The 'Majestic Theatre' is a
Broadway theatre located at 245 West 44th Street in midtown
Manhattan.
An earlier theatre with the same name had been located at 5 Columbus Circle, the present site of the Time-Warner building. 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.
Designed by
architect Herbert J. Krapp, the present-day Majestic was constructed by the Charnin 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.
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 more than 8000 performances, it presently is the longest-running production in Broadway history.
Other notable productions
★ 1927: ''
The Letter''
★ 1931: ''
The Student Prince''
★ 1936: ''
On Your Toes''
★ 1941: ''
Hellzapoppin''
★ 1947: ''
Call Me Mister''; ''
Allegro''
★ 1953: ''
Me and Juliet''
★ 1954: ''
Fanny''
★ 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''
★ 1977: ''
The Act
★ 1978: ''
First Monday in October''; ''
Ballroom''
★ 1979: ''
I Remember Mama''
★ 1980: ''
Grease''
★ 1988: ''
Phantom of the Opera''
Reference
''Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture'' by William Morrison, published by Dover Publications (1999) ISBN 0-486-40244-4
External links
★
Official website
★
★
Postcard pictures of the Majestic