Majestic Theatre on Broadway

The Majestic Theatre was originally built in 1927 by real-estate magnates, the Chanin Brothers, as part of a three-theatre complex that also included the Royale (a mid-sized house) and the Theatre Masque, now the John Golden (a small house). The Majestic, a large musical house, complemented the other two venues, enabling producers to move shows based on their ticket sales to the most appropriately-sized venue. In 1930, the Chanins transferred ownership of all three houses to the Shuberts. The Chanins commissioned Herbert Krapp to design the theatre complex in what he called a "modern Spanish" style, complete with terra-cotta base and Spanish brick-wall ornamentation, and arched windows. The Majestic's exterior also includes a stylized Palladian motif above the entrance. The interior features the Adam-style detailing common in many Shubert houses. Decades before the current vogue for stadium seating in movie theaters, Krapp had conceived of a similar concept for the theatre's orchestra. With its steep rake, it offers ideal sight lines for audience members. Another forward-thinking aspect of the design was the creation of a single large balcony rather than two smaller ones - today's producers are hesitant to book two-balcony houses because second-balcony seating is less desirable to modern audiences.

Since 1988, The Majestic Theatre has been home to Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show on Broadway, having run for over 30 years, and playing 13,370 performances. The Phantom of the Opera has been staged in countries all around the world, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, and many more.