169-827: The Lena Horne Theatre (previously the Mansfield Theatre and the Brooks Atkinson Theatre ) is a Broadway theater at 256 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1926, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in a Spanish Revival style and was constructed for Irwin Chanin . It has 1,069 seats across two levels and is operated by the Nederlander Organization . Both
338-680: A West End revival of The Iceman Cometh , featuring Kevin Spacey . In early 2000, the theater hosted the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Uncle Vanya . From July to September of that year, Sachs Morgan Studio renovated the theater for $ 2.2 million. The original chandelier was retrieved from storage and reinstalled; the murals, lobbies, and restrooms were refurbished; and the seats, carpets, and drapes were replaced. The Brooks Atkinson reopened in December 2000 with
507-834: A forever stamp depicting Horne began to be issued; this made Horne the 41st honoree in the Black Heritage stamp series. In June 2021, the Prospect Park bandshell in Brooklyn was renamed the Lena Horne Bandshell to honor Horne, a Bed-Stuy Brooklyn native, and to show solidarity with the Black community. The Nederlander Organization announced in June 2022 that Broadway 's Brooks Atkinson Theatre would be renamed after her later that year. The theater's marquee
676-417: A water table made of terrazzo , above which are rusticated terracotta blocks made in ashlar . Several openings are placed within the first story. The easternmost opening contains recessed metal doors with sign boards. At the center are five metal double doors connecting with the box office lobby. The westernmost opening consists of a metal stage door. Sign boards are placed on the wall to the left (east) of
845-432: A 1993 appearance on A Different World . In the summer of 1980, Horne, 63 years old and intent on retiring from show business, embarked on a two-month series of benefit concerts sponsored by the sorority Delta Sigma Theta . These concerts were represented as Horne's farewell tour, yet her retirement lasted less than a year. On April 13, 1980, Horne, Luciano Pavarotti , and host Gene Kelly were all scheduled to appear at
1014-416: A 2005 interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show that she might possibly consider producing the biopic herself, casting Keys as Horne. In January 2005, Blue Note Records , her label for more than a decade, announced that "the finishing touches have been put on a collection of rare and unreleased recordings by the legendary Horne made during her time on Blue Note." Remixed by her long-time producer Rodney Jones,
1183-472: A 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. "curtain". The afternoon " matinée " performances are at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays. This makes for an eight-performance week. On this schedule, most shows do not play on Monday and the shows and theatres are said to be "dark" on that day. The actors and the crew in these shows tend to regard Sunday evening through Monday evening as their weekend. The Tony award presentation ceremony
1352-638: A Cotton Club-style revue on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. Horne already had two low-budget movies to her credit: a musical feature called The Duke is Tops (1938, later reissued with Horne's name above the title as The Bronze Venus ); and a two-reel short subject, Boogie Woogie Dream (1941), featuring pianists Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons . Horne's songs from Boogie Woogie Dream were later released individually as soundies . Horne made her Hollywood nightclub debut at Felix Young's Little Troc on
1521-709: A Gala performance at the Metropolitan Opera House to salute the NY City Center's Joffrey Ballet Company . However, Pavarotti's plane was diverted over the Atlantic and he was unable to appear. James Nederlander was an invited Honored Guest and observed that only three people at the sold-out Metropolitan Opera House asked for their money back. He asked to be introduced to Horne following her performance. In May 1981, The Nederlander Organization , Michael Frazier, and Fred Walker went on to book Horne for
1690-622: A Hardbody and After Midnight in 2013; and Love Letters in 2014. As part of a settlement with the United States Department of Justice in 2014, the Nederlanders agreed to improve disabled access at their nine Broadway theaters, including the Brooks Atkinson. The Brooks Atkinson hosted the comedy It Shoulda Been You in 2015, as well as Deaf West Theatre 's production of the musical Spring Awakening
1859-588: A Negro who stands against a pillar singing a song. I did that 20 times too often." She was blacklisted during the 1950s for her affiliations in the 1940s with communist -backed groups. She would subsequently disavow communism. She returned to the screen, playing Claire Quintana, a madam in a brothel who marries Richard Widmark , in the film Death of a Gunfighter (1969), her first straight dramatic role with no reference to her color. She later appeared on screen two more times as Glinda in The Wiz (1978), which
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#17327727569552028-481: A Secret . CBS also used the theater for shows such as Showcase , which showed actors in short clips. In 1958, Roger L. Stevens considered leasing the Mansfield Theatre from Myerberg, who still owned it. Myerberg announced in mid-1960 that the former Mansfield Theatre would be renovated and reopened as a legitimate theater. The Mansfield was renamed after Brooks Atkinson , who had then recently retired as
2197-839: A Theater Advisory Council, which included Papp. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City , Broadway theaters closed on March 12, 2020, shuttering 16 shows that were playing or were in the process of opening. The Broadway League shutdown was extended first to April, then to May, then June, then September 2020 and January 2021, and later to June 1, 2021. Then-governor Andrew Cuomo announced that most sectors of New York would have their restrictions lifted on May 19, 2021, but he stated that Broadway theatres would not be able to immediately resume performances on this date due to logistical reasons. In May 2021, Cuomo announced that Broadway theaters would be allowed to reopen on September 14, and
2366-716: A biography of Lenny Bruce that ran for 453 performances. The Negro Ensemble Company moved their off-Broadway production of The River Niger to the Brooks Atkinson in 1973, where it had 280 performances. Myerberg died in early 1974 and the Nederlanders bought his half-interest in the Brooks Atkinson's ownership. Three successful productions were featured at the theater the same year: Find Your Way Home with Michael Moriarty and Jane Alexander ; My Fat Friend with George Rose and Lynn Redgrave ; and Of Mice and Men with James Earl Jones , Kevin Conway , and Pamela Blair . The two-character comedy Same Time, Next Year opened at
