159-467: New York City 's Theater District , sometimes spelled Theatre District and officially zoned as the " Theater Subdistrict ", is an area and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan where most Broadway theaters are located, in addition to other theaters, movie theaters, restaurants, hotels, and other places of entertainment. It is bounded by West 40th Street on the south, West 54th Street on
318-413: A New York City designated landmark in 1974, and the lobby and auditorium interiors were similarly designated in 1987. The theater maintains most of its original Beaux-Arts design. Its 45th Street facade has an undulating glass-and-metal marquee shielding the entrances, as well as a colonnade with three arched windows. The lobby has a groin-vaulted ceiling, murals above the entrances, and staircases to
477-419: A frontage of 85.73 feet (26.13 m) on 45th Street and a depth of 200.84 feet (61 m). A wing runs northward to 46th Street . The modern theater's site covers five land lots at 149 to 157 West 45th Street, collectively measuring 88 by 100 feet (27 by 30 m), as well as a rear lot on 152 West 46th Street, measuring 16 by 100 feet (4.9 by 30.5 m). These lots formerly contained houses. On
636-524: A "more cultured audience" than similar theaters. The theater contains a mansard roof above the entablature. The mansard roof contains three windows within triangular pediments , which illuminate a penthouse in the roof. A balustrade , directly on top of the entablature, encloses a balcony at the penthouse level. There are also six oval windows above the penthouse, which illuminate a former rehearsal hall. The roof also had four large urns that emitted gas at night. The urns were used to draw attention to
795-674: A $ 1 million renovation. During the late 2000s, the Lyceum hosted plays and musicals such as Inherit the Wind , Is He Dead? , Macbeth , [title of show] , Reasons to Be Pretty , and In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) . The Lyceum Theatre hosted numerous shows in the 2010s as well. These included Looped , The Scottsboro Boys , Venus in Fur , The Nance , The Realistic Joneses , Disgraced , The Visit , A View from
954-493: A 60-minute play targeted at tourists, should be produced at the Lyceum. Bertelsmann supported Spirit of Broadway , but Schoenfeld said it did not fall under the criteria for legitimate shows. Spirit of Broadway was ultimately determined to be legitimate. After the National Actors Theatre stopped producing at the Lyceum, the theater hosted Rose in 2000, a solo play with Olympia Dukakis . Subsequently,
1113-619: A Horse . There were few successful productions at the Lyceum during the 1970s, amid a decline in the Broadway theatrical industry. Among the longer runs in this era were the 1970 play Borstal Boy and the 1976 play Your Arms Too Short to Box with God . Phoenix also hosted some of its works at the Lyceum. During the early 1970s, Daniel Frohman's niece-in-law petitioned the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to protect
1272-631: A decade between Irish immigrants and Black people for work. Rioters burned the Colored Orphan Asylum to the ground. At least 120 people were killed. Eleven Black men were lynched over five days, and the riots forced hundreds of Blacks to flee. The Black population in Manhattan fell below 10,000 by 1865. The White working class had established dominance. It was one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history . In 1886,
1431-421: A fireproof structural frame. The air-intake system consisted of blowers that drew air from the chimneys and passed the air through a porcelain duct, a set of silk filters, and water sprayers. The auditorium floor had "mushrooms" for air intake and outflow. The heating and ventilation system could change the auditorium's air every six minutes. The entrance lobby is a rectangular space, with elliptical arches on
1590-470: A full storage warehouse as well as rooms to store scenery. According to contemporary media, the dressing rooms could fit 200 people. Each dressing room had a bathroom, and there were large rooms for supernumerary actors as well. The old scenery rooms have also become part of the Shubert Archive and contain artifacts such as librettos , orchestrations , and cash books. Times Square became
1749-467: A large rehearsal room with its own stage, directly above the main auditorium. The room measured 80 feet (24 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide, and it had a miniature stage. In the basement were storage rooms, where sets originally could be swapped onto the movable stage. The 46th Street annex housed the scene-painting studio, a carpenter shop, a costume department, and storage spaces, along with dressing rooms. The scene-painting studio faced
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#17327719637901908-399: A lift that could descend to 30 feet (9.1 m) below the auditorium. The lift, no longer operational, divided the stage into several sections. It could be used not only to raise and lower scenery, but also to create sets with terrain elements, such as cliffs, terraces, and rivers. The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is 29 feet 6 inches (8.99 m), while the depth to
2067-408: A pair of swag-filled console brackets on either side of the pediment. The broken pediment has a figure of Pallas Athene , which is flanked by female representations of drama and music. These figures were also carved by J. W. Finn. The stage measures 37 feet (11 m) deep and 89 feet (27 m) wide. The depth of the stage could be increased by up to 40 feet (12 m). The stage contains
2226-531: A result of Sandy, and the economic losses in New York City were estimated to be roughly $ 19 billion. The disaster spawned long-term efforts towards infrastructural projects to counter climate change and rising seas, with $ 15 billion in federal funding received through 2022 towards those resiliency efforts. In March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 in the city was confirmed. With its population density and its extensive exposure to global travelers,
2385-418: A sinuous marquee canopy made of iron and glass. When the theater opened, the entrance had a self-supporting canopy that could shield either five or eight carriages unloading their passengers. In 1986, the canopy was replaced with a replica that was cantilevered from the facade with metal rods. The modern canopy has moldings of pressed metal, medallions above each archway, and glass panels hanging underneath
2544-485: A speech denying the request, which was paraphrased on the front page of the New York Daily News as "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD." The Municipal Assistance Corporation was formed and granted oversight authority over the city's finances. While a resurgence in the financial industry greatly improved the city's economic health in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into
2703-407: A stair and elevator from the lobby. Frohman's offices contained Chippendale furniture as well as a reproduction of playwright David Garrick's library. The adjacent rooms contained stenographers' offices and other rooms. A small window from his dining room's northern wall allowed Frohman to look at the performances in the auditorium. The window measured 18 inches (460 mm) wide and was above
2862-484: A theater council to promote theaters, and zoning and signage for theaters, and contains a list of theaters that qualify for special provisions in the regulations. Informational notes Notes Bibliography Further reading New York City New York , often called New York City or NYC , is the most populous city in the United States , located at the southern tip of New York State on one of
3021-427: Is a French window with a three-centered arched surround. There were also statues within each bay, which have since been removed. A frieze runs above the windows, containing six stone faces that signify both comedy and tragedy. An entablature runs above the columns. The three bays are flanked by a pair of outer pavilions that have no ornament at all. The colonnade and marquee were particularly intended to attract
3180-502: Is a nickname for a section of Broadway in Midtown Manhattan that encompasses the Theater District. In 1880, Broadway between Union Square and Madison Square was illuminated by Brush arc lamps , making it among the first electrically lighted streets in the United States. By the 1890s, 23rd Street to 34th Street was so brightly illuminated by electrical advertising signs people began calling it "The Great White Way". As
