by Chris Hale address: 59 East 59th Street
16 July 2008 New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 753-5959
The 59E59 Theaters is a complex of three unique theaters, launched in 2004, that are owned and operated by the non-profit Elysabeth Kleinhans Theatrical Foundation. The complex has three theaters, Theater A seats 199, Theater B seats 98, and Theater C seats 50–70. Theater A is the current home of productions from the non-profit Primary Stages Theatrical Company. The 59E59 Theaters presents productions from off Broadway and off-off Broadway from non-profit organizations. The policy of the state-of-the-art theater complex is to bring “new, challenging, and experimental work to a new neighborhood”. The 59E59 Theaters also presents two annual events; Brits Off Broadway, a festival of new British theater productions and East to Edinburgh, which previews shows going to the Edinburge Festival Fringe.
The 59E59 Theaters is located between Park and Madison Avenues.
by Chris Hale Address: 243 West 47th Street
14 July 2008 New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 239-6200
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre was built in 1928 by the Shubert Organization for the legendary actress, Ethel Barrymore. The theatre was designed by Herbert Krapp with a stately, intricate golden interior with red curtains and seats along with a beautiful hanging crystal chandelier. In addition, the Shuberts commissioned a play for Ethel Barrymore for the opening night of her namesake theatre. The opening production was The Kingdom of God, starring Ethel Barrymore, in December 1928. Now under contract with the Shubert Organization, Ethel performed in a few more productions until 1940 with her final performance at the theatre in An International Incident. The Ethel Barrymore Theatre had always been used as a legitimate house, and not for other purposes that most other older theatres did over the years. Many successful productions followed throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s including Fred Astaire starring in the Cole Porter classic Gay Divorce, Gene Kelly starring in Rodgers and Hart’s Pal Joey, Jessica Tandy and Marlon Brando starring in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee starring in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. The theatre seats 1058. The Ethel Barrymore Theatre continued with many more successful productions throughout the decades and more recently had the Tony Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company and the current comedy November.
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is located between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
by Chris Hale address:
The Winter Garden Theatre was built, in 1911, by the Shubert Organization with the designs of architect William A. Swasey. The theatre was built on the site of an old American Horse Exchange and architect William A. Swasey used the showring to create an unusually wide stage area with one balcony. Many Al Jolson musicals were held at the Winter Garden Theatre in the 1910’s and 1920’s. In 1922, the Shuberts hired architect Herbert J. Krapp for an extensive renovation of the theatre to bring the interiors back to the “traditional Adamesque style” found in the other Shubert owned theatres. In 2001, the theatre had a multi-million dollar restoration by architect Francesca Russo to bring the theatre back “to its Twenties’ glory”. The Winter Garden Theatre seats 1526 and has the reputation of every seat in the house having a great view of the stage. Among the successful productions at this theatre includes: the long running smash hit Cats, the premiere of West Side Story (starring Chita Rivera and Carol Lawrence), The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Funny Girl (starring Barbra Streisand), Mame (starring Angela Lansbury), Peter Pan, Once Upon a Town, Follies, Gypsy, the premiere of 42nd Street, and the current long running hit Mamma Mia!.
by Chris Hale address: 227 West 42nd Street
9 July 2008 New York, NY 10036
(between 7th & 8th Ave)
Phone: 212–719–1300
The American Airlines Theatre was built, in 1918, by Edgar and Arch Selwyn with the designs by architect George Keister and was original named the Selwyn Theatre, after producer Arch Selwyn, and is “one of the last great theatres to be built on 42nd Street”. The theatre was designed in Italian Renaissance style and used for decades as a movie house. The theatre fell into disrepair and remained vacant until 1990 when the City and State of New York took control of the property. In 1992, the New 42nd Street Organization, protected the property until the Roundabout Theatre Company took it over in 1997. It took three years to renovate the property before it reopened in 2000 renamed the Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre. The opening night performance on June 27th, 2000 was the Tony Award-winning revival The Man Who Came To Dinner starring Nathan Lane. The theatre seats 740 and is the home of the Roundabout Theatre Company. This beautifully renovated theatre has the most comfortable seats on broadway. The ceilings are gorgeous in this spacious and modern theatre with large restored murals and excellent acoustics. Among the successful productions at this theatre includes: The 39 Steps, a revival of The Pajama Game, The Caretaker, The Constant Wife, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Big River, The Woman, a revival of 12 Angry Men, Betrayal, and the recent hit Les Liaisons Dangereuses.