2535-449: A booming economy and abundant creative talent kept Broadway hopping. To this day, the shows of the 1950s form the core of the musical theatre repertory." Kenrick notes that "the late 1960s marked a time of cultural upheaval. All those changes would prove painful for many, including those behind the scenes, as well as those in the audience." Of the 1970s, Kenrick writes: "Just when it seemed that traditional book musicals were back in style,
2704-451: A brick band, which is laid in a pattern resembling an arch. At the top of this arch is a molding with corbels , as well as a brick panel with bond work in a basket-weave pattern. Above this are terracotta friezes with fleur-de-lis and rosette patterns, topped by a brick parapet. The central section contains three Palladian window frames at the second floor, with bracket-shaped keystones above each window. Twisting colonettes divide
2873-676: A cast composed entirely of Black actors, it ultimately ran 640 performances. This was followed by numerous flops, which established the Mansfield Theatre as a "jinx house". The Chanins ultimately lost control of the Mansfield and their other theaters during the Depression. In October 1931, the Chanins relinquished their lease on the Mansfield to Irving Lewine. At the end of the year, the Group Theatre began presenting its productions at
3042-663: A cast. There are still, however, performers who are primarily stage actors, spending most of their time "on the boards", and appearing in screen roles only secondarily. As Patrick Healy of The New York Times noted: Broadway once had many homegrown stars who committed to working on a show for a year, as Nathan Lane has for The Addams Family . In 2010, some theater heavyweights like Mr. Lane were not even nominated; instead, several Tony Awards were given for productions that were always intended to be short-timers on Broadway, given that many of their film-star performers had to move on to other commitments. According to Mark Shenton, "One of
3211-434: A challenge to the stage. At first, films were silent and presented only limited competition. By the end of the 1920s, films like The Jazz Singer were presented with synchronized sound, and critics wondered if cinema would replace live theatre altogether. While live vaudeville could not compete with these inexpensive films that featured vaudeville stars and major comedians of the day, other theatres survived. The musicals of
3380-540: A company of twelve actors from Britain to the colonies with his brother Lewis as their manager. They established a theatre in Williamsburg, Virginia , and opened with The Merchant of Venice and The Anatomist . The company moved to New York in 1753, performing ballad operas and ballad-farces like Damon and Phillida . During the Revolutionary War , theatre was suspended in New York City. But after
3549-565: A discount of 20 to 50%. The TKTS booths are located in Times Square , in Lower Manhattan , and at Lincoln Center . This service is run by Theatre Development Fund . Many Broadway theatres also offer special student rates, same-day "rush" or "lottery" tickets, or standing-room tickets to help ensure that their theatres are as full—and their grosses as high—as possible. According to The Broadway League , total Broadway attendance
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#17327727569553718-906: A few exceptions, compared with London runs, until World War I . A few very successful British musicals continued to achieve great success in New York, including Florodora in 1900–01. In the early years of the twentieth century, translations of popular late-nineteenth century continental operettas were joined by the "Princess Theatre" shows of the 1910s, by writers such as P. G. Wodehouse , Guy Bolton , and Harry B. Smith . Victor Herbert , whose work included some intimate musical plays with modern settings as well as his string of famous operettas ( The Fortune Teller (1898), Babes in Toyland (1903), Mlle. Modiste (1905), The Red Mill (1906), and Naughty Marietta (1910)). Beginning with The Red Mill , Broadway shows installed electric signs outside
3887-655: A five-performance run of Tennessee Williams 's The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore and solo appearances by Josephine Baker . The theater then hosted the controversial drama The Deputy , which ran for 318 performances for much of the same year. At the end of 1964, Julie Harris starred at the Brooks Atkinson in Ready When You Are, C.B.! ; followed in 1965 by a 176-performance revival of The Glass Menagerie . The Brooks Atkinson largely hosted flops for two years from November 1965 until Ustinov's Halfway Up
4056-424: A four-week engagement at the newly named Nederlander Theatre on West 41st Street in New York City. The show was an instant success and was extended to a full year run, garnering Horne a special Tony award, and two Grammy Awards for the cast recording of her show Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music . The 333-performance Broadway run closed on Horne's 65th birthday, June 30, 1982. Later that same week, she performed
4225-519: A gap in early 1988 when Mason was shooting the film Caddyshack II . The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started to consider protecting the Brooks Atkinson as a landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The LPC designated the Brooks Atkinson's facade and interior as landmarks on November 4, 1987. This was part of the commission's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified
4394-532: A larger theatre. Other productions are first developed through workshops and then out-of-town tryouts before transferring to Broadway. Merrily We Roll Along famously skipped an out-of-town tryout and attempted to do an in-town tryout—actually preview performances —on Broadway before its official opening, with disastrous results. After, or even during, successful runs in Broadway theatres, producers often remount their productions with new casts and crew for
4563-526: A more experimental, challenging, and intimate performance than is possible in the larger Broadway theatres. Some Broadway shows, however, such as the musicals Hair , Little Shop of Horrors , Spring Awakening , Next to Normal , Rent , Avenue Q , In the Heights , Fun Home , A Chorus Line , Dear Evan Hansen , and Hamilton , began their runs Off-Broadway and later transferred to Broadway, seeking to replicate their intimate experience in
4732-539: A negative COVID-19 test (PCR within 72 hours or antigen within six hours of the performance start time). Beginning November 8, those ages 5–11 also had the option to provide proof of at least one vaccination shot. Effective December 14, in accordance with NYC's vaccination mandate, guests ages 5–11 were required to have at least one vaccination shot until January 29, 2022, where they had to be fully vaccinated. The vaccine mandate lasted until April 30, and attendees were also required to wear face masks until July 1. During
