Longacre Theatre

The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 220 West 48th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

Longacre Theatre
The Prom, 2019
Address220 West 48th Street
Manhattan, New York City
United States
Coordinates40°45′37″N 73°59′09″W
OwnerThe Shubert Organization
DesignationBroadway theatre
Capacity1091
ProductionDiana
Construction
Opened1913
Years active1913–present
ArchitectHenry Beaumont Herts
Website
shubert.nyc/theatres/longacre/

History

Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts in 1912, the theatre was named for Longacre Square, the original name for Times Square. The French neo-classical building was constructed by impresario Harry Frazee, better remembered as the owner of the Boston Red Sox who, needing money for his theatrical ventures, sold Babe Ruth's contract to the New York Yankees. A curse allegedly lingered on the theatre as a result, and there was a time in which superstitious producers avoided it for fear they would be backing a flop, as noted by William Goldman in his book The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway. Despite the rumor, a large number of performers who have appeared on stage here have taken home a Tony Award for their efforts.

The Longacre's first show was a production of the William Hurlbut–Frances Whitehouse comedy Are You a Crook?, which opened on May 1, 1913. With the exception of its use as a radio and television studio in the mid-1940s to early 1950s, the theatre has operated as a legitimate Broadway venue.

In 2019, Broadway’s first-known onstage wedding happened at the Longacre between two women.[1]

On March 12, 2020, the theater closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] It reopened on November 2, 2021, with previews of Diana,[3] which ran through December 19.[4]

Notable productions

Box office record

The Broadway production of A Bronx Tale achieved the box office record for the Longacre Theatre. The production grossed $1,293,125.32 over nine performances for the week ending January 1, 2017.[6]

References
  1. Gilchrist, Tracy E. "The Prom Makes Broadway Herstory by Ending in Actual Same-Sex Marriage". Advocate.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  2. Paulson, Michael (March 12, 2020). "Broadway, Symbol of New York Resilience, Shuts Down Amid Virus Threat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  3. Meyer, Dan (November 17, 2021). "Diana, the Musical Opens on Broadway November 17 at the Longacre Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  4. Herrington, Nicole (December 11, 2021). "'Diana, the Musical' to End Broadway Run on Dec. 19". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  5. https://broadwaynews.com/2021/12/16/broadway-revival-of-macbeth-moves-to-longacre-theatre/
  6. , Production Gross, Playbill.com
  • Parker, John, ed. (1947). Who's Who in the Theatre (10th ed.). London. p. 1184.
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