3339-418: Is concentrated on the proscenium and boxes. The juxtaposition of plain walls and ornamented openings was intended to draw the audience's attention toward the stage. The auditorium took up about one-third of the entire theater building. The auditorium has 922 seats, making the Lyceum one of the smaller Broadway theaters. These are divided into 409 seats in the orchestra, 287 on the first balcony, and 210 on
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#17327719637903498-402: Is made of limestone. A promotional brochure from the theater's opening in 1903 said that the facade "recalls in its style and amplitude the best period of Roman art". The street-level facade is made of rusticated blocks of limestone. Three large archways lead into the lobby; their doors are made of painted wood and contain arched panels of glass. The street level entrances are shielded by
3657-405: Is one of the world's most populous megacities . The city and its metropolitan area are the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. In 2021, the city was home to nearly 3.1 million residents born outside the U.S., the largest foreign-born population of any city in
3816-535: The Actors Equity union, was to save several theater buildings in the Theatre District neighborhood from their impending demolition by monied Manhattan development interests. Papp provided financial resources, campaign buttons, posters, and newspaper ads for the effort; recruited a publicist and actors to promote the cause; and provided a various stage and street venues for public events in support of
3975-614: The American South . During construction in Foley Square in the 1990s, the African Burying Ground was discovered; the cemetery included 10,000 to 20,000 graves of colonial-era Africans, some enslaved and some free. The 1735 trial and acquittal in Manhattan of John Peter Zenger , who had been accused of seditious libel after criticizing colonial governor William Cosby , helped to establish freedom of
4134-866: The Atlantic port to the agricultural markets and commodities of the North American interior via the Hudson River and the Great Lakes . Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall , a political machine supported by Irish and German immigrants . In 1831, New York University was founded. Several prominent American literary figures lived in New York during the 1830s and 1840s, including William Cullen Bryant , Washington Irving , Herman Melville , Rufus Wilmot Griswold , John Keese , Nathaniel Parker Willis , and Edgar Allan Poe . Members of
4293-668: The Bill of Rights there. The Supreme Court held its first organizational sessions in New York in 1790. In 1790, for the first time, New York City surpassed Philadelphia as the nation's largest city. At the end of 1790, the national capital was moved to Philadelphia . During the 19th century, New York City's population grew from 60,000 to 3.43 million. Under New York State's gradual emancipation act of 1799, children of slave mothers were to be eventually liberated but to be held in indentured servitude until their mid-to-late twenties. Together with slaves freed by their masters after
4452-726: The Caribbean . The attempt at a peaceful solution to the war took place at the Conference House on Staten Island between American delegates, including Benjamin Franklin , and British general Lord Howe on September 11, 1776. Shortly after the British occupation began, the Great Fire of New York destroyed nearly 500 buildings, about a quarter of the structures in the city, including Trinity Church . In January 1785,
4611-537: The Ed Sullivan , Royale (Bernard B. Jacobs) , Shubert , St. James , and Winter Garden . In March 1988, the New York City Board of Estimate approved the 28 landmark designations that had been approved in 1987 and 1988. Of these, both the interior and exterior of 19 theaters were protected, while only the interiors of seven theaters (including the Lyceum, whose exterior was already protected) and
4770-905: The Hudson River , which he named Río de San Antonio ('Saint Anthony's River'). In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York Harbor while searching for the Northwest Passage to the Orient for the Dutch East India Company . He sailed up what the Dutch called North River (now the Hudson River), named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange . Hudson claimed
4929-721: The Lower Hudson Valley . The first documented visit into New York Harbor by a European was in 1524 by explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano . He claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême (New Angoulême ). A Spanish expedition, led by the Portuguese captain Estêvão Gomes sailing for Emperor Charles V , arrived in New York Harbor in January 1525 and charted the mouth of
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5088-742: The New York City Fire Department and 71 law enforcement officers. The area was rebuilt with a new World Trade Center , the National September 11 Memorial and Museum , and other new buildings and infrastructure, including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub , the city's third-largest hub. The new One World Trade Center is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh-tallest building in
5247-584: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). This was followed in 1979 by the exterior and interior of the New Amsterdam Theatre . In early 1982, Joseph Papp , the Broadway theatrical producer, and director who had established The Public Theater , led a campaign called " Save the Theatres " in Manhattan. The primary initial goal of the "Save the Theatres" effort, which was sponsored by Papp's not-for-profit group and supported by
5406-636: The Palace in mid-1987. The LPC designated the Al Hirschfeld , Belasco , Booth , and Brooks Atkinson (Lena Horne) , as well as the Broadhurst , Ethel Barrymore , and Biltmore (Samuel J. Friedman) in early November 1987. This was followed by the Cort (James Earl Jones) , 46th Street (Richard Rodgers) , John Golden , Hayes , Hudson , Imperial , and Mark Hellinger later the same month, as well as
5565-511: The Statue of Liberty , a gift from France , was dedicated in New York Harbor. The statue welcomed 14 million immigrants as they came to the U.S. via Ellis Island by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is a symbol of the United States and American ideals of liberty and peace. In 1898, the City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then a separate city),
5724-709: The Stonewall riots were a series of violent protests by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village . They are widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights . Wayne R. Dynes , author of the Encyclopedia of Homosexuality , wrote that drag queens were
5883-709: The Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1903, the Lyceum Theatre is one of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, as well as the oldest continuously operating legitimate theater in New York City. The theater was designed by Herts & Tallant in the Beaux-Arts style and was built for impresario Daniel Frohman . It has 922 seats across three levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization . The facade became
6042-507: The Vivian Beaumont Theater (part of Lincoln Center ) is the only Broadway-class theater not located in the Theater District. The area known as Theatre Row is an area on 42nd Street from Ninth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue , which includes many Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theaters. In 1836, mayor Cornelius Lawrence opened 42nd Street to encourage the city's northern expansion, saying " move up town and enjoy
6201-518: The sinking of the RMS Lusitania , and his company, which had an ownership stake in the Lyceum, was subsequently acquired by Paramount Pictures . David Belasco announced in March 1916 that he would become one of the managers of the Lyceum Theatre. Contemporary media said the move was borne out of sentimental considerations, as Belasco had frequently collaborated with Charles Frohman. Among
6360-612: The steamship General Slocum caught fire in the East River , killing 1,021 people. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire , the city's worst industrial disaster, killed 146 garment workers and spurred the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and major improvements in factory safety standards. New York's non-White population was 36,620 in 1890. New York City
6519-528: The waterfronts since Dutch colonial times; reclamation is most prominent in Lower Manhattan, with developments such as Battery Park City in the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the natural relief in topography has been evened out, especially in Manhattan. Lyceum Theatre (Broadway) The Lyceum Theatre ( / l aɪ ˈ s iː ə m / ly- SEE -əm ) is a Broadway theater at 149 West 45th Street , between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue , in