4901-1152: A new age of American playwright with the emergence of Eugene O'Neill , whose plays Beyond the Horizon , Anna Christie , The Hairy Ape , Strange Interlude , and Mourning Becomes Electra proved that there was an audience for serious drama on Broadway, and O'Neill's success paved the way for major dramatists like Elmer Rice , Maxwell Anderson , Robert E. Sherwood , Clifford Odets , Tennessee Williams , and Arthur Miller , as well as writers of comedy like George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart . Classical revivals also proved popular with Broadway theatre-goers, notably John Barrymore in Hamlet and Richard III , John Gielgud in Hamlet , The Importance of Being Earnest and Much Ado About Nothing , Walter Hampden and José Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac , Paul Robeson and Ferrer in Othello , Maurice Evans in Richard II and
5070-496: A one-time owner of a hotel and restaurant, was a gambler. Teddy Horne left the family when Lena was three years old and moved to an upper-middle-class African-American community in the Hill District of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Her mother, Edna Louise Scottron, was an actress with a Black theatre troupe and traveled extensively. Edna's maternal grandmother, Amelie Louise Ashton, was from modern Senegal . Horne had
5239-555: A partial ownership stake in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in 1967 and became a full owner in 1974. Following a renovation in 2000, the theater has hosted several shows in the 21st century, such as the musical Waitress and Six . On November 1, 2022, the theater was renamed after singer-actress and civil-rights activist Lena Horne . The Lena Horne Theatre is at 258 West 47th Street , on the south sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Broadway , near Times Square in
Lena Horne Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-888: A paternal great-grandmother who was a Blackfoot Indian. Horne was raised mainly by her paternal grandparents, Cora Calhoun and Edwin Horne. When Horne was five she was sent to live in Georgia . For several years she traveled with her mother. From 1927 to 1929 she lived with her uncle, Frank S. Horne . He was the dean of students at Fort Valley Junior Industrial Institute (now part of Fort Valley State University ) in Fort Valley, Georgia , and later served as an adviser to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt . From Fort Valley, southwest of Macon , Horne briefly moved to Atlanta with her mother; they returned to New York when Horne
5577-500: A rate acceptable to the producers, they may continue to run in the expectation that, eventually, they will pay back their initial costs and become profitable. In some borderline situations, producers may ask that royalties be temporarily reduced or waived, or even that performers—with the permission of their unions—take reduced salaries, to prevent a show from closing. Theatre owners, who are not generally profit participants in most productions, may waive or reduce rents, or even lend money to
5746-575: A result, most of Horne's film appearances were stand-alone sequences that had no bearing on the rest of the film, so editing caused no disruption to the storyline. One number from Cabin in the Sky was cut before release because it was considered too suggestive by the censors: Horne singing "Ain't It the Truth" while taking a bubble bath. This scene and song are featured in the film That's Entertainment! III (1994), which also featured commentary from Horne on why
5915-580: A revival of Shakespeare's As You Like It . The theater mostly hosted short runs during 1942 and 1943, and producer Michael Myerberg signed a three-year lease for the Mansfield in June 1943. The comedy Janie was staged at the Mansfield for a short period during late 1943 and early 1944. Myerberg bought the theater outright in March 1944, and Anna Lucasta , an adaptation of an American Negro Theater production, opened that August, starring Hilda Simms for 957 performances. The New York Herald Tribune said at
6084-431: A run of 253 performances. The first theatre piece that conforms to the modern conception of a musical, adding dance and original music that helped to tell the story, is considered to be The Black Crook , which premiered in New York on September 12, 1866. The production was five-and-a-half hours long, but despite its length, it ran for a record-breaking 474 performances. The same year, The Black Domino/Between You, Me and
6253-481: A show to keep it running. Some Broadway shows are produced by non-commercial organizations as part of a regular subscription season— Lincoln Center Theatre , Roundabout Theatre Company , Manhattan Theatre Club , and Second Stage Theater are the four non-profit theatre companies that currently have permanent Broadway venues. Some other productions are produced on Broadway with "limited engagement runs" for several reasons, including financial issues, prior engagements of
6422-576: A television biographical film. In the weeks following Jackson's " wardrobe malfunction " debacle during the 2004 Super Bowl , however, Variety reported that Horne had demanded Jackson be dropped from the project. "ABC executives resisted Horne's demand", according to the Associated Press report, "but Jackson representatives told the trade newspaper that she left willingly after Horne and her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, asked that she not take part." Oprah Winfrey stated to Alicia Keys during
6591-619: A term that can also apply to non-commercial, avant-garde , or productions held outside of traditional theater venues. The Theater District is an internationally prominent tourist attraction in New York City . According to The Broadway League , shows on Broadway sold approximately US$ 1.54 billion worth of tickets in both the 2022-2023 and the 2023–2024 seasons. Both seasons featured theater attendance of approximately 12.3 million each. Most Broadway shows are musicals . Historian Martin Shefter argues that "Broadway musicals, culminating in
6760-580: A venue for plays under the name Burton's Theatre. The Astor Opera House opened in 1847. A riot broke out in 1849 when the lower-class patrons of the Bowery Theatre objected to what they perceived as snobbery by the upper-class audiences at Astor Place: "After the Astor Place Riot of 1849, entertainment in New York City was divided along class lines: opera was chiefly for the upper-middle and upper classes, minstrel shows and melodramas for
6929-556: Is Horne's granddaughter, the daughter of filmmaker Sidney Lumet and Horne's daughter Gail. Her other grandchildren include Gail's other daughter, Amy Lumet, and her son's four children, Thomas, William, Samadhi and Lena. Her great-grandchildren include Jake Cannavale . Horne was Catholic . From 1946 to 1962 she resided in St. Albans, Queens , New York, enclave of prosperous African Americans, where she counted among her neighbors Count Basie , Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz luminaries. In
