a grant by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation's Green Innovation Grant Program to install an additional 30,000 square-foot green roof atop another of our film production studios in Brooklyn. This new green roof, along with existing green rooftops totaling 50,000+ square feet, forms the "Broadway Stages Green Corridor."
Broadway Stages looks forward to continuing to give back to the region that has given us so much over the last 40+ years. Learn more about the productions that have called Broadway Stages home, and find out more about us on our website.
One of New York’s largest and most trusted full-service production studio companies, offering comprehensive services for film, television, live streaming, commercials, live performances, music videos, and more. With over 40 years of experience, we’ve become a cornerstone of New York’s thriving creative industry.
With more than 60 soundstages spanning across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, Broadway Stages offers over 4 million square feet of state-of-the-art production space, including soundstages, support space, distinctive filming locations, parking, and in-house services for lighting, power, and grip rentals. We provide tailored solutions for productions of all sizes, delivering the resources and expertise needed to meet your creative and technical needs.
Learn about film and TV industry jobs, training, and more in the Broadway Stages’ Industry Resource Guide. Our guide provides information and links to put you in touch with industry-focused job posting sites; general recruiting sites; education and training programs; and state, city, and borough industry information.