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6678-688: The 1982 plan were the Neil Simon , Ambassador , and Virginia (August Wilson) in August 1985. The landmark plan was then deferred temporarily until some landmark guidelines were enacted; the guidelines, implemented in December 1985, allowed operators to modify theaters for productions without having to consult the LPC. The three theaters' operators objected to the landmark statuses. Landmark designations of theaters increased significantly in 1987, starting with
6837-538: The 19th century, the city was transformed by both commercial and residential development relating to its status as a national and international trading center , as well as by European immigration, respectively. The city adopted the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , which expanded the city street grid to encompass almost all of Manhattan. The 1825 completion of the Erie Canal through central New York connected
6996-403: The 46th Street wing with ten or eleven stories. The wing has a utilitarian design and contains vestiges of a slit that carried backdrops between the stage and the upper-story studios. Frohman had offices on the upper portion of the main 45th Street structure, while the rear annex on 46th Street contained auxiliary facilities such as storage and dressing rooms. The color scheme of the interior
7155-471: The APA-Phoenix era, the Lyceum hosted classical revivals such as War and Peace , The Show-Off , The Cherry Orchard , The Cocktail Party , The Misanthrope , and Hamlet . The Lyceum also operated as a repertory theatre for films in mid-1968. The APA and Phoenix dissolved their partnership in early 1969 due to a lack of funding. Afterward, the theater hosted plays such as Three Men on
7314-657: The Actors' National Memorial Fund in 1919. Frohman administered the Actors' Fund from his office. The Lyceum hosted many romantic comedies and other successful productions in the 1920s. Frohman leased the theater to Famous Players–Lasky , which was to present Belasco's works there for ten years starting in October 1921. The same year, the theater hosted The Easiest Way with Frances Starr , as well as The Grand Duke with Lionel Atwill and Lina Abarbanell . The Lyceum's stage and decorations were restored in 1922, prior to
7473-705: The Belasco to the Lyceum, despite the smaller size of the latter. The Lyceum was used by the National Actors Theatre for most of the 1990s, but most of its productions were unsuccessful. The first season of the National Actors Theatre opened with performances of The Seagull , Saint Joan , and Three Men on a Horse . The National Actors Theatre went on to host Timon of Athens , The Government Inspector , and The Flowering Peach in 1994; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The School for Scandal in 1995; and The Gin Game and The Sunshine Boys in 1997. Additionally,
7632-624: The Bridge , Fully Committed , Oh, Hello , The Play That Goes Wrong , Be More Chill , and A Christmas Carol . In addition, the NBC television series Smash used the theater in 2012 as the home of their fictional musical Bombshell . The theater closed on March 12, 2020 , due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It reopened on October 11, 2021, with Is This A Room and Dana H. playing in repertory. Subsequently, A Strange Loop opened at
7791-705: The Continental Army at the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 eliminated the last American stronghold in Manhattan, causing George Washington and his forces to retreat across the Hudson River to New Jersey , pursued by British forces. After the battle, in which the Americans were defeated, the British made the city their military and political base of operations in North America. The city
7950-575: The County of New York (which then included parts of the Bronx), the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens. The opening of the New York City Subway in 1904, first built as separate private systems, helped bind the new city together. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication. In 1904,
8109-640: The Duke of York (the future King James II and VII). The duke gave part of the colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley . On August 24, 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War , Anthony Colve of the Dutch navy seized New York at the behest of Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and rechristened it "New Orange" after William III , the Prince of Orange . The Dutch soon returned
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#17327719637908268-438: The Dutch West India Company had operated as a monopoly in New Netherland, on authority granted by the Dutch States General . In 1639–1640, in an effort to bolster economic growth, the Dutch West India Company relinquished its monopoly over the fur trade, leading to growth in the production and trade of food, timber, tobacco, and slaves (particularly with the Dutch West Indies ). In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant began his tenure as
8427-430: The Embassy, which was never a Broadway venue. In December 1987, the LPC designated the Eugene O'Neill , Henry Miller's (Stephen Sondheim) , Longacre , Lunt-Fontanne , Majestic , Music Box , and Plymouth (Gerald Schoenfeld) as landmarks, as well as the Lyceum's interior. These actions brought the number of current or former Broadway theaters with landmark status to 26. Five more landmarks were designated by early 1988:
8586-425: The LPC's designations of these theaters the next year. The dispute went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States , which upheld the designations in 1992. In January 2001, the New York Appellate Division , First Department in Fisher v. Giuliani , partially upheld the 1998 expansion of the Theater Subdistrict zoning regulations, which added receiving sites along Eighth Avenue where development rights from
8745-427: The Lyceum as a city landmark. The LPC designated the theater's facade, but not its interior, as an official city landmark in 1974, requiring the LPC to review and approve all proposed modifications to the facade. Gerald Schoenfeld of the Shubert Organization had opposed the landmark status, believing the small theater to be a liability. A landmark plaque was installed on the facade in 1978. Major productions during
8904-404: The Lyceum as an independent playhouse. By then, Frohman was no longer an active producer. The Lyceum Theatre suffered in general because of the Great Depression , and most shows generally closed after a small number of performances. Among the longer productions was Payment Deferred (1931), which had 70 performances, as well as Sailor, Beware! (1933), which had 500 performances. In 1934,
9063-430: The Lyceum equally. Instead of distributing stock, the company issued six promissory notes of $ 118,328 each, which could not be collected for as long as each partner lived. The new Lyceum Theatre (also formally capitalized as the New Lyceum Theatre ) opened on November 2, 1903, with The Proud Prince . E. H. Sothern , who starred in The Proud Prince , had also appeared in the first production that Frohman had shown at
9222-425: The Lyceum from 1965 to 1969. In March 1965, the Shuberts leased the theater to the partnership of APA and Phoenix for $ 100,000 a year, which the lessees considered a nominal fee . The APA and Phoenix originally did not have enough money to transfer their works to the Lyceum for the 1965–1966 season, but ultimately it opened a revival of the play You Can't Take It with You at the Lyceum in November 1965. During
9381-436: The Lyceum hosted productions such as The Invention of Love in 2001, The Play What I Wrote and I Am My Own Wife in 2003, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore in 2006. As part of a settlement with the United States Department of Justice in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Lyceum. The roof and 45th Street facade were repaired in 2005 as part of
9540-413: The Lyceum in April 2022 and ran until January 2023. This was followed in May 2023 by the play Grey House , which ran for two months. The play My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) was expected to open at the Lyceum in March 2024 for a three-month run, but it was postponed to the 2024–2025 season with new dates and a new theater. Subsequently, the off-Broadway play Oh, Mary! transferred to