Lena Horne Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-479: Is a three-centered proscenium arch next to the boxes. The archway is surrounded by a molded band with anthemia , egg-and-dart, and rope motifs. The spandrels , above the corners of the proscenium arch, contain Adam-style sphinx motifs. There are fluted pilasters with gilded Corinthian capitals along either side of the arch. Above these pilasters is a frieze containing motifs of arches with fans. A beam separates
7267-416: Is a ventilation grate while the other two contain six-over-six sash windows. All three window openings have a lunette with rosette above them. Between the window openings are medallions that depict lyres. A sign with the name "Brooks Atkinson" projects from the western side of the third floor. Brackets run above the third floor, supporting a cornice and a Spanish tile roof. The Lena Horne Theatre's stage house
7436-401: Is designed in a Spanish style and originally had a seating capacity of 1,125. The interior design scheme was overseen by Roman Meltzer , who was the architect for Russian emperor Nicholas II . The rear (east) end of the orchestra contains a promenade with paneled walls and a molded cornice. The orchestra is raked , sloping down toward the stage. There are two columns between the orchestra and
7605-400: Is much simpler in design, with a terrazzo water table. Unlike in the auditorium section, all four stories are faced in brick. At ground level, there is a doorway and a garage opening, between which are two bricked-up window openings. A string course runs above the ground story. On each of the second through fourth floors, there are three sash windows with two-over-two panes, and a brick lintel
7774-540: Is placed above each window. The stage house is topped by a cornice and a parapet. The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony, boxes , and a stage behind the proscenium arch. The auditorium space is designed with plaster decorations in low relief . According to the Nederlander Organization, the auditorium has 1,069 seats; meanwhile, The Broadway League cites a capacity of 1,094 seats and Playbill cites 1,045 seats. The Lena Horne Theatre
7943-520: Is usually held on a Sunday evening in June to fit this schedule. In recent years, some shows have moved their Tuesday show time an hour earlier to 7:00 pm. The rationale for this move was that since fewer tourists take in shows midweek, Tuesday attendance depends more on local patrons. The earlier curtain makes it possible for suburban patrons to get home by a reasonable hour after the show. Some shows, especially those produced by Disney , change their performance schedules fairly frequently depending on
8112-610: The American Theatre Wing , a service organization. While the League and the theatrical unions are sometimes at loggerheads during those periods when new contracts are being negotiated, they also cooperate on many projects and events designed to promote professional theatre in New York. Of the four non-profit theatre companies with Broadway theatres, all four ( Lincoln Center Theater , Manhattan Theatre Club , Roundabout Theatre Company , and Second Stage Theatre ) belong to
8281-591: The Biltmore (now Samuel J. Friedman) Theatre across the street, opening on February 15, 1926. The Mansfield struggled to attract hits from its opening until 1945 when Michael Myerberg bought it. In 1950, the Mansfield was leased to CBS for television productions under the name Studio 59. When Myerberg returned it to legitimate use in September 1960, he renamed it after the former New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson . The Nederlander Organization purchased
8450-602: The COVID-19 pandemic . Six premiered when the Brooks Atkinson reopened on September 17, 2021. During the COVID-19 shutdown, the Shuberts, Nederlanders, and Jujamcyn had pledged to increase racial and cultural diversity in their theaters, including naming at least one theater for a Black theatrical personality. Accordingly, in June 2022, the Nederlanders announced that the Brooks Atkinson would be renamed for singer and actress Lena Horne . Horne's collaborative relationship with
8619-820: The Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles, and the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. In 1957, a live album entitled, Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria , became the biggest-selling record by a female artist in the history of the RCA Victor label at that time. In 1958, Horne became the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Musical", for her part in the " Calypso " musical Jamaica (which, at Horne's request featured her longtime friend Adelaide Hall ). From
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#17327727569558788-520: The Jean Anouilh play Peacock ran just two performances that April. The Columbia Broadcasting System ( CBS ) leased the Mansfield in August 1950 for five years, paying a very favorable annual rental of between $ 85,000 and $ 100,000. Ultimately, CBS used the theater for ten years. Known as CBS Studio 59, the theater was used to broadcast the long-running panel shows What's My Line? and I've Got
8957-580: The League of Resident Theatres and have contracts with the theatrical unions which are negotiated separately from the other Broadway theatre and producers. ( Disney also negotiates apart from the League, as did Livent before it closed down its operations.) The majority of Broadway theatres are owned or managed by three organizations: the Shubert Organization , a for-profit arm of the non-profit Shubert Foundation, which owns seventeen theatres;
9126-554: The March on Washington in August 1963. Later she returned to her roots as a nightclub performer and continued to work on television while releasing well-received record albums. She announced her retirement in March 1980, but the next year starred in a one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music , which ran for more than 300 performances on Broadway. She then toured the country in the show, earning numerous awards and accolades. Horne continued recording and performing sporadically into
9295-427: The Nederlander Organization , which controls nine theatres; and ATG Entertainment , which owns seven Broadway houses. Both musicals and straight plays on Broadway often rely on casting well-known performers in leading roles to draw larger audiences or bring in new audience members to the theatre. Actors from film and television are frequently cast for the revivals of Broadway shows or are used to replace actors leaving
9464-476: The Roaring Twenties , borrowing from vaudeville, music hall , and other light entertainment, tended to ignore plot in favor of emphasizing star actors and actresses, big dance routines, and popular songs. Florenz Ziegfeld produced annual spectacular song-and-dance revues on Broadway featuring extravagant sets and elaborate costumes, but there was little to tie the various numbers together. Typical of
