Largest Broadway theatre?

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:41pm

Is it the Gershwin? I'm trying to find out for sure, cause the Greshwin's seating is 1933 which is less than most large theatres here in Texas...i'm just curious.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:47pm

It's the Gershwin.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:48pm

It's the Broadway, I think...



Oh and BTW, theatre's in Texas are rediculously large, like most other things in that state. TEXAS! The Insecurity State!!

Updated On: 8/23/05 at 07:48 PM

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:52pm

lol, no kidding...who knows what we are compensating for...

The theatres that I frequent, mostly for Broadway tours are Ft. Worth's Bass Hall (seat about 2000) Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas and Bass Hall in Austin, which both seat about 3000.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:54pm

I saw NOISE/FUNK at Music Hall and I just could not get over the size of it, it just went on forever and ever.......I can't imagine trying to play to the back of that house, you must look like an over acting idiot to the first 10 rows if you are trying to reach the back of the third or forth balcony

[forget regret <3]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:59pm

its the Gershwin.

[zepka102]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:02pm

gershwin is small compared to shea's here in buffalo... but thats expected. and i seriously felt like the hilton theatre was larger than the gershwin. sitting halfway up the dress circle, i felt soooooooooo far away

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:17pm

I think the Gershwin has a better balance than any of the other theatres. Even though it does feel large, it doesn't feel as vast as other houses, like the Hilton. It spreads out nicely, but the way the sight lines were constructed, and the relation of the seats and the stage, make it seem smaller than it actually is.

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:00pm

The Gershwin has over 1,900 seats. The Broadway has around 1,750 or so, IIRC.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:04pm

the ford in chicago is HUGE - at least it seems.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:05pm

There are some theatres in Texas and Atlanta that are huge. The Paramount in Seattle has almost 3,000 I think.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:11pm

growing up in vegas, all the broadway shows came to the aladdin theatre which has 7,000 seats.

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:20pm

Here is a good site that I use, with seating charts and capacity for major NYC venues including Broadway theaters.

Citi-Dex NYC Theater and Concert Hall Seating Plans

[Phantom05]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:48pm

The Gershwin is a fabulous theater, but I'd have to say that the Minskoff is one of the most technically sound theaters that I've ever had the pleasure of exploring; The Minskoff is definitely not one of the prettiest theaters on Broadway, but it's enormous and the wing and fly space is almost unheard of!

See Ya!

Phantom05

[Glindafan]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:24am

For a huge house, you don't have to go further than Radio City's 5,900 seats. It is enormous.

According to Playbill.com, The Gershwin is the largest Broadway theater at 1,809 seats. They actually could add more if needed, because it was originally designed for more, but they closed off some areas.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:29am

I think the Gershwin is a HORRIBLE theatre. It's like a giant cave. I feel like it sets you completely away from the show, and the show almost has to be giant like Wicked for it to even feel remotely like it's in a live theatre.

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:59am

I Googled a list of Broadway theaters, Googled each theater's seating capacity, then ranked them accordingly.

All seating capacities are approximate. When seating capacity for dramas and musicals differed I used the higher number.

For future reference...

Broadway Theaters - Seating Capacity

1. Gershwin Theater.......................1,935
2. Hilton Theater...........................1,815
3. Palace Theater..........................1,785
4. Broadway Theater......................1,765
5. New Amsterdam Theater..............1,745
6. Biltmore Theater.........................1,710
7. Minskoff Theater.........................1,710
8. Majestic Theater.........................1,655
9. St James Theater........................1,625
10. Marquis Theater.........................1,605
11. Sam S Shubert Theater...............1,520
12. Winter Garden Theater................1,515
13. Lunt-Fontanne Theater...............1,475
14. Imperial Theater........................1,421
15. Richard Rodgers Theater.............1,370
16. Neil Simon Theater.....................1,295
17. Al Hirschfeld Theatre..................1,292
18. Virginia Theater.........................1,275
19. Nederlander Theater...................1,200
20. Broadhurst Theater....................1,186
21. Ambassador Theater..................1,155
22. Eugene O'Neill Theater................1,110
23. Ethel Barrymore Theatre.............1,096
24. Longacre Theater......................1,095
25. Bernard B. Jacobs Theater...........1,080
26. Schoenfeld Theater....................1,080
27. Vivian Beaumont Theater.............1,080
28. Royale Theater.........................1,075
29. Brooks Atkinson Theater.............1,045
30. Belasco Theater........................1,018
31. Music Box Theater.....................1,010
32. Walter Kerr Theater.....................945
33. Lyceum Theater..........................925
34. Studio 54...................................920
35. John Golden Theater.....................805
36. Booth Theater.............................785
37. American Airlines Theatre...............740
38. Circle in the Square.......................625
39. Helen Hayes Theater.....................595
40. Henry Miller's Theater..................currently rebuilding

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:10am

Radio City musical hall is the biggest off-braodway theatre, it seats about 5,900.

Side note, the proscenium is 145 ft across, and 89 ft tall. (btw, that is HUGE)

The biggest theatre near my house is the Pantages, which seats 2,700.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:37am

The Ford Center was the largest (in terms of seats) until its recent renovation, turning it into the Hilton Theatre. The renovation involved the removal of a few rows of seats, making the total just a few chairs fewer than in the Gershwin. The Gershwin is the largest Broadway theatre.