9699-440: The Lyceum in July 2024. Productions are listed by the year of their first performance. Macbeth previously set the Lyceum Theatre's box-office record with a gross of US$ 584,033 over seven performances in 2008. Be More Chill beat the seven-performance box-office record in 2019, grossing US$ 738,384, while Oh, Hello set an eight-performance record of US$ 804,513 during the week ending January 22, 2017. A Strange Loop broke
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#17327719637909858-462: The Lyceum in its early years. Burke starred or co-starred in some plays during the Lyceum's first decade, including Love Watches in 1908, Mrs. Dot and Suzanne in 1910, and The Runaway in 1911. The Lyceum also hosted the U.S. premiere of the French silent film The Loves of Queen Elizabeth , featuring Sarah Bernhardt , in 1912. Barrymore, meanwhile, was featured in Our Mrs. McChesney (1915). Charles Frohman died in May 1915 during
10017-419: The Lyceum's facade was successfully designated as a landmark, the LPC started considering a similar protection for the interior in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The Lyceum was designated as an interior landmark on December 8, 1987. This was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified
10176-405: The New York metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan economy in the world , with a gross metropolitan product of over US$ 2.16 trillion. If the New York metropolitan area were its own country , it would have the tenth-largest economy in the world . Despite having a 24/7 rapid transit system , New York also leads the world in urban automobile traffic congestion . The city is home to
10335-578: The Revolutionary War and escaped slaves, a significant free-Black population gradually developed in Manhattan. The New York Manumission Society worked for abolition and established the African Free School to educate Black children. It was not until 1827 that slavery was completely abolished in the state . Free Blacks struggled with discrimination and interracial abolitionist activism continued. New York City's population jumped from 123,706 in 1820 (10,886 of whom were Black and of which 518 were enslaved) to 312,710 by 1840 (16,358 of whom were Black). Also in
10494-418: The Shubert Archive, which contains the Shubert Organization's theatrical collection. The archive was organized in 1976 and opened at the Lyceum in 1986. Initially, it contained four million items from the Shuberts' history between 1900 and World War II, including 2,000 costume designs, 8,000 blueprints, and 12,000 manuscripts. There is also some space inside the mansard roof. Originally, this space included
10653-414: The Theater Subdistrict Council (TSC), a not-for-profit corporation. The TSC administers the Theater Subdistrict Fund and allocates grants. The New York City Zoning Resolution for special purpose districts, as amended on April 30, 2012, contains special regulations for the Theater Subdistrict, including the transfer of development rights, incentives for the rehabilitation of existing theaters, the creation of
10812-412: The actor Mandy Patinkin performed a limited engagement at the Lyceum in March 1997. The National Actors Theatre closed out the 1990s with the plays Night Must Fall and The Lonesome West in 1999. During the late 1980s, the Shubert Organization had leased 124,000 square feet (11,500 m ) of the site's unused air development rights . German firm Bertelsmann used the air rights to increase
10971-558: The arts and fashion , and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations , international diplomacy . With an estimated population in 2023 of 8,258,035 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km ), the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles , the nation's second-most populous city. With more than 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York City
11130-426: The assembly of the Congress of the Confederation made New York City the national capital. New York was the last capital of the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the Constitution of the United States . As the U.S. capital, New York City hosted the inauguration of the first President, George Washington , and the first Congress , at Federal Hall on Wall Street . Congress drafted
11289-598: The auditorium's balcony levels. The auditorium has an ornately decorated proscenium and boxes , but the ceiling and walls are relatively plain. An apartment above the lobby, originally used by Frohman, was converted to the headquarters of the Shubert Archives in 1986. The stage door entrance is through 152 West 46th Street, a 10-story wing designed by Herts & Tallant, which also houses the dressing rooms and some backstage facilities. The current Lyceum replaced Frohman's earlier Lyceum on Fourth Avenue , which closed in 1902. The current theater opened on November 2, 1903, with
11448-560: The basement and cellar were largely complete and the theater was to be completed early the following year. The theater was supposed to open in September 1903 but encountered so many delays that the inaugural play, The Proud Prince , could only be scheduled at the Lyceum for two weeks. Daniel Frohman, his brother Charles Frohman , and William Harris formed the New Lyceum Theatre Company and divided ownership of
11607-548: The beginning of the 1990s. By the mid-1990s, crime rates started to drop dramatically due to revised police strategies, improving economic opportunities, gentrification , and new residents, both American transplants and new immigrants from Asia and Latin America. New York City's population exceeded 8 million for the first time in the 2000 United States census ; further records were set in 2010 , and 2020 U.S. censuses. Important new sectors, such as Silicon Alley , emerged in
11766-417: The boxes' arches, and a swag shaped like a leaf is suspended from the cartouche. The proscenium arch measures 33 feet 0 inches (10.06 m) high and 31 feet 8 inches (9.65 m) wide. The proscenium arch consists of a wide, molded band with foliate and egg-and-dart decorations. Above the center of the arch is a console bracket with swags, above which is a broken pediment, as well as
11925-587: The business elite lobbied for the establishment of Central Park , which in 1857 became the first landscaped park in an American city. The Great Irish Famine brought a large influx of Irish immigrants, of whom more than 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, representing over a quarter of the city's population. Extensive immigration from the German provinces meant that Germans comprised another 25% of New York's population by 1860. Democratic Party candidates were consistently elected to local office, increasing
12084-670: The campaign for saving the historic theatres. At Papp's behest, in July 1982, U.S. Representative Donald J. Mitchell of New York and 13 co-sponsors introduced a bill titled "A bill to designate the Broadway/Times Square Theatre District in the City of New York as a national historic site" ( H.R. 6885 ). The proposed legislation, which was not enacted, would have required the Federal Government to aid financially and otherwise in preserving
12243-491: The canopy. The design of the Lyceum's canopy was subsequently replicated by that of the Paramount Theatre . Above the entrance, the 45th Street elevation contains a colonnade of three bays. The bays are delineated by a pair of neoclassical fluted columns at each end, as well as two single columns in the center. Each column contains fluting, bands with foliate ornament, and ornate capitals . Within each bay
12402-613: The city from New Jersey. The East River—a tidal strait —flows from Long Island Sound and separates the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River , another tidal strait between the East and Hudson rivers, separates most of Manhattan from the Bronx. The Bronx River , which flows through the Bronx and Westchester County , is the only entirely freshwater river in the city. The city's land has been altered substantially by human intervention, with considerable land reclamation along
12561-439: The city rapidly replaced Wuhan , China as the global epicenter of the pandemic during the early phase, straining the city's healthcare infrastructure. Through March 2023, New York City recorded more than 80,000 deaths from COVID-19-related complications. New York City is situated in the northeastern United States , in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston . Its location at
12720-632: The city's economy. The advent of Y2K was celebrated with fanfare in Times Square . New York City suffered the bulk of the economic damage and largest loss of human life in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks . Two of the four airliners hijacked that day were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, resulting in the collapse of both buildings and the deaths of 2,753 people, including 343 first responders from
