A Century of Broadway Houses

Theatrical agents Klaw and Erlanger bought the site and hired Herts & Tallant to design the theater.

The theater opened on Broadway, having been built for producer Henry B. Harris.

The current theater opened, built for impresario Daniel Frohman to replace his earlier Lyceum on Fourth Avenue.

The site's original Lyric Theatre, designed by Victor Hugo Koehler, opened as one of two early venues later folded into today's building.

The New Amsterdam opened on October 26, 1903.

Developer Meyer Bimberg built the theater for impresario David Belasco, and it opened as the Stuyvesant Theatre.

The building was expanded with a duplex apartment for Belasco above its eastern wing.

Belasco renamed the venue for himself, prompting his earlier 42nd Street theater to take a new name.

The theater opened under the name Globe Theatre, built for producer Charles Dillingham.

The Shubert brothers leased the site of the former American Horse Exchange from William K. Vanderbilt.

Architect William Albert Swasey converted the old horse-exchange building into the Winter Garden, which opened that spring.

Construction on the Booth and the adjoining Shubert Theatre began.

The venue opened as the Little Theatre, built for impresario Winthrop Ames.

Founder Henry Harris died in the Titanic sinking, after which his widow Renee Harris took over running the theater.

The theater opened as the Cort Theatre, built for impresario John Cort.

The Shubert brothers built the theater for Winthrop Ames, who opened it after a brief delay caused by flooding.

The theater opened, having been built by theatrical personality Harry Frazee to house musicals.

The Palace Theatre, funded by vaudeville entrepreneur Martin Beck and designed by Kirchhoff & Rose, opened on March 24, 1913.

The Shubert brothers opened the venue, designed by Henry Beaumont Herts.

Co-owner Charles Frohman died in the sinking of the Lusitania, and his ownership stake passed to Paramount Pictures.

David Belasco joined Daniel Frohman as a co-manager of the theater.

The Shubert brothers built the theater, which opened under producer George Broadhurst's name.

The theater opened under the name Plymouth Theatre, built by the Shubert brothers and leased to producer Arthur Hopkins.

Founder Harry Frazee sold his ownership stake in the theater to concentrate on his baseball business.

Actor-producer Henry Miller opened his namesake theater, built to a neoclassical design.

Brothers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn opened the venue as the Selwyn Theatre, designed by George Keister.

Architect Herbert J. Krapp completed a two-level reconstruction, adding a balcony to the originally single-level house.

Producer Sam H. Harris and songwriter Irving Berlin bought the 45th Street site and announced plans for the theater.

The building was constructed as a carpenter's shop rather than as a theater.

The Shubert brothers built the theater, which opened that year.

The Music Box Theatre opened on September 22, 1921.

Converted into a theater and renamed the National, the venue opened September 2, 1921, with a play.

The Shubert brothers opened the house as the Ritz Theatre, designed by Herbert J. Krapp.

The theater closed for a complete remodeling under architect Herbert J. Krapp.

The theater opened, having been built by the Shubert brothers to replace their aging Lyric Theatre as a musical house.

Vaudeville producer Martin Beck built the house as his own theater, and it opened under his name.

Developer B.S. Moss built the theater as a movie palace, which opened as the Colony Theatre.

The Shubert brothers purchased the theater.

Real-estate developer Irwin Chanin acquired the 46th Street site in January 1924 and commissioned Herbert J. Krapp to design the theater.

Developer Irwin Chanin bought the 47th Street lots in November 1924 and hired architect Herbert J. Krapp to design the Biltmore.

The Theatre Guild built the venue, which opened as the Guild Theatre.

The Shubert brothers built the theater as part of a hotel complex, opening it as the Forrest Theatre, named for actor Edwin Forrest.

Chanin's 46th Street Theatre opened on February 7, 1925, immediately leased to the Shubert brothers.

The Biltmore Theatre, Chanin's second Broadway house, opened on December 7, 1925.

The theater opened as the Mansfield Theatre, built for the Chanin brothers alongside their nearby Biltmore Theatre.

Real-estate developer Irwin Chanin filed plans for a hotel-and-theater complex that would include the Majestic, designed by Herbert J. Krapp.

Henry Miller died, and his son Gilbert took over management of the theater.