9633-539: The Roundabout Theatre Company 's version of She Loves Me in 1993. The theater had two flops in the mid-1990s: Donald Margulies 's What’s Wrong With This Picture? , which ran for 12 performances in 1994, and Budd Schulberg and Stan Silverman's On the Waterfront , which had just eight performances in 1995. The Steppenwolf Theatre Company 's production of Buried Child was produced at
9802-597: The Sunset Strip in January 1942. A few weeks later, she was signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . In November 1944, she was featured in an episode of the popular radio series Suspense , as a fictional nightclub singer, with a large speaking role along with her singing. In 1945 and 1946, she sang with Billy Eckstine 's Orchestra. She made her debut at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Panama Hattie (1942) and performed
9971-682: The Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway , in Midtown Manhattan , New York City . Broadway and London 's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world . While the Broadway thoroughfare is eponymous with the district, it is closely identified with Times Square . Only three theaters are located on Broadway itself: Broadway Theatre , Palace Theatre , and Winter Garden Theatre . The rest are located on
10140-588: The Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . The square land lot covers 10,050 square feet (934 m), with a frontage of 100 feet (30 m) on 47th Street and a depth of 100 feet. The Lena Horne shares the block with the Paramount Hotel to the south and the Hotel Edison and Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to the east. Other nearby buildings include the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre to
10309-408: The facade and the auditorium interior are New York City landmarks . The facade is divided into two sections: the four-story stage house to the west, covered in buff-colored brick, and the three-story auditorium to the east, designed with yellow-beige brick and terracotta . The ground floor, which contains the theater's entrance, is shielded by a marquee . Above is a set of Palladian windows on
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#173277275695510478-473: The title song of Stormy Weather (1943) based loosely on the life of Adelaide Hall , for 20th Century Fox , while on loan from MGM. She appeared in several MGM musicals , including Cabin in the Sky (1943) with an entirely African-American cast. She was otherwise not featured in a leading role because of her ethnicity and the fact that her films were required to be re-edited for showing in cities where theaters would not show films with Black performers. As
10647-409: The 1920s were lighthearted productions such as Sally ; Lady Be Good ; Sunny ; No, No, Nanette ; Harlem ; Oh, Kay! ; and Funny Face . Their books may have been forgettable, but they produced enduring standards from George Gershwin , Cole Porter , Jerome Kern , Vincent Youmans , and Rodgers and Hart , among others, and Noël Coward , Sigmund Romberg , and Rudolf Friml continued in
10816-704: The 1980s, she moved into the fifth floor of the Volney, a hotel-turned-co-op, at 23 East 74th Street . Lena Horne died of congestive heart failure at age 92 on May 9, 2010. Her funeral took place at St. Ignatius Loyola Church on Park Avenue in New York, where she had been a member. Thousands gathered and attendees included: Leontyne Price , Dionne Warwick , Liza Minnelli , Jessye Norman , Chita Rivera , Cicely Tyson , Diahann Carroll , Leslie Uggams , Lauren Bacall , Robert Osborne , Audra McDonald , and Vanessa Williams . Her remains were cremated. In 2003, ABC announced that Janet Jackson would star as Horne in
10985-559: The 1990s, retreating from the public eye in 2000. Lena Horne was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to Edwin and Edna Horne on June 30, 1917. Both sides of her family were biracial African Americans . She belonged to the well-educated upper stratum of Black New Yorkers at the time. She lived the first five years of her life in a brownstone at 519 Macon Street. Horne's father, Edwin Fletcher "Teddy" Horne Jr. (1893–1970),
11154-536: The Broadway national tour, which travels to theatres in major cities across the country. Sometimes when a show closes on Broadway, the entire production, with most if not all of the original cast intact, is relaunched as a touring company, hence the name "Broadway national tour". Some shows may even have several touring companies out at a time, whether the show is still running in New York or not, with many companies "sitting down" in other major cities for their own extended runs. For Broadway national tours of top-tier cities,
11323-619: The Broadway orchestra is governed by an agreement with the musicians' union (Local 802, American Federation of Musicians) and The Broadway League. For example, the agreement specifies the minimum size of the orchestra at the Minskoff Theatre to be eighteen, while at the Music Box Theatre it is nine. Most Broadway shows are commercial productions intended to make a profit for the producers and investors ("backers" or "angels"), and therefore have open-ended runs (duration that
11492-473: The Brooks Atkinson in 1975. The theater celebrated its 50th anniversary in December 1976, ten months after the actual anniversary, because no one had noticed the date beforehand. Same Time, Next Year transferred to another theater in May 1978 and ultimately ran for over 1,400 total performances. The Brooks Atkinson then hosted the play Tribute with Jack Lemmon in 1978, as well as the comedy Bedroom Farce and
11661-411: The Brooks Atkinson in 1996, as was the play Taking Sides with Daniel Massey and Ed Harris . The musical Play On! was hosted in 1997, followed the same year by the musical show Street Corner Symphony . The theatrical adaptation of Wait Until Dark , which featured film actress Marisa Tomei in her Broadway debut, ran for 97 performances in 1998. The next year, the theater hosted a transfer of
11830-553: The COVID-19 shutdown, the Shubert Organization, the Nederlander Organization, and Jujamcyn had pledged to increase racial and cultural diversity in their theaters, including naming at least one theater for a Black theatrical personality. The August Wilson Theatre , owned by Jujamcyn, had been renamed after Black playwright August Wilson in 2005. The Shuberts announced in March 2022 that the Cort Theatre , which
11999-574: The Cakewalk (1898), and the highly successful In Dahomey (1902). Hundreds of musical comedies were staged on Broadway in the 1890s and early 1900s made up of songs written in New York's Tin Pan Alley involving composers such as Gus Edwards , John Walter Bratton , and George M. Cohan ( Little Johnny Jones (1904), 45 Minutes From Broadway (1906), and George Washington Jr. (1906)). Still, New York runs continued to be relatively short, with
