Three-Alarm Fire Ongoing at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre

BroawayWorld is following reports that the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, home to The Book of Mormon, is currently on fire. The fire has been upgraded from a two-alarm fire to a three-alarm fire. Though the show and FDNY have yet to issue a statement, it appears the fire was limited to the roof and has not spread further.

Aerial footage of the area appeared to show the fire had been brought under control a little after 11 AM - though we are still awaiting confirmation.

The Book of Mormon had no performances scheduled for Monday night. The production has yet to share an update on the status of the performance on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026.

In a statement, Ambassador Theatre Group which owns the theatre stated "The NYFD is at the site of the fire now and are handling matters at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. Everyone has been safely removed from the theater. We will keep all parties abreast of this developing situation."

The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, located at 230 West 49th Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway. Designed by prolific theatre architect Herbert J. Krapp and operated today by Jujamcyn Theaters (now part of ATG Entertainment), the venue first opened on November 24, 1925 as the Forrest Theatre, named for 19th-century tragedian Edwin Forrest, with the musical Mayflowers as its inaugural production.

The theatre was later renamed the Coronet in 1945 following a renovation, and in 1959 was rechristened the Eugene O'Neill in honor of the four-time Pulitzer Prize–winning American playwright - making it the first Broadway house to be named after a playwright.

In the late 1960s, playwright Neil Simon acquired the theatre and staged a string of his own plays there, including The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue. After Jujamcyn purchased the venue in 1982, the O'Neill went on to host such acclaimed productions as M. Butterfly, Big River, Spring Awakening, and the original Broadway run of Grease's revival, among many others.

The Book of Mormon, which opened at the O'Neill on March 24, 2011, has been the venue's resident production for nearly 15 years. The musical comedy, created by South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone alongside Avenue Q and Frozen co-composer Robert Lopez, won nine Tony Awards in 2011, including Best Musical. The production marked its 15th anniversary earlier this year.

BroadwayWorld is following the story.