12879-794: The city's ties to the South and its dominant party. In 1861, Mayor Fernando Wood called on the aldermen to declare independence from Albany and the United States after the South seceded, but his proposal was not acted on. Anger at new military conscription laws during the American Civil War (1861–1865), which spared wealthier men who could afford to hire a substitute, led to the Draft Riots of 1863 , whose most visible participants were ethnic Irish working class. The draft riots deteriorated into attacks on New York's elite, followed by attacks on Black New Yorkers after fierce competition for
13038-546: The condition that Frohman be allowed to keep his residence. The Bowery Savings Bank acquired the theater at a foreclosure auction in December 1939 for $ 100,000. Shortly afterward, Samuel Briskman leased the theater and used it to show When We Are Married . In May 1940, the Bowery Savings Bank announced it would sell the Lyceum to a syndicate that included playwright George S. Kaufman , producer Max Gordon , and playwright Moss Hart for $ 250,000. Frohman
13197-822: The designations in March 1988. The Shuberts, the Nederlanders , and Jujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Lyceum's interior, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified. The lawsuit was escalated to the New York Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States , but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992. The National Actors Theatre , led by Tony Randall , announced in 1992 that it would relocate from
13356-417: The development of large housing tracts in eastern Queens and Nassau County , with Wall Street leading America's place as the world's dominant economic power. The United Nations headquarters was completed in 1952, solidifying New York's global geopolitical influence, and the rise of abstract expressionism in the city precipitated New York's displacement of Paris as the center of the art world. In 1969,
13515-433: The district and its historic theatre houses as an official National Historic Site . The Save the Theatres campaign then turned their efforts toward supporting the establishment of the Theater District as a New York City historic district under the purview of the LPC. In December 1983, Save the Theatres prepared "The Broadway Theater District, a Preservation Development and Management Plan," and demanded that each theater in
13674-408: The district receive landmark designation. Mayor Ed Koch ultimately responded by creating a Theater Advisory Council, that included Papp as a member, and which eventually led to the area being officially zoned as the "Theater Subdistrict". Each theater's land lot could be developed with a certain maximum floor area, but many theaters used far less floor area than the maximum. The zoning plan allowed
13833-418: The early 18th century, New York grew in importance as a trading port while as a part of the colony of New York . It became a center of slavery , with 42% of households enslaving Africans by 1730. Most were domestic slaves ; others were hired out as labor. Slavery became integrally tied to New York's economy through the labor of slaves throughout the port, and the banking and shipping industries trading with
13992-404: The elliptical arches. The walls also have lighting sconces . The lobby's ceiling consists of a groin vault with a molded egg-and-dart border and decorative rosettes in the vault's ribs. There is a dome at the middle of the ceiling, with an egg-and-dart border, a hanging chandelier , and cove lights . The south doors lead to the street, while the north doors lead to the auditorium. Above
14151-575: The epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression . Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift from Union Square and Madison Square during the first decade of the 20th century. These venues were developed following the construction of the Empire Theatre on 41st Street in 1893 and Hammerstein's Olympia in 1895. The Lyceum, Hudson, and New Amsterdam , which all opened in 1903, were among
14310-457: The exteriors of two theaters were approved. Several theater owners argued that the landmark designations impacted them negatively, despite Koch's outreach to theater owners. The Shuberts , the Nederlanders , and Jujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified. The New York Supreme Court upheld
14469-471: The facade marquee in 1986 after the original marquee began to fall apart. According to Schoenfeld, the Shuberts had to pay $ 350,000 to replace the marquee due to the commission's demands, though the highest bid was only about $ 150,000 and the theater was often unoccupied. The Shubert Archive also opened in 1986. In the dozen years after 1987, the Lyceum was idle for about 70 percent of the time. To increase
14628-410: The first balcony level. The staircases are covered in marble but are actually made of steel. The outer walls of the staircases contain marble dados, as well as bronze railings attached to them. The inside edges of the staircases have bronze balustrades with cast-iron and wrought-iron decorations, as well as newel posts containing nude figures. The east wall also has ticket windows. Another stair to
14787-471: The first theaters to make this shift; the Lyceum is one of the oldest surviving Broadway theaters. From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including the current Lyceum. Daniel Frohman had operated an earlier Lyceum Theatre on Fourth Avenue , near Madison Square, which had been built in 1885 by Steele MacKaye . Metropolitan Life acquired
14946-567: The former territory of New Netherland , including the city of New Amsterdam , when the Kingdom of England seized it from Dutch control. In the pre-Columbian era , the area of present-day New York City was inhabited by Algonquians , including the Lenape . Their homeland, known as Lenapehoking , included the present-day areas of Staten Island , Manhattan , the Bronx , the western portion of Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens ), and
15105-482: The front of the stage is 31 feet 0 inches (9.45 m). The coved ceiling is distinguished by console brackets with swags, and there are decorations of bellflowers within the cove. The ceiling is divided into ribs, containing bands with fruits and flowers. The center of the ceiling contains a rectangular panel with modillions around it, as well as floral cartouches and latticework inside. Around this panel are circular "L" motifs. Guilloche moldings hang over
15264-423: The height of the adjacent skyscraper at 1540 Broadway, paying $ 600,000 a year. The Shuberts had to maintain the Lyceum as a legitimate theater as part of the agreement concerning the theater's air rights. Bertelsmann had an option to buy the theater, raising concerns that the archives in the theater would have to be relocated. In 1999, there was a dispute over whether Spirit of Broadway , a theatrical museum with
15423-473: The ice (and its subsequent retreat) contributed to the separation of what is now Long Island and Staten Island. That action left bedrock at a relatively shallow depth, providing a solid foundation for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers. The Hudson River flows through the Hudson Valley into New York Bay . Between New York City and Troy, New York , the river is an estuary . The Hudson River separates
15582-677: The island to England under the Treaty of Westminster of November 1674. Several intertribal wars among the Native Americans and epidemics brought on by contact with the Europeans caused sizeable population losses for the Lenape between 1660 and 1670. By 1700, the Lenape population had diminished to 200. New York experienced several yellow fever epidemics in the 18th century, losing ten percent of its population in 1702 alone. In
15741-426: The landmarked Broadway theaters could be sold. Community and civil society organizations opposed the expansion of the district as it would impinge the nearby residential neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen/Clinton. The court objection, filed in 1999, did not challenge the pre-existing Theater Subdistrict itself or the original development rights zoning legislation. Under the 1998 zoning regulation, New York City also created