12168-580: The Clouds Roll By , but lost the part to Ava Gardner , a friend in real life. Horne claimed this was due to the Production Code 's ban on interracial relationships in films, although MGM sources state she was never considered for the role. In the documentary That's Entertainment! III, Horne stated that MGM executives required Gardner to practice her singing using Horne's recordings, which offended both actresses. Ultimately, Gardner's voice
12337-735: The DNC Margaret B. Price , and Secretary of the DNC Dorothy Vredenburgh Bush , visited John F. Kennedy at The White House , two days prior to his assassination. Horne married Louis Jordan Jones, a political operative, in January 1937 in Pittsburgh . On December 21, 1937, their daughter, Gail (1937–2024), was born. They had a son, Edwin Jones (1940–1970), who died of kidney disease . Horne and Jones separated in 1940 and divorced in 1944. Horne's second marriage
12506-456: The Erlanger syndicate. During this time, the play Lightnin' by Winchell Smith and Frank Bacon became the first Broadway show to reach 700 performances. From then, it would go on to become the first show to reach 1,000 performances. Lightnin' was the longest-running Broadway show until being overtaken in performance totals by Abie's Irish Rose in 1925. The motion picture mounted
12675-410: The League confirmed that performances would begin to resume in the fall season. Springsteen on Broadway became the first full-length show to resume performances, opening on June 26, 2021, to 1,721 vaccinated patrons at the St. James Theatre . Pass Over then had its first preview on August 4, and opened on August 22, 2021, becoming the first new play to open. Hadestown and Waitress were
12844-517: The Mansfield for two years and reinstalled the furnishings. The Mansfield reopened in December 1932 with the Shuffle Along of 1933, which closed after just 17 performances. In June 1933, the theater was leased to the syndicate Players League Inc. for 19 months. The theater did not have any particularly distinguished shows in 1933 or 1934, but George Abbott directed the moderately successful comedy Page Miss Glory in late 1934. The next year,
13013-414: The Mansfield had a transfer of Moon Over Mulberry Street , as well as a run of On Stage with Osgood Perkins . This was followed in 1937 by Antony and Cleopatra featuring Tallulah Bankhead , as well as Behind Red Lights , which ran for 176 performances. In 1938, the Shuberts proposed leasing the Mansfield at $ 14,000 a year, an extremely favorable rate compared to other theaters; they ultimately took
13182-624: The Mansfield in February and March 1948, followed in April by the Billie Holiday Revue . The Mansfield's final productions of the decade included Red Gloves in 1948 and Lend an Ear in 1949. DuMont Television Network considered leasing the Mansfield during the 1949 season, but the Shuberts operated the theater instead when DuMont decided against using it. The Mansfield hosted All You Need Is One Good Break in February 1950, and
13351-542: The Mansfield the next month, running for several hundred performances across numerous theaters. This was followed by a revival of Eugene O'Neill 's Beyond the Horizon . At the end of the year, the Mansfield staged three Hebrew-language plays performed by the Habima Players of Moscow, including The Dybbuk . A revival of the Henrik Ibsen play Ghosts , with Minnie Maddern Fiske , had 24 performances at
13520-506: The Mansfield, first staging 1931- and then The House of Connelly . The Mansfield did not host any productions from March to December 1932. The Mutual Life Insurance Company subsequently foreclosed on the theater, and it was purchased by Nyamco Associates Inc. in October 1932 for $ 354,000. In the foreclosure process, all the theater's furnishings were removed. The same month as Nyamco's acquisition, Ray K. Bartlett and Edgar Allen took over
13689-503: The Nederlanders included the Broadway production of Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music in 1981, for which she won a Tony and two Grammy awards. The venue became the first Broadway theater named for a Black woman, as well as the third Broadway theater named after a Black theatrical personality. The Lena Horne's new marquee was unveiled on November 1, 2022. Productions are listed by the year of their first performance. This list only includes Broadway shows; it does not include shows taped at
13858-604: The Opera at the Majestic Theatre became the longest-running Broadway musical, with 7,486 performances, overtaking Cats . The Phantom of the Opera closed on Broadway on April 16, 2023, soon after celebrating its 35th anniversary, after a total of 13,981 performances. Attending a Broadway show is a common tourist activity in New York. The TKTS booths sell same-day tickets (and in certain cases, next-day matinee tickets) for many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows at
14027-535: The Post was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy". Tony Pastor opened the first vaudeville theatre one block east of Union Square in 1881, where Lillian Russell performed. Comedians Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart produced and starred in musicals on Broadway between 1878 ( The Mulligan Guard Picnic ) and 1890, with book and lyrics by Harrigan and music by his father-in-law David Braham . These musical comedies featured characters and situations taken from
14196-788: The Tree opened in 1967. To combat the theater's unprofitability, the Nederlander Organization bought a half-interest in the Brooks Atkinson in May 1967. The next year, the Brooks Atkinson hosted Peter Nichols 's A Day in the Death of Joe Egg , followed by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna 's Lovers and Other Strangers . Subsequently, Dustin Hoffman appeared in Jimmy Shine during late 1968 and early 1969. The Brooks Atkinson did not see another hit until 1971, when Cliff Gorman starred in Lenny ,
14365-528: The U.S. Army refused to allow integrated audiences, she staged her show for a mixed audience of Black U.S. soldiers and white German POWs. Seeing the Black soldiers had been forced to sit in the back seats, she walked off the stage to the first row where the Black troops were seated and performed with the Germans behind her. However, the USO observed at the time of her death that Horne did in fact tour "extensively with
14534-435: The U.S. and U.K. in a show together. In the 1976 program America Salutes Richard Rodgers , she sang a lengthy medley of Rodgers songs with Peggy Lee and Vic Damone . Horne also made several appearances on The Flip Wilson Show . Additionally, Horne played herself on television programs such as The Muppet Show , Sesame Street , and Sanford and Son in the 1970s, as well as a 1985 performance on The Cosby Show and
14703-485: The U.S.), Horne starred in her own U.S. television special in 1969, Monsanto Night Presents Lena Horne . During this decade, the artist Pete Hawley painted her portrait for RCA Victor, capturing the mood of her performance style. In 1970, she co-starred with Harry Belafonte in the hour-long Harry & Lena special for ABC; in 1973, she co-starred with Tony Bennett in Tony and Lena . Horne and Bennett subsequently toured