Developer Irwin Chanin built the theater, which opened as the Royale.

The Shubert Organization bought the theater from its original owner, taking over its operation from Cort.

The theater opened as the Theatre Masque, one of three houses the Chanin brothers built together with an adjoining hotel.

The Majestic opened on March 28, 1927, the last of three Chanin-developed theaters to debut.

The Shubert brothers bought the National Theatre outright, having managed its bookings for years.

The Alvin Theatre, built for producers Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley, opened on November 22, 1927.

Erlanger bought out his partner Klaw's ownership interest in the theater.

The theater opened as Erlanger's Theatre, built for producer A. L. Erlanger and designed by Warren and Wetmore.

Impresario Fortune Gallo opened the venue as the Gallo Opera House, designed by architect Eugene De Rosa.

The Shubert brothers built the theater for Ethel Barrymore, and it opened under her name.

Warner Bros. began operating the venue as a movie theater.

The Shubert Organization took over operation of the theater from Broadhurst.

The Shubert brothers bought the Chanin brothers' ownership stakes in the Majestic and its two sister theaters.

The Shubert family took over operation of the theater.

Moss renamed and reopened the venue as the Broadway Theatre for legitimate stage shows.

The Shubert family took over exclusive operating rights to the theater.

After Belasco's death, the estate's executor kept running the house before it was leased to other managers.

The New York Times Company purchased the theater, initially intending to tear it down.

Producer John Golden leased the theater after the Shuberts went into receivership.

Original operator Winthrop Ames gave up management, after which the Shubert Organization took over.

New owners renamed the house Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre after a sale.

Ethel Barrymore ended her arrangement with the Shuberts, and her first name was dropped from the marquee.

The house dropped vaudeville and was converted into an exclusively movie theater under RKO Pictures.

New owner Lodewick Vroom renamed the venue the St. James, after a London playhouse.

The theater went into receivership and was deeded to the Barrymore Theater Corporation.

The theater went into receivership before being deeded to the Plymouth Theatre Corporation.

The theater went into receivership and was deeded to a new corporation set up to run it.

Owner Charles Dillingham went bankrupt amid the Great Depression, leading to the theater's loss of legitimate theatrical use.

Golden renewed his lease and renamed the house after himself.

The theater and adjoining hotel were sold at a foreclosure auction.

CBS leased the building and used its stage as a radio broadcasting studio.

After Arch Selwyn went bankrupt, the venue was converted into a movie house.

The Shuberts sold the theater, after which it alternated between a CBS broadcast studio, a movie house, and live theater for a decade.

The federal Works Progress Administration leased the theater in December 1935 for its Federal Theatre Project.

The theater was auctioned off amid the Depression, and the Shuberts then leased it to CBS as a radio studio.

Cinema operator Harry Brandt bought the building to run it as a movie house.

Producer John Golden, who had leased the house, renamed it the John Golden Theatre.

The theater was sold and converted into a movie house, a role it kept for decades.

The Brandt family took control of the cinema and ran it for the following five decades.

CBS enlarged the stage and used the venue as a broadcast studio for orchestra performances.

Lee Shubert and a partner took over the theater and renovated it.

Owner Lee Shubert leased the theater to CBS, turning it into a broadcast studio.

After Beck died, his wife Louise Heims Beck took over management of the theater.

The theater reverted to its Royale name and returned to legitimate use after CBS's lease ended.

After the operating corporation defaulted on its mortgage, Alfred J. Callahan bought the theater and sold it on the next year.

After Frohman lost the theater in foreclosure, a syndicate of new owners purchased the building from the bank that had seized it.

The building stopped functioning as a playhouse and became a conference center called New York Times Hall.

After Sam Harris died, his ownership stake passed to his widow, Kathleen Marin.

The Shubert family bought the theater, then had to sell it fifteen years later following an antitrust ruling.

CBS took over the building as a radio soundstage, later converting it into a television studio.

The Shubert family's realty company purchased the theater outright.

The empty theater was leased to a radio network for use as a broadcast studio.

Producer Michael Myerberg bought the theater outright after previously leasing it.

The Shuberts leased the building to a network for use as a radio and television broadcast studio.

