The Shubert Theatre had its genesis in the New Theatre, an "art" playhouse located on Central Park West that was devoted to serious repertory drama. Although the project was a critical and commercial flop, the New Theatre Group, which included Lee Shubert, leased a plot of land between 44th and 45th street to construct a new venue. The plan was abandoned, but Lee Shubert and Winthrop Ames, a former New Theatre partner, acquired a lease for the site, and built two adjoining playhouses there. Lee and J.J. operated the larger of the two auditoriums, which they named the Sam S. Shubert Memorial Theatre to commemorate their brother, who had died in May 1905. Ames managed the smaller Booth Theatre. The Shubert and Booth theatres utilized an unusual design scheme, sharing an architecturally unified exterior (in the style of the "Venetian Renaissance"), but completely distinct interiors. Another distinctive feature is the private roadway connecting 44th and 45th Streets, which runs between the two new theatres and the rear of the adjacent building--formerly the Astor Hotel, now the Minskoff. This thoroughfare, which came to be called Shubert Alley, allowed each theatre to occupy a corner lot. The Shubert's elegant interior is marked by elaborate plasterwork, and a series of theatrically-themed painted panels that adorn the boxes, the area above the proscenium arch, and the ceiling. Lee chose to build an office/apartment above the theatre, which is now the location of the Shubert Organization's executive offices.
The Shubert Theatre's longest running show was A Chorus Line! A Chorus Line opened at the theatre in July 1975, featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. A Chorus Line was directed by Michael Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian. The show received twelve Tony Award nominations and won nine: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Lighting Design. The show also won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show ran for 6,137 performances, from July 25 1975 to April 28, 1990. A Chorus Line is currently the seventh longest-running Broadway show in history.
