St. James Theatre

The St. James Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 246 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan. With 1,710 seats over three levels, it is one of the largest Broadway theatres. The St. James Theatre, named after the famed St James's Theatre in London,[1] is owned and operated by Jordan Roth, president and owner of Jujamcyn Theaters.[2]

For other uses, see St. James Theatre (disambiguation).
St. James Theatre
Erlanger's Theatre
(2019)
Address246 West 44th Street
Manhattan, New York City
United States
Coordinates40°45′29″N 73°59′17″W
OwnerJujamcyn Theaters
TypeBroadway
Capacity1,710
ProductionDavid Byrne's American Utopia
Construction
Opened1927
ArchitectWarren and Wetmore
Website
jujamcyn.com
DesignatedDecember 15, 1987
Reference no.1374
Designated entityFacade
DesignatedDecember 15, 1987
Reference no.1375
Designated entityInterior

Bruce Springsteen's musical Springsteen on Broadway was the theatre's most recent tenant, running in a limited engagement during the summer of 2021.

History

Abraham L. Erlanger, theatrical producer and a founding member of the Theatrical Syndicate, constructed the St. James on the site of the original Sardi's restaurant. Designed by Warren and Wetmore (who also co-designed Grand Central Terminal), the theatre's simple brick facade is dominated by a large cast iron loggia, masking the fire escapes from the auditorium over the expansive street front. The gilded, landmarked auditorium is ornate, with two balconies.

It opened in 1927 as The Erlanger Theatre. Upon Erlanger's death in 1930, the Astor family, who owned the underlying land, assumed control of the venue and renamed it the St. James Theatre. The Shubert Organization took over 1941.[3] They were forced to sell it to William L. McKnight in 1957 following the loss of an antitrust case. McKnight renovated the St. James and reopened it in 1958. In 1970, McKnight then transferred the theatre to his daughter Virginia and her husband James H. Binger, who had formed Jujamcyn Theaters. After Binger's death in 2004, producer and president of Jujamcyn, Rocco Landesman, announced his plans to buy the company. Landesman purchased the group in 2005, and in 2009 he sold half his stake to up-and-coming theatrical producer, Jordan Roth. Shortly after, Landesman was asked to head the NEA and Roth and assumed control of the group. The theatre has housed several long-running and Tony Award-winning musicals in its ninety-one-year history, including original productions of Oklahoma!, The King and I, Hello, Dolly!, The Who's Tommy and The Producers. Located on 44th Street in the Theater District, the St. James neighbors a handful of large musical houses including the Majestic, Broadhurst, Shubert, and the Hayes Theater.

In 2017, the St. James completed a renovation which extended its stage by ten feet into the alley between the Hayes Theater and the St. James. The stage expansion was to accommodate the Broadway run of the Disney musical Frozen.[4]

On March 12, 2020, the theater closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 7, 2021, Bruce Springsteen announced that he would give a limited run of 31 performances of his Springsteen on Broadway shows at the theater beginning on June 26, 2021 with additional performances through September 4, 2021.[5]

Box office record

Frozen achieved the box office record for the St. James Theatre.[6] The production grossed $2,624,495 over eight performances for the week ending December 30, 2018.[7]

Filming location

In April and May 2013, film director Alejandro González Iñárritu spent 30 days shooting his film Birdman almost entirely within the St. James Theatre and its environs.[8] The film depicts the production of a Broadway show during its preview nights and premiere and utilizes the theatre's stage, lobby, and backstage areas. The theatre features in the opening montage of Woody Allen's Manhattan, his "love letter" to New York City. St. James Theatre is also shown in the season 4 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm when Larry David and David Schwimmer star in the Broadway version of The Producers. There is also a scene on the street in front of the theatre in which Larry David gets into a confrontation with a tourist played by Stephen Colbert. The theatre has also appeared in several episodes of NBC's Smash and was featured in season 5 of the FOX Television series Glee as Lea Michele's Rachel Berry stars in the revival of Funny Girl staged at the theatre.

Notable productions

See also

References
  1. "St. James Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  2. Jones, Kenneth (January 22, 2013). "Jordan Roth Is Now Principal Owner of Broadway's Jujamcyn Theaters". Playbill. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  3. "13 New Plays Set for Rural Houses". The New York Times. July 19, 1941. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  4. Cox, Gordon (June 28, 2016). "Broadway Real Estate: St. James Theater to Expand Stage as Helen Hayes Begins Renovations". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  5. "'Springsteen On Broadway' Returns For Limited Summer Run At The St. James Theatre". brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  6. Gelt, Jessica (April 9, 2018). "'Harry Potter' and 'Frozen' break records on Broadway". Los Angeles Times.
  7. "FROZEN Broadway Grosses – 2018". BroadwayWorld.
  8. Ng, David (November 10, 2014). "In 'Birdman,' Broadway's St. James Theatre plays itself". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  9. "My One And Only". IBDb.com. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  10. "Frozen Broadway @ St. James Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. February 22, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
    The Broadway League (March 22, 2018). "Frozen – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDB. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  11. "Springsteen On Broadway Broadway @ St. James Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. June 26, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
    The Broadway League (June 26, 2021). "Springsteen on Broadway – Broadway Special – Original". IBDB. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  12. "David Byrne's American Utopia Broadway @ St. James Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. September 17, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
    The Broadway League (October 17, 2021). "American Utopia – Broadway Special – Original". IBDB. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
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