15900-671: The last Director-General of New Netherland. During his tenure, the population of New Netherland grew from 2,000 to 8,000. Stuyvesant has been credited with improving law and order; however, he earned a reputation as a despotic leader. He instituted regulations on liquor sales, attempted to assert control over the Dutch Reformed Church , and blocked other religious groups from establishing houses of worship. In 1664, unable to summon any significant resistance, Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to English troops, led by Colonel Richard Nicolls , without bloodshed. The terms of
16059-530: The late 1920s, the Lyceum hosted productions such as the comedy Fanny (1926) with Fanny Brice and Elmer the Great (1928) with Walter Huston . The decade ended with the 1929 romance Berkeley Square , which had over 200 performances. Frohman and Belasco's partnership ended when Belasco died in May 1931 after a long illness. The lease on the theater was set to expire later that year, and Frohman planned to rent
16218-450: The late 1970s included Cold Storage in 1977 and Wings in 1979. The Lyceum hosted a revival of Morning's at Seven in 1980. The theater then hosted productions such as "Master Harold"...and the Boys (1982), The Man Who Had Three Arms (1983), a set of monologues by comedian Whoopi Goldberg in 1984, and As Is (1985) The LPC gave the Shuberts permission to replace
16377-434: The lease to Bettelheim was "a sentimental gesture", since Bettelheim's father was Frohman's old friend. Bettelheim then announced a renovation of the interior, including new seats. Long-running productions during the late 1930s included Pre-Honeymoon (1936) with Jessie Royce Landis ; St. Helena (1936) with Maurice Evans ; and Having Wonderful Time (1937) with John Garfield and Katherine Locke . The theater
16536-545: The local population as a representative of the Dutch colonists. A permanent European presence near New York Harbor was established in 1624, making New York the 12th-oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States , with the founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement on Governors Island . In 1625, construction was started on a citadel and Fort Amsterdam , later called Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam), on present-day Manhattan Island. The colony of New Amsterdam extended from
16695-404: The major productions at the Lyceum in the late 1910s were Tiger Rose (1917), featuring Lenore Ulric; Daddies (1918), featuring Jeanne Eagels and George Abbott ; and The Gold Diggers (1919), featuring Ina Claire. These shows all had several hundred performances, including The Gold Diggers , which had 720 performances. In addition, the theater held events such as a charity dinner for
16854-419: The most populous urbanized area in the world in the early 1920s, overtaking London . The metropolitan area surpassed 10 million in the early 1930s, becoming the first megacity . The Great Depression saw the election of reformer Fiorello La Guardia as mayor and the fall of Tammany Hall after eighty years of political dominance. Returning World War II veterans created a post-war economic boom and
17013-556: The mouth of the Hudson River , which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean , has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Most of the city is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island. During the Wisconsin glaciation , 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet . The erosive forward movement of
17172-489: The new theater, while the Fuller Construction Company was hired as the general contractor. The old Lyceum ultimately closed on March 22, 1902. Work on the new theater began on April 1, a week after the old Lyceum was closed. The cornerstone was laid on October 16, 1902. Frohman, who considered 13 to be a lucky number , placed thirteen of the old Lyceum's bricks into the new theater. By then,
17331-411: The north and south walls are three small canvas murals by James Wall Finn . The murals depict female figures on either side of portraits of Sarah Siddons and David Garrick . Above the center door on the north wall is a segmentally-arched pediment, supported on console brackets flanking the doorway; these pediments contain the "L" motif. To the west and east are curving stairs leading up to
17490-501: The north and south walls. The space measures 65 feet (20 m) long. The lobby floor is made of marble from Maryland, which was designed to resemble Athenian marble. The floor is made of marble mosaic tiles. The center of the floor has a panel with the theater's motif, a decorative letter "L" with foliate ornament around it. The walls contain a marble dado wrapping around the lobby, as well as piers topped by capitals with acanthus leaves . There are foliate moldings around each of
17649-520: The north, Sixth Avenue on the east and Eighth Avenue on the west, and includes Times Square . The Great White Way is the name given to the section of Broadway which runs through the Theater District. It also contains recording studios, record label offices, theatrical agencies, television studios, restaurants, movie theaters, Duffy Square , Shubert Alley , the Brill Building , and Madame Tussauds New York . The City of New York defines
17808-501: The occupancy of the Lyceum and other little-used Broadway theaters, the League of American Theaters and Producers negotiated with Broadway unions and guilds during the late 1980s. Among the shows of the late 1980s were the 1986 puppet show A Little Like Magic , as well as Safe Sex (1987) and Our Town (1988). During the 1980s, the Shuberts renovated the Lyceum as part of a restoration program for their Broadway theaters. After
17967-500: The old Lyceum in 1902 to make way for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower , and Frohman sought to develop a new venue further north. In February 1902, shortly after the old Lyceum was acquired, Frohman announced he had purchased six lots on 45th and 46th Streets near Times Square. He planned to build a 900-seat theater on the site after the leases on the lots expired. Frohman chose
18126-467: The old Lyceum. At the theater's opening, an architectural publication praised the theater's design as "being intended for a high-class dramatic performance before a refined and cultured audience". Conversely, because of its relatively remote location, the New-York Tribune said that there were "many who refused to believe that a theater so far up town would be successful". Charles Frohman was
18285-445: The only " transgender folks around" during the June 1969 Stonewall riots. The transgender community in New York City played a significant role in fighting for LGBT equality. In the 1970s, job losses due to industrial restructuring caused New York City to suffer from economic problems and rising crime rates. Growing fiscal deficits in 1975 led the city to appeal to the federal government for financial aid; President Gerald Ford gave
18444-486: The opening of Shore Leave , which featured Starr and James Rennie . The Lyceum also hosted revivals of classical plays, including The Merchant of Venice (1922), The School for Scandal (1923), and Antony and Cleopatra (1924). During 1925, the theater hosted The Grand Duchess and the Waiter , with Elsie Ferguson and Basil Rathbone , and the romantic comedy Naughty Cinderella , with Irène Bordoni . In
18603-422: The orchestra contains a shallow promenade, which has wood-paneled walls, arched "L" motifs, and cartouches. The orchestra has a raked floor and painted wood paneling on the side walls. Above the paneling are ornamented pediments with foliate and egg-and-dart decorations. The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible via the main doors, but the balcony levels can only be accessed by steps. Unusually for theaters of
18762-508: The play The Proud Prince . Frohman's brother Charles served as the theater's manager until dying in 1915, and Daniel Frohman subsequently partnered with David Belasco to show productions at the theater until 1930. Afterward, Frohman lost the theater to foreclosure in the Great Depression , and a syndicate composed of George S. Kaufman , Max Gordon , and Moss Hart bought the theater in 1940. The Shubert Organization has operated
18921-620: The press in North America . In 1754, Columbia University was founded. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October 1765, as the Sons of Liberty organization emerged in the city and skirmished over the next ten years with British troops stationed there. The Battle of Long Island , the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War , was fought in August 1776 within modern-day Brooklyn. A British rout of
19080-497: The price had increased to $ 450,000. The first major production in the 1950s was the original The Country Girl , which opened in 1950. Melvyn Douglas then appeared in two successful comedies: Glad Tidings in 1951 and Time Out for Ginger in 1952. The New York Times reported in 1952 that the Shubert Organization had taken over the Lyceum. During 1954, the theater hosted the comedy King of Hearts and
