| Majestic Theatre | |
|---|---|
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| Majestic Theatre, 2007 | |
| Address |
245 West 44th Street
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| City |
New York City
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| Designation | New York City Landmark |
| Architect | Herbert J. Krapp |
| Owned by | The Shubert Organization |
| Capacity | 1655 (est.) |
| Type | Broadway |
| Opened | March 28, 1927 |
| Production | The Phantom of the Opera |
| Coordinates: 40°45′28″N 73°59′14″W / 40.75790°N 73.98734°W | |
The Majestic Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 245 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.
The Majestic, one of the largest Broadway theatres with 1607 seats, traditionally has been used as a venue for major musical theatre productions. Among the notable shows that have premiered at the Majestic are Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The Music Man (1957), Camelot (1960), A Little Night Music (1973), and The Wiz (1975). It was also the second home of 42nd Street and the third home of 1776. The theatre has housed The Phantom of the Opera since it opened on January 26, 1988. With a record breaking 9,000 performances (as of September 15th, 2009), it currently is the longest-running production in Broadway history.
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History
Columbus Circle location
An earlier theatre with the same name had been located at 5 Columbus Circle, the present site of the Time Warner Center. Designed in 1903 by John Duncan, the architect of Grant's Tomb, the theatre hosted original musicals, including The Wizard of Oz and Babes in Toyland, and briefly served as a studio for NBC. It was renamed the Park Theatre in 1911 and demolished in 1954 to make way for the New York Coliseum which in turn was torn down to make way for Time-Warner in 2000.
West 44th Street location
Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, the present-day Majestic was constructed by the Chanin Brothers as part of an entertainment complex including the John Golden Theatre, the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, and the Milford Plaza hotel. It opened on March 28, 1927 with the musical Rufus LeMaire's Affairs.
The Majestic was purchased by the Shubert brothers during the Great Depression and currently is owned and operated by the Shubert Organization. Both the interior and exterior were designated New York City landmarks in 1987.
Other notable productions
- 1927: The Letter
- 1931: The Student Prince
- 1933: Pardon My English
- 1936: On Your Toes
- 1941: Hellzapoppin
- 1947: Call Me Mister; Allegro
- 1953: Me and Juliet
- 1954: Fanny
- 1960: Camelot (musical)
- 1963: Tovarich; Jennie
- 1964: Anyone Can Whistle; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Golden Boy
- 1966: Funny Girl; Breakfast at Tiffany's
- 1967: Marat/Sade; Fiddler on the Roof
- 1970: Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
- 1972: Sugar
- 1974: Mack and Mabel
- 1975: The Wiz
- 1977: The Act
- 1978: First Monday in October; Ballroom
- 1979: I Remember Mama
- 1980: Grease
- 1988: The Phantom of the Opera
References
Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture by William Morrison, published by Dover Publications (1999) ISBN 0-486-40244-4
External links
- Official website
- New York Theatre Guide
- Majestic Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
- Postcard pictures of the Majestic
- Google Maps
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