New owner Louis Lotito renovated the venue and renamed it the Coronet Theatre.

The Shubert brothers bought the theater outright, gaining full ownership after previously only operating it.

The Shuberts purchased full ownership of the Majestic, along with the John Golden and Royale.

The theater was sold to Robert W. Dowling's City Investing Company.

United Artists began using the theater as a cinema again after an earlier legitimate run ended.

The theater left live production briefly to operate as a movie cinema for about two years.

Broadcaster CBS purchased the theater to use as a studio, later leasing it back for stage productions.

The Shubert Organization bought the theater and soon leased it to NBC as a broadcast studio.

The Shubert family bought the underlying land beneath four of their theaters, including this one, from the Astor family.

DuMont Television Network opened a broadcast studio in the theater, continuing its non-theatrical use.

The American National Theater and Academy bought the theater and renamed it the ANTA Playhouse.

After operator Arthur Hopkins died, the Shubert brothers took over running the theater themselves.

NBC bought the theater outright and converted it into a television studio.

CBS leased the house for use as a television studio, operating it under the name Studio 59.

Marin sold her one-third ownership stake to the Harris estate and the Shubert family.

ABC took over the space as a television and radio broadcasting studio.

Ownership passed to the Shubert Organization, which has operated the theater since.

CBS leased the theater as a broadcast studio called Studio 62 starting in February 1952.

The venue returned to live theatrical use after NBC's broadcast lease ended.

A shortage of available Broadway houses led the Shuberts to bring the theater back into legitimate theatrical use.

A renovation stripped most of the original interior decoration when the venue reopened as the ANTA Theatre.

The Shuberts announced they would return the theater to live theatrical use.

With the Shuberts again owning the Imperial, an antitrust settlement that year led them to sell off the St. James Theatre instead.

A development group acquired the former cinema under the name City Playhouses and began converting it back into a legitimate theater.

Following its renovation, the house was renamed for the theatrical couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

Producer Billy Rose purchased the venue at a foreclosure auction.

Businessman William L. McKnight bought and renovated the theater, installing Jujamcyn Theaters as its operator.

Heiress Vivian Beaumont Allen donated three million dollars to fund the planned repertory theater at Lincoln Center.

Investor Lester Osterman bought the theater and renamed it for Eugene O'Neill.

Rose renovated the house and reopened it as the Billy Rose Theatre.

CBS sold the theater to Max and Stanley Stahl, owners of the neighboring Hellinger Theatre.

Owner Myerberg returned the house to live theater and renamed it for retired New York Times critic Brooks Atkinson.

Producer Lester Osterman bought the 46th Street Theatre from City Investing.

Producer David Cogan bought the Biltmore and returned it to live theatrical use.

Architect Eero Saarinen died while the building was still being designed, and his firm carried the project forward.

The Nederlander Organization bought the then-unprofitable movie house from RKO.

The theater opened, initially run by a repertory company under two co-directors.

The venue sat dark for several years after its broadcast tenants departed.

Jujamcyn Theaters' William L. McKnight bought the theater, beginning its long run under that company's ownership.

The Nederlanders reopened the venue as a Broadway theater on January 29, 1966.

The Miller family sold the theater to the Nederlander Organization, which resold it two years later.

Developer Uris Buildings Corporation leased the site and announced plans for an office tower with a theater.

The Uris Buildings Corporation leased the former Capitol Theatre site to build an office tower with a Broadway theater inside.

The Nederlander Organization bought a half-interest in the theater, beginning its long association with the house.

Developers Sam Minskoff and Sons hired Kahn and Jacobs to design the office tower that would include the theater.

Uris agreed to add a second, smaller theater in the building's basement at the city planning commission's request.

Renamed the Avon-Hudson, the venue spent these years as an adult film theater.

Mayor John Lindsay broke ground on the One Astor Plaza complex, including the theater, in October 1968.

The Nederlander Organization sold the venue to real-estate developer Seymour Durst, who leased it back to them.

CBS leased the building and converted it into a television studio for several years, the only period it was not used as a stage theater.

The not-yet-opened theater was named for Percy Uris, head of the company building it.

The present Broadway theater was built within Paramount Plaza and opened as a nonprofit subscription house.

