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Current Broadway Theatres: I to M

Compiled by John Kenrick

(Copyright 2009)

(The images below are thumbnails – click on them to see larger versions.)

Program cover for the Imperial TheatreImperial

249 West 45th Street
Built: 1923
Seats: originally 1,385 - now 1,494
Owners/Managers: Shubert Organization (1923-present)
Architect: Herbert J. Krapp
History: From its opening, clean sight lines and good acoustics have made this one of Broadway's most desirable theatres for musicals.
Noteworthy Musicals: Rose Marie (1924), Oh Kay! (1926), The New Moon (1928), Leave It To Me (1938), Louisiana Purchase (1940), Let's Face It (1941), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), Call Me Madam (1948), Silk Stockings (1955), The Most Happy Fella (1956), Carnival (1961), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Zorba (1968), Pippin (1972), Two By Two (1971), They're Playing Our Song (1979), Dreamgirls (1981), Les Miserables (Moved - 1990), The Boy from Oz (2003), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005)

John Golden

252 West 45th Street
Previous Name: Theatre Masque
Built: 1927
Seats: originally 799 - now 796
Owners/Managers: Irwin & Henry Chanin (1927-1933), John Golden (1937-1950), The Shuberts (1950-present)
Architect: Herbert J. Krapp
History: This theatre was originally called Theatre Masque because it was intended for "artistic" dramas. Renamed after producer John Golden in 1937, this intimate house has primarily been home to dramas and comedies. However, a number of small scale musicals have enjoyed successful runs here.
Noteworthy Musicals: Comedy in Music (1953), Beyond the Fringe (1952), A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green (1958), At the Drop of a Hat (1959), Beyond the Fringe (1962), Words and Music (1974), A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (1980), Tintypes (Moved - 1980), Falsettoes (1992)

Longacre

220 West 48th Street
Built: 1913
Seats: originally 1,005 - now 1,096
Owners/Managers: Harry Frazee (1913-1919), The Shuberts (1919-present)
Architect: Henry Herts Co.
History: Built by an owner of the Boston Red Sox, this theatre was named after the nearby crossroads that is now known as Times Square.
Noteworthy Musicals: Leave It To Jane (1917), Little Jessie James (1923), Ain't Misbehavin (1978), Harrigan and Hart (1985)

Lunt-Fontanne

205 West 46th Street
Previous Name: Globe
Built: 1910
Seats: originally 1,416 - now 1,509
Owners/Managers: Charles Dillingham (1910-1932), Roger Stephens & Robert Dowling (1958-1973), The Nederlanders (1973-present)
Architect: Carrere and Hastings
History: Originally named after Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, this was the only Broadway theatre with a roof that could open on warm evenings – the disabled mechanism is still in place. Producer Charles Dillingham lost the theatre during the Great Depression, and it was used as a movie house from 1932 through 1957. In 1958, it was renovated and named after dramatic stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, who made their final Broadway appearance here that same year in The Visit. Since then, this blue and gold rococo auditorium has been used primarily as a venue for musicals.
Noteworthy Musicals: The Old Town (1910), The Slim Princess (1911), Chin Chin (1914), Jack O' Lantern (1917), George White's Scandals (1920, 1922, 1923), Ziegfeld Follies of 1921, No, No Nanette (1925), The Cat and the Fiddle (1931), The Sound of Music (1959), Little Me (1962), Walking Happy (1966), The Rothschilds (1970), Peter Pan (1979), Sophisticated Ladies (1981), Titanic (1997), Beauty and the Beast (Moved - 2000)

Lyceum

149 West 45th Street
Built: 1903
Seats: originally 952 - now 995
Owners/Managers: Daniel Frohman (1903-1939), George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart (1939-1949), The Shuberts (1949-present)
Architect: Herts and Tallant
History: Built by producer Daniel Frohman, who named this house after a downtown theatre he previously owned. Old rehearsal halls and a private apartment built for Frohman on the upper floors, now house the Shubert Archives. This house is currently Broadway's oldest continuously operating theatre.
Noteworthy Musicals: Fashions of 1924, Billy Barnes Revue (1959 - moved from Golden), Wild and Wonderful (1971), The Lieutenant (1975), Your Arms Too Short to Box With God (1976), Something's Afoot (1976), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Revival - 1995)

Lyric

- see Ford Center

Majestic

245 West 44th Street
Built: 1927
Seats: originally 1,762 - now 1,607
Owners/Managers: The Shubert Organization (1927-present)
Architect: Herbert J. Krapp
History: This is the second Broadway theatre to use this name – the first, located at Columbus Circle and 58th Street, was demolished in 1954. With a well-sloped auditorium and exceptional acoustics, it is arguably Broadway's finest house for musicals.
Noteworthy Musicals: Carousel (1945), Allegro (1947), South Pacific (1949), Fanny (1954), Music Man (1957), Camelot (1960), 42nd Street (Moved 1981-86), Phantom of the Opera (1987)

Marriott Marquis

Broadway at 46th Street
Built: 1986
Seats: 1,578
Owners/Managers: Leased by the Nederlanders (1986-present)
Architect: John C. Portman, Jr.
History: Named for the high rise hotel surrounding it, this house has been plagued with backstage problems caused by an architect seemingly who had no clue how to design a working theatre. However, excellent sight lines and unusually comfortable seating have made it a favorite with audiences.
Noteworthy Musicals: Me and My Girl (1986), Shogun (1990), Nick and Nora (1991) Man of La Mancha (Revival-1992), Goodbye Girl (1993) Victor/Victoria (1995), Annie Get Your Gun (Revival - 1999), Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002), The Drowsy Chaperone (2006)

Minskoff

1515 Broadway at 44th-45th Streets
Built: 1973
Seats: 1,621
Owners/Managers: The Minskoff Organization and The Nederlanders (1973-present)
Architect: Kahn and Jacobs
History: Named for Sam Minskoff, the developer responsible for the skyscraper surrounding the theatre. The ugly auditorium is partially redeemed by the unusually spacious glass-enclosed lobby, which provides a panoramic view of Times Square.
Noteworthy Musicals: Irene (1973), Hello Dolly (Revival - 1975), West Side Story (Revival - 1980), Scarlet Pimpernel (1997), Saturday Night Fever (1999), Fiddler on the Roof (Revival - 2004), The Lion King (Moved - 2006)

Music Box

239 West 45th Street
Built: 1921
Seats: originally 859 - now 1,010
Owners/Managers: Irving Berlin and Sam Harris, currently owned by the Shubert Organization
Architect: C. Howard Crane
History: Songwriter Irving Berlin and producer Sam Harris almost went broke building this handsome theatre. The unusually wide auditorium has a surprisingly intimate atmosphere, making it a popular venue.
Noteworthy Musicals: Music Box Revues (1921-24), Paris (1928), Of Thee I Sing (1931), As Thousands Cheer (1933), Lost in the Stars (1949), Side by Side by Sondheim (1977), Blood Brothers (1993)

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