Janet and Kent Christensen

After Roundabout’s award-winning production of 1776, Janet and Kent Christensen fell in love with theatre all over again.

by John Istel
Photo by Julie Christensen

Janet and Kent Christensen relish adventure. They met each other in an Asian Political Thought class at Brigham Young University (for geography-challenged New Yorkers, that’s in Utah). In 1988, shortly after they were married, the couple drove East with their two-month-old daughter and all the personal belongings that would fit in their car. They pulled up outside an apartment in Hell's Kitchen.“Our parents thought it was crazy,” recalls Janet. “It was crazy,” says Kent.

They came partly for the love of art and culture. They came as an experiment. Neither imagined living in the City permanently. “We only intended to stay in New York for a couple of years…” she laughs. Kent had been an art student and wanted to try working in New York. In short order, he became an accomplished freelance illustrator, working for Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated, among other publications. Janet, who works for the Blackstone Group, an investment firm, had adored the theatre since she was 14 in the local community theatre. In high school, she went to six-week intensive summer theatre camps. Naturally, she was thrilled to be living in a city filled with her favorite art form.

Today the couple, and their two daughters, see a lot of theatre. Kent, who has gone back to school in Utah for an MFA in painting and fine art, as well as to oversee the construction of a second home at Sundance, flies to New York about once a month. “I always try to time my visits around the theatre,” he admits. In fact, his renewed fervor for oil on canvas began when he started painting a series of works that were inspired by his experience watching theatre and dance.

The Christensens don’t recall the first Roundabout production they saw. They do agree that buying tickets to the musical 1776 at the old Criterion Center was the turning point in their Roundabout relationship. Janet, for one, loved reading history and so the show combined a pair of keen interests. “I thought it was perfect—the casting, the direction—it was so well done. That’s when I became a subscriber,” says Janet. “I also became aware of Todd Haimes and started keeping an eye on his adventures with the company. But mainly, as a subscriber who saw a lot of theatre, I knew I could depend on not being disappointed at Roundabout shows.”

One of her favorite subscriptions is the Celebrity series. “I enjoy hearing actors talk about the work. I was impressed with Antonio Banderas after Nine. I really respected his commitment to live theatre, which I consider the superior art form,” she chuckles.

With the American Airlines Theatre renovation, the Christensens became Chairman’s Circle members. As their level of commitment increased so did the benefits. They particularly relish the private staged readings and the intimate dinner parties where they get to know Haimes and company. “We also like having an association with other people who are committed to Roundabout,” adds Janet. “That’s why I agreed to co-chair the upcoming Education Benefit, Just Dance. I’ll do anything to help Roundabout because they’ve given me so much joy and comfort. A playwright friend once said, ‘There are two reasons to go to the theatre: to learn how to live your life and to have entertainment.’ Roundabout’s productions do both.”

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