Location: New York, New York
Address: 225 W. 44th St.
Capacity: approx 1460
Opened: 1913
The Shubert Brothers are some of the most influential people in Broadway history, so it was only natural that the theatre carrying the family name would be their most grand piece of property. The Shubert Theatre was built in 1913 by brothers Lee and J.J. to honor their late brother Sam S. Shubert, who helped the brothers get started in the theatrical business and died tragically in a railroad accident when he was 29 years old. The Shuberts located their executive offices above the auditorium, and Lee lived in an apartment attached to the complex. The building occupies a choice spot on 44th Street and architect Henry B. Herts created a structure that resembles the style of the Venetian Renaissance architecture with elegant plasterwork murals on the exterior. Indoors, audiences are treated to more than 1,400 seats and intricate murals and theatrical-themed paintings in the balcony and above the proscenium arch. Perhaps the most striking is the large painting of Samuel S. Shubert that adorns the lobby and greets attendees as they enter the storied playhouse.
The new theatre opened in 1913 with an homage to eight of the greatest theatrical works of all time, including Shakespeare classics Hamlet, Othello and The Merchant of Venice, starring the prestigious British actor Johnston Forbes-Robertson and his theatre company. The venue would be home to a number of legitimate works over the years, but its large capacity also allowed it to present large-scale musicals that became wildly popular.
The Shubert's first big hit came in 1917 with Sigmund Romberg and Rida Johnson Young's Maytime, starring Peggy Wood, Charles Purcell and Douglas J. Wood. The operetta would run for 492 performances, a huge milestone in a time when 100 shows was considered a success. The theatre hosted its first Pulitzer Prize-winning show in 1936 with Robert E. Sherwood's comedy Idiot's Delight, starring Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. The drama proceeded to take Broadway by storm and would become the Shubert's first critical success. The venue would go on to host a number of fabulous productions such as Bloomer Girl, Bells are Ringing, Crazy for You and Promises, Promises. However, the Shubert's longest-running production in its history was A Chorus Line, which was originally an Off-Broadway show. It would win numerous Tony Awards and the Pulitizer Prize and run for more than 6,000 performances, making it one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.
The Shubert Theatre has become a icon of New York City's Theatre district, and has continued to book high-profile talent and award-winning productions throughout its history.
Shubert Theatre Ticket Information:
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