19239-518: The pure, clean air". The Theater District began attracting theaters and restaurants after the Metropolitan Opera House moved to West 39th Street and Broadway in 1883. Oscar Hammerstein I opened his Victoria Theatre on 42nd Street in 1899. Accessibility to the Theater District improved as electrified trolley lines started in 1899, followed by the opening of the New York City Subway 's first line in 1904. "The Great White Way"
19398-539: The region for the Dutch East India Company. In 1614, the area between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay was claimed by the Netherlands and called Nieuw-Nederland (' New Netherland '). The first non–Native American inhabitant of what became New York City was Juan Rodriguez , a merchant from Santo Domingo who arrived in Manhattan during the winter of 1613–14, trapping for pelts and trading with
19557-684: The romance drama Anastasia , both of which ran for over 200 performances. This was followed by A Hatful of Rain (1955), The Happiest Millionaire (1956), and Look Back in Anger (1957). Notable productions of the late 1950s also included The Gazebo in 1958 and The Billy Barnes Revue in 1959. Subsequently, the Lyceum showed the British dramas A Taste of Honey in 1960 and The Caretaker in 1961. The Lyceum then had several short-lived works before showing Nobody Loves an Albatross in 1963. The Association of Producing Artists (APA) and Phoenix Theatre showed their productions at
19716-718: The same block, the Museum of Broadway adjoins the theater; additionally, 1540 Broadway is to the west, and Americas Tower and High School of Performing Arts are to the east. Other nearby buildings include the Church of St. Mary the Virgin to the northeast; the Palace Theatre , Embassy Theatre , and I. Miller Building to the north; the Millennium Times Square New York and Hudson Theatre to
19875-432: The second balcony level. During the mid-1920s, The New York Times described Frohman's office as, "in a manner, the headquarters of the theatrical profession in the city". The office contained portraits of numerous oil paintings, drawings, photographs, and lithographs of show personalities. Frohman's office also had a phone line for contacting the stage manager directly. Frohman's offices were subsequently converted into
20034-425: The second balcony, as well as 16 box seats. As designed, the seats were upholstered in dark yellow leather, which has since been replaced. Each seat measured 22 inches (560 mm) wide, larger than in comparable theaters. The backs of different rows of seats were spaced 38 inches (970 mm) apart. The large width of the auditorium compensated for the relatively small number of rows. The rear (south) end of
20193-476: The second balcony. The ceiling lacked a chandelier, as the designers thought it would be distracting to the performers and audience. Instead, there are recessed light fixtures in the ceiling. Daniel Frohman's "penthouse", comprising his office and apartment, was on the south side of the theater building, facing 45th Street. It was not part of his original plans but became his primary residence; he also had another residence in New York City. They were accessed by
20352-424: The side walls. On either side of the stage is a wall section with one box at the first balcony level. Each wall section consists of Ionic -style fluted and banded columns, which support an elliptical arch. The boxes themselves are supported on large brackets, which in turn rest above piers with foliate capitals. In front of each box is a curved railing with leaf moldings. There is a cartouche with an "L" motif atop
20511-432: The site specifically because it was on a less crowded side street while also being close to the then-under-construction New York City Subway . The auditorium would be on 45th Street, while a narrow wing with mechanical equipment and dressing rooms would be placed on 46th Street. The site cost Frohman $ 110,000, and he expected to spend another $ 230,000 on the new Lyceum Theatre. Frohman hired Herts & Tallant to design
20670-476: The south; and the Hotel Gerard and Belasco Theatre to the southeast. The Lyceum Theatre was designed by Herts & Tallant in the Beaux-Arts style and constructed from 1902 to 1903 for impresario Daniel Frohman . Operated by the Shubert Organization , it is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theater in New York City. The primary elevation of the facade is on 45th Street and
20829-611: The southern tip of Manhattan to modern-day Wall Street , where a 12-foot (3.7 m) wooden stockade was built in 1653 to protect against Native American and English raids. In 1626, the Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit , as charged by the Dutch West India Company , purchased the island of Manhattan from the Canarsie , a small Lenape band, for "the value of 60 guilders " (about $ 900 in 2018). A frequently told but disproved legend claims that Manhattan
20988-455: The street, with natural light coming from the north, and could be used to paint up to four backdrops at a time. This room measured 35 feet (11 m) tall and 100 feet (30 m) deep, with a full-height glass wall facing north and slots in the floors. The carpentry shop could accommodate 25 workers. The costume department was housed in a separate room that could fit 50 seamstresses and a varying number of cutters. The storage spaces included
21147-464: The subdistrict for zoning purposes to extend from 40th Street to 57th Street and from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, with an additional area west of Eighth Avenue from 42nd Street to 45th Street. The Times Square Alliance, a Business Improvement District organization dedicated to improving the Theater District, defines the district as an irregularly shaped area within the bounding box of 40th Street, 6th Avenue, 53rd Street, and 9th Avenue. As of 2024,
21306-507: The surrender permitted Dutch residents to remain in the colony and allowed for religious freedom. In 1667, during negotiations leading to the Treaty of Breda after the Second Anglo-Dutch War , the victorious Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of what is now Suriname , which they had gained from the English, and in return the English kept New Amsterdam. The settlement was promptly renamed "New York" after
21465-551: The theater district shifted uptown just before the turn of the century, the nickname stuck and became synonymous. Over the years, the district has been referred to by New Yorkers as "the Rialto", "The Main Stem", and "Broadway". Around the turn of the 20th century, it was simply called "The Street". By the 1970s, 42nd Street was seedy and run-down; X-rated movie houses, peep shows , and so-called grindhouses began to locate there. It
21624-555: The theater hosted Ode to Liberty , featuring Ina Claire. The Bowery Savings Bank moved to foreclose on a mortgage loan on the theater in mid-1935. Later that year, the Lyceum was leased for one year to Julius Stone for a presentation of Squaring the Circle . The next year, Frohman leased most of the theater, except for his own offices, to Spencer D. Bettelheim of the Lyco Company for five years. Contemporary newspapers said
21783-580: The theater since 1950. The Lyceum was leased to the Association of Producing Artists (APA) and Phoenix Theatre in the late 1960s and to the National Actors Theatre during much of the 1990s. The Lyceum Theatre is on 149 West 45th Street , between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue near Times Square , in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . The land lot covers 10,125 square feet (940.6 m ), with
21942-420: The theater's first manager. From its inception, the new Lyceum was intended as a venue for "drawing-room comedies". Three weeks after the theater's opening, The Admirable Crichton premiered at the new Lyceum. The play The Other Girl and Granny appeared at the Lyceum in 1904, as did Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots and A Doll's House in 1905. The most successful production in the Lyceum's initial years
22101-436: The theater, since it was on a side street north of the other theaters of the time. At the theater's construction in 1903, the roof was described as being of "purple slate" with a bronze statue. The Lyceum's roof had two water towers , collectively capable of storing 15,000 U.S. gallons (57,000 L; 12,000 imp gal). The stage door entrance is through the wing on 152 West 46th Street. Herts & Tallant designed
