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Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)

Coordinates: 40°45′49″N 73°59′01″W / 40.763481°N 73.983492°W / 40.763481; -73.983492
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This article is about an individual theatre of this name. For theatre district and the collection of 500+ seat theatres in New York City that are referred to as "Broadway", see Broadway theatre.
Broadway Theatre
Universal's Colony Theatre
B.S. Moss' Broadway Theatre
Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre
Ciné Roma
The Broadway Theatre in 2010, when it played host to Promises, Promises
Map
Address1681 Broadway
New York City
United States
Coordinates40°45′49″N 73°59′01″W / 40.763481°N 73.983492°W / 40.763481; -73.983492
OwnerThe Shubert Organization
TypeBroadway
Capacity1,761
ProductionMiss Saigon
Construction
OpenedDecember 25, 1924
Rebuilt1956
1986
ArchitectEugene De Rosa
Website
www.shubert.nyc/theatres/broadway
Entrance, showing The Color Purple
The Broadway Theatre during the run of Sister Act, ca. 2011.

The Broadway Theatre (formerly Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss' Broadway Theatre, Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre, and Ciné Roma) is a Broadway theatre located in midtown Manhattan. It has a large seating capacity of 1,761, and unlike most Broadway theaters, it is actually located on Broadway, at number 1681.

Designed by architect Eugene De Rosa for Benjamin S. Moss, it opened as B.S. Moss's Colony Theatre on Christmas Day 1924 as a venue for vaudeville shows and motion pictures. The theater has operated under many names and owners. It was renamed Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss' Broadway Theatre, and Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre before becoming a legitimate theater house simply called Broadway Theatre on December 8, 1930. In 1937, known as Ciné Roma, it showed Italian films.[1] For a short time during the 1950s it showed Cinerama films.[2]

On November 18, 1928 the first Mickey Mouse cartoon released to the public, Steamboat Willie, debuted at the Colony. Producer Walt Disney returned on November 13, 1940 to debut the feature film Fantasia in Fantasound, an early stereo system.[citation needed]

The legitimate theater opened in 1930 with The New Yorkers by Cole Porter. Stars such as Milton Berle, Alfred Drake, José Ferrer, Eartha Kitt, Vivien Leigh, Zero Mostel, and Mae West have appeared on stage.[1]

The Shubert Organization bought the theater in 1939 and renovated it extensively in 1956 and 1986. It has long been a popular theatre for producers of musicals because of large seating capacity, and the large stage, which is nearly sixty feet deep. Often plays that have become successful in smaller theaters have transferred to the Broadway Theatre.[1]

Notable productions

Production First Preview Opening Date Closing Date Notes
The Three Musketeers October 26, 1984 November 11, 1984 November 18, 1984
The King and I December 26, 1984 January 7, 1985 June 30, 1985
Les Misérables February 28, 1987 March 12, 1987 — Closed at the Broadway on October 14, 1990 and moved to the Imperial Theatre three days later to run until May 18, 2003.
Miss Saigon March 23, 1991 April 11, 1991 January 28, 2001
Blast! April 5, 2001 April 17, 2001 September 23, 2001
La Boheme November 29, 2002 December 8, 2002 June 29, 2003
Sexaholix — November 11, 2003 December 7, 2003
Bombay Dreams March 29, 2004 April 29, 2004 January 1, 2005
The Color Purple November 1, 2005 December 1, 2005 February 24, 2008
Shrek The Musical November 8, 2008 December 14, 2008 January 3, 2010
Promises, Promises March 27, 2010 April 25, 2010 January 2, 2011
Sister Act March 24, 2011 April 20, 2011 August 26, 2012
Cinderella January 25, 2013 March 3, 2013 January 4, 2015
Doctor Zhivago March 27, 2015 April 21, 2015 May 10, 2015
Fiddler on the Roof November 20, 2015 December 20, 2015 December 31, 2016 Fifth Broadway revival.
Miss Saigon March 1, 2017 March 23, 2017 January 14, 2018 Limited engagement; first Broadway revival.
King Kong TBA

Fall 2018

TBA

Fall 2018

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Broadway Theatre". New York Show Tickets. New York TV Show Tickets Inc. 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  2. ^ "Broadway Theater History". New York City Theater. 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
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