The Uris Theatre was dedicated and held its first performance.

The Nederlander Organization took over operation of the theater.

A theater was first proposed as part of what would become the Marriott Marquis hotel complex.

The Minskoff officially opened within the tower on March 13, 1973.

With no theatrical bookings that year, operator James Nederlander turned the house into a concert venue.

The facade, though not yet the interior, was designated an official city landmark.

The Nederlander Organization acquired the theater, making it the company's fourth Broadway house.

Nightclub operators converted the former broadcast studio into the Studio 54 nightclub.

The Shuberts launched a renovation of the Majestic, the first in their broader effort to restore their Broadway houses.

The Nederlander Organization and the Cooney-Marsh Organization bought the theater, initially renaming it the Trafalgar Theatre.

The Shuberts hired a designer to restore the theater's original look.

Jerome Minskoff and James M. Nederlander agreed in November 1979 to jointly operate the theater after its early bookings struggled.

New York City designated the theater and part of its interior as a landmark.

A gift shop called One Shubert Alley opened between this theater and the neighboring Booth, using former dressing rooms.

James M. Nederlander renamed the venue again to honor his late father, impresario David T. Nederlander.

The nightclub closed after its owners were convicted of tax evasion.

Jujamcyn Theaters bought the house and renamed it the Virginia Theatre, after co-owner Virginia McKnight Binger.

The Nederlander Organization purchased a half-interest in the theater.

Jujamcyn Theaters acquired the building.

Jujamcyn Theaters acquired the theater from playwright Neil Simon.

The theaters previously on the site were demolished amid strong opposition to the project.

The theater was rededicated and renamed for George and Ira Gershwin during the Tony Awards ceremony.

New owners renamed the house the Helen Hayes Theatre in honor of the actress.

The Nederlanders renamed the venue the Neil Simon Theatre to honor the playwright.

A restored theater reopened following Jujamcyn's renovation.

A $2 million renovation rebuilt the stage and lobby after the theater closed.

The Nederlander Organization secured the rights to operate the hotel's theater in November 1984.

When the office tower was sold to new owners, Minskoff and Nederlander negotiated a long-term lease to keep running the theater.

New York City designated the theater's interior and facade as landmarks.

The facade was designated a New York City landmark, though the interior was not protected.

The theater's facade and interior received New York City landmark status.

Lincoln Center Theater was reorganized under new leadership following years of operating disputes.

The Marquis Theatre, designed by John C. Portman Jr. within the hotel, opened on July 9, 1986.

New York City designated both the facade and interior as official landmarks.

Both the facade and interior were designated New York City landmarks.

The facade and part of the interior were designated New York City landmarks.

Both the facade and interior were designated New York City landmarks.

Unlike most Broadway houses, this theater was denied landmark status when the city reviewed Broadway theaters.

The facade and interior were designated New York City landmarks.

The interior was designated a New York City landmark, though the exterior was not.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated both the facade and the auditorium interior as official city landmarks.

Both the exterior and interior received official New York City landmark status.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the auditorium interior, though not the exterior, an official landmark.

Both the facade and the interior were designated New York City landmarks.

Both the facade and the auditorium interior were designated New York City landmarks.

Both the facade and the auditorium interior were designated New York City landmarks.

The facade and interior were designated New York City landmarks.

The facade, but not the altered interior, was designated a New York City landmark.

The interior also received landmark designation.

New York City's landmarks commission designated the Majestic's facade and interior as official landmarks in December 1987.

The Music Box's facade and interior were designated New York City landmarks in December 1987.

The auditorium interior was designated a New York City landmark, though the exterior was denied that status.

City preservation officials designated both the facade and the interior as official landmarks.

City preservation officials designated the theater's facade and interior as landmarks.

Landmark officials designated the theater's exterior, though a decision on the interior was deferred.

Preservation officials designated the auditorium's interior, though not its exterior, as a landmark.

Irving Berlin remained a co-owner of the theater until his death.

New operators leased the building to run it as the Ritz, a rock nightclub.

The theater's exterior was rebuilt as part of a new office tower constructed around it.

The Nederlanders renamed the venue the Richard Rodgers Theatre to honor the composer.

The house closed for extensive renovations for much of the year.

