Extant former Broadway houses

[And Peggy]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 12:11am

I know this topic has been discussed on here, but when I tried the search it turned up nothing. If you can point me in the direction of previous threads I would be extremely grateful.

In the wake of the Hudson returning to legitimate use I've been extremely curious about spaces in New York that were once legitimate Broadway houses and could conceivably be returned to use for that purpose. The Mark Hellinger Theater is owned by the Times Square Church and they have by all accounts been wonderful stewards of the property, so it's unlikely that it will be returned to its former use anytime soon but it's still a possible option. The Edison Ballroom was once the Edison Theater that housed the long-running Oh, Calcutta! The Liberty Theater is currently a Dave & Busters, but it's not completely impossible that it could return to legitimate use someday (I mean, it's still THERE and the Winter Garden was originally a horse barn so anything is possible.) 

What are some other locations that were once considered legitimate Broadway houses that are still present today? (And bonus question, which ones could still be conceivably converted back to Broadway houses if economics deemed it viable?) 

[SharksVsJets]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 2:01am

It's unlikely, but the Ed Sullivan Theater could conceivably be converted back to a B'way house if CBS ever decided to sell. It opened in 1927 as Hammerstein's Theatre.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 2:11am

The Ed Sullivan theater only has a current capacity of around 400. Not sure how they could cram another 100 seats in there and even if they could, the appeal to producers of a theater that small I would have to think would be very limited.

[SharksVsJets]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 2:24am

Before it was remodelled for Letterman in 1993 it had 1,200 seats. Apparently the renovations can be reversed.

[ddenoff2]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 7:51am

The 42nd Street Theatre (just west of the Lyric with the beautiful columns on the facade) is still a possible contender.  It WAS going to be the home of the 4D Experience.  However, modifications made to expand and update the Lyric did encroach on the 42nd St theatre's interior space for dressing rooms, etc. as well as making load-in from 43rd street impossible so you'd have to go thru 42nd with more related traffic/pedestrian blockage...but hopefully not OFTEN!  I did catch a glimpse of the interior a few months ago when the plywood construction door on 42nd was open. The worker let me grab a few photos and the proscenium is GORGEOUS.  

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 11:25am

I've always heard that the city will not allow the 42nd Street Theatre to be returned to use as a legit theatre because of that lack of loading access on 43rd Street.

 

I've also heard that because of the way the surrounding buildings have been developed that the Liberty Theatre has no way of being brought up to code in terms of fire exits for the number of people it could potentially seat if it was returned to use as a Broadway house (which means that, assuming that is true, it could potentially be brought back as an Off-Broadway house keeping the seating capacity in the range where it meets the current fire safety codes).

[The Other One]

Posted: 8/19/17 at 12:48am

Although it is not located in the theater district, the Village East Cinema on 12th st and 2nd Ave is the original home of Grease and the next to last home of Man of La Mancha. It was then known as the Eden, and due to its seating capacity was considered a Broadway Theatre.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/19/17 at 1:27am

The Other One said: "Although it is not located in the theater district, the Village East Cinema on 12th st and 2nd Ave is the original home of Grease and the next to last home of Man of La Mancha. It was then known as the Eden, and due to its seating capacity was considered a Broadway Theatre."

Really? That's fascinating. I've been to that theatre several times and had no idea. 

 

There is also the Empire theatre on 42nd, which is now an AMC multiplex. They've turned the actual theatre house into the cinema lobby. It's really cool actually - you can still see the proscenium, the general shape of the old theatre.

[Cesare2]

Posted: 8/19/17 at 5:00am

The Village East (before it was divided into a multiplex) was also known as the Entermedia and the Phoenix.  It is the last remaining Second Avenue area Yiddish theater.  The musicals "The Golden Apple," "Once Upon a Mattress," "Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Oh! Calcutta!," and "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" also all first played there before moving to the Times Square theater district.  I think the theater had around 1200 seats.  I saw the musical "Taking My Turn" there and remember seating areas were roped off for off-Broadway purposes.

I also had read that the Ed Sullivan despite its current configuration could be restored to its original state as a Broadway musical theater.  (Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Sweet Adeline" starring Helen Morgan opened there, as did the bizarre musical "Golden Dawn," which, with star Vivienne Segal, was filmed (and is available from Warner Archive.)).

The theater next to the Lyric is the Times Square, the theater where "The Front Page" opened as well as the Gershwin musical "Strike Up the Band," and the American premiere of "Private Lives."  I thought I had read ATG was making changes to its Lyric Theater that were going to make the Times Square viable as another Broadway house.

Didn't an off-Broadway show recently play the Liberty?  I think the restaurant in front of it (first a Famous Dave's, then the Times Square Diner) closed a while back.

[The Other One]

Posted: 8/19/17 at 8:14am

Thanks for the history, Cesare2.  I knew the theater had had other names in a long past, but I was not able to do any research before posting.  Yes, Taking My Turn played there, too.  I had forgotten that.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 8/19/17 at 8:30am

Cesare2 said: "...I thought I had read ATG was making changes to its Lyric Theater that were going to make the Times Square viable as another Broadway house."

I recall asking about this possibility when ATG announced plans to remodel the Lyric. Those most familiar with the physical layout replied that it would still be difficult. I seem to remember that they'd still need to load through not only the Lyric lobby, but the auditorium as well. Unfortunately.