Al Hirschfeld Theatre
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 302 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.
Designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh for vaudeville promoter Martin Beck, the theatre opened as the Martin Beck Theatre with a production of Madame Pompadour on November 11, 1924. It was the only theater in New York that was owned outright without a mortgage. It was designed to be the most opulent theater of its time, and has dressing rooms for 200 actors. The theatre has a seating capacity of 1,292 for plays and 1,282 for musicals.
Famous appearances include Basil Rathbone as Romeo with Katharine Cornell as Juliet in December 1934; Frank Langella in Dracula; Elizabeth Taylor in The Little Foxes; Christina Applegate as the title role in Sweet Charity; David Hyde Pierce as Lt. Coffi in the musical Curtains; and Daniel Radcliffe in the lastest revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Currently, Darren Criss is starring as J. Pierrepont Finch. Starting January 24th, Nick Jonas will replace Criss for the role.
On June 21, 2003, it was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in honor of the caricaturist famous for his drawings of Broadway celebrities, and reopened on November 23, 2003, with a revival of the musical Wonderful Town.
This is one of five theatres owned and operated by Jujamcyn Theaters.
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[edit] Notable productions
- 1934: The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado
- 1934: Romeo and Juliet
- 1935: Winterset
- 1936 and 1939: Seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan
- 1937: High Tor
- 1939: Ladies and Gentlemen
- 1940: Cabin in the Sky
- 1941: Watch on the Rhine
- 1942: My Sister Eileen
- 1943: The Corn is Green
- 1945: On the Town
- 1946: The Iceman Cometh
- 1947: Antony and Cleopatra
- 1951: The Rose Tattoo
- 1953: The Crucible
- 1953: The Teahouse of the August Moon (play)
- 1956: Candide
- 1959: Sweet Bird of Youth
- 1960: Bye Bye Birdie
- 1961: Milk and Honey; The Happiest Girl in the World
- 1964: I Had a Ball
- 1965: Oliver!
- 1966: A Delicate Balance
- 1967: Hallelujah, Baby!
- 1968: Man of La Mancha (Transferred to Martin Beck from ANTA Washington Square Theatre, playing since 1965. The ANTA theatre was demolished in 1968.)
- 1977: Dracula
- 1980: Onward Victoria
- 1981: The Little Foxes
- 1984: The Rink
- 1987: Into the Woods
- 1989: Grand Hotel
- 1992: Guys and Dolls
- 1995: Moon Over Buffalo
- 1997: Annie
- 1998: The Sound of Music
- 1999: Kiss Me, Kate
- 2002: Man of La Mancha
- 2003: Wonderful Town
- 2005: Sweet Charity
- 2006: The Wedding Singer
- 2007: Curtains
- 2008: A Tale of Two Cities
- 2009: Hair
- 2010: Elf the Musical (Previews Nov 2010; Closed Jan 2011)(Limited engagement)
- 2011: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Previews Feb 26; Opened Mar 27, 2011)
[edit] Box Office Record
The limited-engagement Elf the Musical achieved the box office record for the Al Hirschfield Theatre. The production grossed $1,572,835.50 over nine performances, for the week ending December 26, 2010.[1]
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Who's Who in the Theatre, edited by John Parker, tenth edition, revised, London, 1947, p.1184.
[edit] External links
- Jujamcyn Theaters
- Al Hirschfeld Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
- Telecharge.com - Official Ticket Website
- NYC Theatre - Unofficial Ticket Website
- NYTIX - Unofficial Ticket Website
