Yonkers movie studio buys Yonkers scenery company
Hudson Scenic Studio, a major supplier of sets and automation for Broadway shows, confirms that it has been acquired by Great Point Studios, owner of the Lionsgate movie and TV studio in Yonkers. Hudson Scenic is located at 78 and 130 Fernbrook St., about a mile south of the Lionsgate studio.
“We are excited to announce that Hudson Scenic Studio has been acquired by Great Point Studios and look forward to this next chapter,” Hudson Scenic said.
Hudson has been involved in creating theatrical scenery for four decades. Its work was seen in the original productions of such smash hits as “Les Misérables,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Miss Saigon,” “The Who”™s Tommy,” “Chicago,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” and “Hamilton.”
The company was involved with many of the shows nominated for this year”™s Tony Awards including “American Buffalo,” “Girl From The North Country,” “Hangmen,” ”Mrs. Doubtfire,” “SIX: The Musical,” and “The Minutes.” Hudson worked on the scenery, electrical system and automation for this year”™s Academy Awards.
The company was founded in 1980 by Neil Mazzella and Gene O”™Donovan, who later left the company. Mazzella is CEO.
Hudson”™s facilities in Yonkers include two adjacent buildings containing more than 120,000 square feet of space.
130 Fernbrook is the first building Hudson acquired and is a 40,000-square-foot facility that houses metal and wood fabrication operations, a machine shop and a paint shop along with related spaces.
In 2009, Hudson expanded to 78 Fernbrook St., which includes a large-scale setup space with an open floor that is 200 feet long by 80 feet wide where stage sets can be assembled to see how they look and function.
Great Point Studios is headed by Robert Halmi, who declined to reveal the purchase price for Hudson Scenic when asked but did say that Hudson Scenic does about $30 million a year in business and that he intends to triple the business in the coming years. When previously interviewed by the Business Journals, Halmi emphasized that by being able to offer studio users the ability to have their sets built locally and quickly brought into the studio spaces where needed time and money will be saved. The Lionsgate studio complex does have a scenic shop of its own, but it is much smaller than the Hudson Scenic buildings. In addition, the acquisition allows Great Point to acquire a significant staff with experience and skills in scenery, automation and related areas.
The Lionsgate complex is being expanded with additional soundstages. A second studio facility is planned to be built by Great Point on the Rising Ground campus at 463 Hawthorne Ave., in Yonkers.