The nonprofit New 42nd Street took control of the theater and nearby houses on the block.

The newly renamed Walter Kerr Theatre reopened under its current name.

A renovated version of the theater reopened inside a new hotel built around the historic auditorium.

The theater underwent a renovation shortly before hosting that year's Tony Awards.

The Nederlander Organization and Stewart F. Lane acquired the derelict theater as part of a larger assemblage.

A renovated interior reopened under new management after a $2.2 million restoration project.

The company Livent leased the old theaters, demolished them and began a new 1,821-seat house sponsored by Ford Motor Company.

Disney Theatrical Productions signed a 49-year lease on the theater, agreeing to fund its restoration.

A renovation extended the mezzanine seating forward by three rows.

The auditorium underwent a major renovation that improved its operations and finances.

Financial troubles forced the theater's board to suspend operations.

The new theater, named the Ford Center for the Performing Arts after its sponsor, was dedicated in December 1997 and opened the following month.

The Disney-led restoration of the theater was completed on April 2, 1997.

New 42nd Street leased the building to the Roundabout Theatre Company.

The nonprofit Roundabout Theatre Company converted the building into a Broadway theater.

The venue reopened as an independent, for-profit receiving house rather than a subscription producer.

The rebuilt theater reopened under a new name, American Airlines Theatre, after the airline bought naming rights.

A expansion enlarged seating from 1,328 to as many as 1,467 seats ahead of a new production.

The venue was rebranded with a sponsor's name for several years.

Jujamcyn renamed the theater for Broadway illustrator Al Hirschfeld.

After a Manhattan Theatre Club-led restoration, the theater was rededicated and reopened.

The Shubert Organization agreed to improve disabled access at the theater under a settlement with the Justice Department.

The theater underwent a $9 million renovation.

The Shubert Organization's board voted to rename the Plymouth after its longtime president, Gerald Schoenfeld.

Jujamcyn renamed the theater for Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson, then terminally ill.

The Shubert Organization renamed the theater for its former president Bernard B. Jacobs.

Clear Channel Entertainment, which had taken over operation, renamed the venue for sponsor Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

The theater was renovated to accommodate a long-running production relocating from another Broadway house.

The Shuberts sold unused air development rights above the landmarked theater to a developer.

The Shuberts bought out the Berlin estate's remaining ownership stake, consolidating full control of the theater.

A two-year exterior renovation project was completed.

The theater underwent a renovation.

The Shuberts sold tens of thousands of square feet of unused air rights above the Majestic to a developer for a nearby hotel.

A new underground theater, designed by COOKFOX, opened beneath the Bank of America Tower, retaining the old landmarked facade.

The theater was renamed again for Foxwoods Resort Casino under a partnership with Live Nation.

Lincoln Center Theater added a new off-Broadway house atop the Beaumont's roof.

The Shuberts hired an architect to renovate the theater, restoring its original appearance.

A $3.5 million renovation stripped old paint layers and replaced every seat in the house.

The theater underwent a renovation.

British operator ATG, which had acquired the theater in 2013, renamed it the Lyric Theatre in March 2014.

After decades out of theatrical use, the building returned to operation as a Broadway house under ATG Entertainment.

A renovation reduced the Lyric's seating capacity after years of complaints that the house was too large for many productions to turn a profit.

Operators added restroom stalls as part of accessibility upgrades required under a federal settlement.

Nonprofit company Second Stage, which had purchased the theater in 2015, reopened it after renovation under the shortened name Hayes Theater.

Vornado took full ownership of the Marquis Theatre and the hotel's retail space in a 2018 deal worth $442 million.

The Shuberts sold the development rights to the air above the theater for a record price at the time.

The Shuberts announced plans to refurbish the theater and build a new annex alongside it during the pandemic shutdown.

The theater was renamed for actor James Earl Jones and rededicated when it reopened.

The Nederlanders announced the theater would be renamed for singer and actress Lena Horne.

Jujamcyn merged with Ambassador Theatre Group, which took over operation of the house.

Operator Jujamcyn merged with Ambassador Theatre Group, which continued running the house.

A further renovation, which lifted the landmarked auditorium 30 feet for a new hotel and retail project, was completed in May 2024.