Location: New York, New York
Address: 235 W. 44th St.
Capacity: approx 1200
Opened: 1917
The Broadhurst Theatre was named after the famed dramatist George H. Broadhurst, who built theatres all over the United States before partnering with the Shubert brothers. The theatre was built adjacent to the Shubert Theatre and was designed by Herbert J. Krapp, who drew up plans for many of the performance halls in the area. The theatre boasted a seating capacity of 1,155 (which was later expanded to 1,186), and the building was designed to accommodate musicals and legitimate theatre productions. The humble brick exterior of the theatre looks much like many others of its time, while the inside is a departure from the standard in the area by embracing Doric columns and elements of Greek architecture. With plenty of amenities, the Broadhurst has maintained its old world charm and has become one of the most wonderful places to catch a show in the Big Apple.
The new theatre opened on September 27, 1917 and showcased George Bernard Shaw's Misalliance, starring Maclyn Arbuckle. The comedy ran for only 52 performances, but it laid the groundwork for the quality productions that were to come. All in all, the theatre has hosted hundreds of plays, musicals, comedies and dramas over the years, and thanks to the Shubert brothers, flourished despite experiencing few dark periods.
The Broadhurst has played host to Shakespearean productions, revivals and trendy musicals over the course of its history. One of the theatre's biggest hits was Cabaret, a musical interpretation of I Am a Camera, by John Van Druten. The show captured a number of Tony Awards and ran for 1,166 performances, but split time with other theatres in the area. Dustin Hoffman later took the stage in The Death of a Salesman in 1984, and Billy Crystal made box office history in 2005 with his play 700 Sundays, which raked in more than $1 million in a single week.
Today, the Broadhurst remains one of the most popular venues for actors and actresses to make their mark on a Broadway stage for the first time. With a combination of refreshing new productions, revivals of landmark Broadway plays and an appreciation for the classics, the Broadhurst always seems to have something that will pique the interest of theatre buffs everywhere.