14872-511: The USO during WWII on the West Coast and in the South". The organization also commemorated her for the appearances she made on Armed Forces Radio Service programs Jubilee , G.I. Journal , and Command Performances . In the film Stormy Weather (1943), Horne's character would perform the film's title song as part of a big, all-star show for World War II soldiers as well. After quitting
15041-644: The USO in 1945, Horne financed tours of military camps herself. Horne was at an NAACP rally with Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi , the weekend before Evers was assassinated. At the March on Washington she spoke and performed on behalf of the NAACP, S.N.C.C. , and the National Council of Negro Women . She also worked with Eleanor Roosevelt in attempts to pass anti- lynching laws. Tom Lehrer mentions her in his song "National Brotherhood Week" in
15210-399: The auditorium entrance. It is made of yellow-beige brick with white terracotta decorations. The western section, which contains the stage house , is four stories high and contains a brick facade. The third story of the auditorium is on an intermediate level between the third and fourth stories of the stage house. The first story of the auditorium's facade is symmetrically arranged. There is
15379-492: The authors and also in numerous unlicensed productions). They were imitated in New York by American productions such as Reginald Dekoven 's Robin Hood (1891) and John Philip Sousa 's El Capitan (1896), along with operas, ballets, and other British and European hits. Charles H. Hoyt 's A Trip to Chinatown (1891) became Broadway's long-run champion when it surpassed Adonis and its 603 total performances in 1893, holding
15548-487: The beginning of 1927. The theater hosted short-lived plays for the rest of that year. That April, the Mansfield was sold to Irving Lewine, who leased the theater back to the Chanins for 63 years. In August 1927, Charles L. Wagner arranged to operate the Mansfield for a year. Just before Wagner was scheduled to assume operation that October, Lew Fields took over the lease and Wagner's shows were relocated to another theater. Fields planned to stage at least four shows and rename
15717-435: The beginning of the nineteenth century, the area that now comprises the Theater District was owned by a handful of families and comprised a few farms. In 1836, Mayor Cornelius Lawrence opened 42nd Street and invited Manhattanites to "enjoy the pure clean air." Close to 60 years later, theatrical entrepreneur Oscar Hammerstein I built the iconic Victoria Theater on West 42nd Street. Broadway's first "long-run" musical
15886-476: The biggest changes to the commercial theatrical landscape—on both sides of the Atlantic—over the past decade or so is that sightings of big star names turning out to do plays has [sic] gone up; but the runs they are prepared to commit to has gone down. Time was that a producer would require a minimum commitment from his star of six months, and perhaps a year; now, the 13-week run is the norm." The minimum size of
16055-550: The bill was not passed. The Save the Theatres campaign then turned their efforts to supporting the establishment of the Theater District as a registered historic district . In December 1983, Save the Theatres prepared "The Broadway Theater District, a Preservation Development and Management Plan", and demanded that each theater in the district receive landmark designation. Mayor Ed Koch ultimately reacted by creating
16224-420: The boxes are curved outward and contain shields and foliate decorations. Twisting colonettes run beside each arch, while egg-and-dart moldings run along the tops of the arches. The arches are separated by fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals, above which is a molding. At the tops of the boxes are murals that show commedia dell'arte and muses. These murals were painted by A. Battisti and G. Troombul. There
16393-616: The ceiling into arch- and lozenge-shaped panels. Near the side walls, the moldings contain cartouches with foliate designs, from which are suspended four chandeliers. Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression . During the 1900s and 1910s, many theaters in Midtown Manhattan were developed by the Shubert brothers , one of the major theatrical syndicates of
16562-462: The ceiling into front and rear sections. The beam is decorated with a frieze containing arch-and-fan motifs (similar to the frieze above the proscenium). The front section is a coved ceiling , surrounded by a frieze with an arch-and-fan motif. Moldings divide the cove into sections, which are decorated with urns and foliate designs. A crystal chandelier hangs from the center of the cove. The rear section contains molded bands with bead motifs, which divide
16731-495: The center openings, as well as on two of the double doors to the right (west) of center. A marquee hangs over the five center doorways and the immediate adjacent sign boards. On the upper stories, the auditorium is arranged into three sections from left to right. The auditorium's outermost openings, on the second and third stories, have a single six-over-six sash window on either story. Lunettes with rosettes are placed above each of these windows. These windows are surrounded by
16900-521: The color barrier in show business, but "learned to love him very much". Horne had affairs with long-time heavyweight champion Joe Louis , musician and actor Artie Shaw , actor Orson Welles , and director Vincente Minnelli . Horne also had a long and close relationship with Billy Strayhorn , whom she said she would have married if he had been heterosexual. He was also an important professional mentor to her. Screenwriter Jenny Lumet , known for her award-winning screenplay Rachel Getting Married ,
17069-511: The comedy Steaming with Judith Ivey . In 1983, the Brooks Atkinson hosted the mountain-climbing drama K2 as well as the solo show Edmund Kean with Ben Kingsley . At the end of 1983, the Brooks Atkinson staged Noises Off , which ran for one and a half years. Subsequently, Aren't We All? and Benefactors both opened at the Brooks Atkinson in 1985. This was followed in December 1986 by comedian Jackie Mason 's solo show The World According to Me!. Mason's show ran for two years, with
17238-422: The decade ended with critics and audiences giving mixed signals." Ken Bloom observed that "The 1960s and 1970s saw a worsening of the area [Times Square] and a drop in the number of legitimate shows produced on Broadway." By way of comparison, in the 1950 to 1951 season (May to May) 94 productions opened on Broadway; in the 1969 to 1970 season (June to May) there were 59 productions (fifteen were revivals). In
17407-876: The designations in March 1988. The Nederlanders, the Shuberts , and Jujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Brooks Atkinson, 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 Brooks Atkinson staged Cafe Crown with Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach in 1989. The same year,
