Majestic Theatre (Broadway)

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For the Majestic Theatre (1903–54), see Majestic Theatre (Columbus Circle).
Majestic Theatre
Majestic Theatre NYC 2007.jpg
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Address245 West 44th Street
New York City, New York
United States
Coordinates40°45′28″N 73°59′14″W / 40.75790°N 73.98734°W / 40.75790; -73.98734
OwnerThe Shubert Organization
DesignationNew York City Landmark
TypeBroadway
Capacity1,681
ProductionThe Phantom of the Opera
Construction
OpenedMarch 28, 1927
ArchitectHerbert J. Krapp
Website
www.shubertorganization.com/theatres/majestic

The Majestic Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 245 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. It is one of the largest Broadway theatres with 1,681 seats, and 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 over 13,300 performances to date, it is currently the longest-running production in Broadway history.

History[]

Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, the present-day Majestic was constructed by the Chanin Brothers as part of an entertainment complex including the Theatre Masque, the Royale Theatre, and Lincoln Hotel (now the Row NYC Hotel, and previously the Milford Plaza). It opened on March 28, 1927 with the musical Rufus LeMaire's Affairs. The theater was designed in a Spanish style, with Adam style detailing within the auditorium, a large single balcony, and steep stadium seating in the orchestra section, all under an expansive plaster dome. A large staircase leads patrons up to the orchestra level one story above the expansive street frontage. On the Spanish terracotta and stone facade, ornate loggia mask the fire escapes from the auditorium, mirroring the neighboring St. James Theatre across 44th Street. With 1,681 seats, the Majestic is one of the largest of the Broadway theaters, and has been home to primarily large musicals in its ninety year history.[1] The venue hosted the 50th Tony Awards in 1996, on the set of Phantom.

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, just prior to the theater's current long-running tenant, The Phantom of the Opera. For Phantom, the theater's stage was expanded and modified extensively to fit the show's complex scenic elements, the Shuberts spending more than $1 million to accommodate the show after considering the Martin Beck and Mark Hellinger theaters with the show's producer Cameron Mackintosh, and moving long-running tenant 42nd Street was moved across the street to the St. James.[2] Much of the theater's large, ornate proscenium arch has been obscured and painted black since Phantom's installation in 1987. A long alleyway connects the theater backstage to the surrounding Golden, Jacobs and Broadhurst theaters.

The benefit concert Broadway Answers Selma was held at the Majestic on 4 April 1965 to raise funds for the civil rights movement in the aftermath of the Selma to Montgomery marches.[3]

The theater closed on March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will reopen October 22, 2021 with performances of The Phantom Of The Opera.

Timeline of productions[]

Productions are listed by the year they commenced performances:

Box office record[]

The Phantom of the Opera achieved the box office record for the Majestic Theatre. The production grossed $2,146,125.94 over nine performances for the week ending December 31, 2017, topping the previous record of $1,942,351.41 set on the week ending January 1, 2017.[4]

In popular culture[]

  • The Majestic is featured in David Fincher's 2008 film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; in the film, the title character attends a performance of Carousel, where Daisy (played by Cate Blanchett) plays the role of Louise in the show's ballet (the role played by Bambi Linn originally in the production).
  • The exterior of the Majestic is featured in Billy Wilder's 1960 film The Apartment, where Jack Lemmon's character, C.C. Bud Baxter is stood up by Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) outside a performance of The Music Man. In an episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Joel Maisel (Michael Zegen) attends a performance of The Music Man, but the episode was not filmed at the Majestic, where The Apartment was filmed on the street front.

References[]

  1. ^ "Majestic Theater". The Shubert Organization. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. ^ Gerard, Jeremy (20 March 1987). "Shubert signs 'Phantom of the Opera'". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  3. ^ Philip Benjamin (5 April 1965). "'Broadway Answers Selma' Nets $150,000 for Civil Rights Fight". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  4. ^ [1], Production Gross, Playbill.com

Further reading[]

  • Morrison, William. Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture. New York: Dover Publications (1999) ISBN 0-486-40244-4

External links[]

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