Theater chain National Amusements and New England Patriots owner the Kraft Group plan to open a live entertainment venue adjacent to the team's Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Showcase Live, scheduled to open in August, is part of a $500 million capital investment in retail and entertainment destination Patriot Place. The 16,000-square-foot venue for live music, comedy, corporate events and the like will be located next to a 14-screen Cinema de Lux theater owned by National Amusements, the parent company of Viacom and CBS.

Showcase Live will seat about 500 for dinner and an evening of entertainment and feature a design to accommodate events including a standing-room-only concert for 1,000 fans. Artist booking and promotion will be conducted through a partnership with the Blue Note Entertainment Group.

Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements and vice chair of CBS and Viacom, said the venue is primarily designed for live entertainment, though it also would be used, for instance, as a "game day" venue for "club" members.

"We see this bringing entertainment here year round," Kraft Group chairman Robert Kraft said.

National Amusements plans to roll out similar entertainment venues in select U.S. and international locations such as the U.K. or South America.

National Amusements to open new venue

Will be adjacent to the Patriots' Gillette Stadium

By Carolyn Giardina

April 29, 2008, 09:19 PM