New Venue, The Box, Opens Doors

There's a new venue in town. As previously reported in the New York Times article, now more information comes to us via BrooklynVegan, who reports that the first show will be there tonight (a Zune-sponsored event featuring Queens of the Stone Age).

The NYT's article (which you can still read online here) stated that "another new Lower East Side club on the horizon is the Box, a 5,000-square-foot room on Christie Street whose owner, Simon Hammerstein — a grandson of Oscar — said he intended to open in the next two months with theater and music performances. Booking agents say it will be a likely competitor to Joe’s Pub, the stylish cabaret at the Public Theater."

Sounds like the place will be pretty amazing. And this is from their website:

"The Box is located at 189 Chrystie Street, a 1935 two-story brick building between Stanton and Rivington Streets, with a stage door on Freeman Alley. One hundred years ago, this area was legendary for its vaudeville palaces, theaters and dime museums; THE BOX will bring the excitement and energy of those concert saloons and burlesque halls back to the neighborhood.

The Box is an intimate restaurant and theater, with two bars and a stage. A flexible design and top-notch sound system allow us to present all types of live entertainment: bands, shows, parties, private functions, and special events."

The multi-functional venue will also put on the first production of Jack Kerouac's "Beat Generation", the play he wrote in 1957 after "On the Road" came out. No casting has been announced yet, but look for it in early 2007.