22260-477: The time, the balconies are cantilevered from the structural framework, which obviated the need for columns that blocked audience views. The balcony levels have paneled wooden dados on both the side and rear walls; the first balcony has blind openings and cartouches. The balconies have foliate bands on their undersides, with light fixtures underneath. In front of the balconies are leaf moldings topped by brackets and foliate decoration. All three levels have sconces on
22419-681: The unused development rights on the theaters' site to be sold to developers of nearby buildings that needed more than the maximum floor area. The LPC considered protecting close to 50 "legitimate theaters" as individual city landmarks in 1982, following the destruction of the Helen Hayes and Morosco theatres. A city-landmark status would prevent the theaters from being modified without the LPC's permission, thereby protecting them from development. The landmarks under consideration included both facades and interiors, which were designated separately. Manhattan Community Board 5 , under whose jurisdiction
22578-485: The vast majority of the theaters fell, supported many of the proposed landmark protections. An advisory panel under mayor Koch voted to allow the LPC consider theaters not only on their historical significance but also on their architectural merits. In response to objections from some of the major theatrical operators, several dozen scenic and lighting designers offered to work on the LPC for creating guidelines for potential landmarks. The first theaters to be landmarked under
22737-409: The west leads down to the smoking room. At the balcony level was a foyer and smoking rooms. The auditorium has an orchestra level, boxes , two balconies, and a stage behind the proscenium arch. The auditorium's width is greater than its depth, and the space is designed with plaster decorations in high relief . The Lyceum's auditorium generally has plain plaster walls, and much of the decoration
22896-597: The world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet (541.3 m), a reference to the year of U.S. independence . The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan began on September 17, 2011, receiving global attention and popularizing the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide. New York City
23055-584: The world's largest natural harbors . The city comprises five boroughs , each coextensive with a respective county . The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area . New York is a global center of finance and commerce , culture , technology , entertainment and media , academics and scientific output ,
23214-493: The world's two largest stock exchanges by market capitalization of their listed companies: the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq . New York City is an established safe haven for global investors. As of 2023 , New York City is the most expensive city in the world for expatriates and has by a wide margin the highest U.S. city residential rents; and Fifth Avenue is the most expensive shopping street in
23373-525: The world. New York City traces its origins to Fort Amsterdam and a trading post founded on Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists around 1624. The settlement was named New Amsterdam in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653. The city came under English control in 1664 and was temporarily renamed New York after King Charles II granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York , before being permanently renamed New York in November 1674. New York City
23532-402: The world. New York City is home by a significant margin to the highest number of billionaires , individuals of ultra-high net worth (greater than US$ 30 million), and millionaires of any city in the world. In 1664, New York was named in honor of the Duke of York (later King James II of England ). James's elder brother, King Charles II , appointed the Duke as proprietor of
23691-566: Was heavily affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012. Sandy's impacts included flooding that led to the days-long shutdown of the subway system and flooding of all East River subway tunnels and of all road tunnels entering Manhattan except the Lincoln Tunnel . The New York Stock Exchange closed for two days due to weather for the first time since the Great Blizzard of 1888 . At least 43 people died in New York City as
23850-535: Was a haven for Loyalist refugees and escaped slaves who joined the British lines for freedom promised by the Crown , with as many as 10,000 escaped slaves crowded into the city during the British occupation, the largest such community on the continent. When the British forces evacuated New York at the close of the war in 1783, they transported thousands of freedmen for resettlement in Nova Scotia , England, and
24009-539: Was a prime destination in the early 20th century for Blacks during the Great Migration from the American South, and by 1916, New York City had the largest urban African diaspora in North America. The Harlem Renaissance of literary and cultural life flourished during the era of Prohibition . The larger economic boom generated construction of skyscrapers competing in height. New York City became
24168-430: Was compared in contemporary media to autumn foliage, with a range of hues from "deep yellow to warm red and brown". From the outset, the auditorium was designed to use electric lighting exclusively. A switchboard controlled the stage lighting, which could be controlled to be as bright as natural illumination. The theater was also mechanically advanced for its time, with heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, as well as
24327-494: Was considered by some New Yorkers as a somewhat dangerous place to venture. However, in the 1990s the entire area was significantly revitalized by the city. Most of the adult theater businesses closed and an array of new theaters, multiplex movie houses, restaurants, and tourist attractions opened. In 1974, the exterior of the Lyceum Theatre became the first Broadway theatre to receive the landmark status designation from
24486-426: Was less financially stable after the Lyco Company dissolved in 1938. By March 1939, the Bowery Savings Bank was foreclosing on the Lyceum, which was in danger of demolition. After Stanley Howe, a friend of Frohman's and an aide to mayor Fiorello La Guardia , intervened, the bank promised that Frohman could stay in his apartment for the rest of his life. The Lyceum was leased to Victor Payne-Jennings that April, on
24645-415: Was purchased for $ 24 worth of glass beads. Following the purchase, New Amsterdam grew slowly. To attract settlers, the Dutch instituted the patroon system in 1628, whereby wealthy Dutchmen ( patroons , or patrons) who brought 50 colonists to New Netherland would be awarded land, local political autonomy, and rights to participate in the lucrative fur trade. This program had little success. Since 1621,
24804-417: Was the U.S. capital from 1785 until 1790. The modern city was formed by the 1898 consolidation of its five boroughs : Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , the Bronx , and Staten Island . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District, Manhattan , New York City has been called both the world's premier financial and fintech center and the most economically powerful city in the world. As of 2022 ,
24963-506: Was the drama The Lion and the Mouse , which opened in 1905 and ran for 686 performances. Daniel Frohman's wife Margaret Illington appeared at some productions in the Lyceum. beginning with Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots and The Thief (1907). Frohman would gesture through the window from his office to signify when Illington was overacting. Actresses such as Ethel Barrymore , Billie Burke , Ina Claire , and Lenore Ulric also performed at
25122-462: Was the theater's longest-running production with 1,642 performances. Born Yesterday was transferred out of the Lyceum mid-run in 1948 and was followed by "a half-dozen flops". The Gordon syndicate agreed to sell the Lyceum to Harry Gould in April 1949 for $ 400,000, after having previously failed to sell the theater to Gould at twice that price. The sale was not finalized until that December, when
25281-505: Was to be allowed to live in the apartment above the theater for $ 1 per year, though Frohman died in December 1940, less than a year afterward. Among the syndicate's first works at the Lyceum was George Washington Slept Here in 1940, as well as The Beautiful People and Junior Miss in 1941. This was followed by The Doughgirls , which had 671 performances, and The Late George Apley , which had 384 performances. The Lyceum then hosted Born Yesterday , which opened in 1946 and
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