17576-545: The drama Teibele and Her Demon in 1979. The off-Broadway play Talley's Folly moved to the Brooks Atkinson in 1980. This was followed by four short runs: Tricks of the Trade and Mixed Couples in 1980, as well as Lolita and Wally's Cafe in 1981. The Dresser opened later in 1981 and ultimately ran 200 performances. This was followed in 1982 by a short run of the off-Broadway show Beyond Therapy , another revival of Ghosts with John Neville and Liv Ullmann , and
17745-679: The effort. At Papp's behest, in July 1982, a bill was introduced in the 97th Congress , entitled "H.R.6885, A bill to designate the Broadway/Times Square Theatre District in the City of New York as a national historic site". The legislation would have provided certain U.S. government resources and assistance to help the city preserve the district. Faced with strong opposition and lobbying by Mayor Ed Koch's Administration and corporate Manhattan development interests,
17914-469: The entire Broadway production is transplanted almost entirely intact and may run for many months (or years) at each stop. For example, the first U.S. tour of The Phantom of the Opera required 26 53-foot-long (16.1 m) semi-trailers to transport all its sets, equipment, and costumes, and it took almost 10 days to properly unload all those trucks and install everything into a theater. Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010)
18083-533: The entire show again to record it for television broadcast and home video release. Horne began a tour a few days later at Tanglewood (Massachusetts) during the weekend of July 4, 1982. The Lady and Her Music toured 41 cities in the U.S. and Canada until June 17, 1984. It played in London for a month in August and ended its run in Stockholm, Sweden , September 14, 1984. In 1981, she received a Special Tony Award for
18252-456: The everyday life of New York's lower classes and represented a significant step forward from vaudeville and burlesque, towards a more literate form. They starred high-quality professional singers ( Lillian Russell , Vivienne Segal , and Fay Templeton ), instead of the amateurs, often sex workers, who had starred in earlier musical forms. As transportation improved, poverty in New York diminished, and street lighting made for safer travel at night,
18421-716: The fall of 1933, Horne joined the chorus line of the Cotton Club in New York City. In the spring of 1934, she had a featured role in the Cotton Club Parade starring Adelaide Hall , who took Lena under her wing. Horne made her first screen appearance as a dancer in the musical short Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party (1935). A few years later, Horne joined Noble Sissle 's Orchestra, with which she toured and with whom she made her first records, issued by Decca . After she separated from her first husband, Horne toured with bandleader Charlie Barnet in 1940–41, but disliked
18590-467: The first musicals to resume performances on September 2, 2021. The 74th Tony Awards were also postponed; the Tony nominations were announced on October 15, 2020, and took place on September 26, 2021. On July 30, 2021, it was announced that all Broadway theaters required attendees to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination . The rule applied to guests ages 12+. Those under age 12 were required to provide
18759-515: The late 1950s through to the 1960s, Horne was a staple of TV variety shows, appearing multiple times on Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall , The Ed Sullivan Show , The Dean Martin Show , and The Bell Telephone Hour . Other programs she appeared on included The Judy Garland Show , The Hollywood Palace , and The Andy Williams Show . Besides two television specials for the BBC (later syndicated in
18928-598: The line "Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark are dancing cheek to cheek" referring (wryly) to her and to Sheriff Jim Clark , of Selma, Alabama , who was responsible for a violent attack on civil rights marchers in 1965. In 1983, the NAACP awarded her the Spingarn Medal . Horne was a registered Democrat and on November 20, 1963, she, along with Democratic National Committee (D.N.C.) Chairman John Bailey , Carol Lawrence , Richard Adler , Sidney Salomon , Vice-chairwoman of
19097-557: The middle-class, variety shows in concert saloons for men of the working class and the slumming middle-class." The plays of William Shakespeare were frequently performed on the Broadway stage during the period, most notably by American actor Edwin Booth who was internationally known for his performance as Hamlet . Booth played the role for a famous 100 consecutive performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1865 (with
19266-501: The music for Chee-Chee , which was much less popular than Present Arms . At the end of the year, Lew Fields starred in Hello, Daddy , which was produced by his children Dorothy and Herbert Fields ; it had 198 performances. The theater reverted to its original name in March 1929 with the opening of the flop Indiscretion . The next success at the Mansfield was Marc Connelly 's The Green Pastures , which opened in February 1930. With
19435-432: The musical Jane Eyre , which closed after a short run. A late-2001 revival of Noises Off , two decades after the original production, ran for 348 performances. Next to be shown was a limited run of the tragedy Medea in 2002, as well as the revue The Look of Love and Jackie Mason's short-lived Laughing Room Only . The Brooks Atkinson hosted the dramas Jumpers and Democracy in 2004, as well as limited runs of
19604-420: The next sixteen years. However, smaller vaudeville and variety houses proliferated, and Off-Broadway was well established by the end of the nineteenth century. A Trip to Coontown (1898) was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans in a Broadway theatre (inspired largely by the routines of the minstrel shows ), followed by the ragtime -tinged Clorindy: The Origin of
19773-520: The next year and a half. It was immediately followed by a transfer of the off-Broadway rock musical Rock of Ages , which opened in April 2009 and ran for nearly two years before transferring. In the early 2010s, the Brooks Atkinson hosted both plays and musicals. These included Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles and Relatively Speaking in 2011; Peter and the Starcatcher in 2012; Hands on
19942-634: The north; the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and Longacre Theatre to the northeast; the Richard Rodgers Theatre and Imperial Theatre to the south; and the off-Broadway 47th Street Theatre to the west. The Lena Horne Theatre, originally the Mansfield Theatre, was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in a modern Spanish style and was constructed in 1926 for the Chanin brothers. The theater was originally named for British actor Richard Mansfield (1857–1907). From 1960 to 2022, it
20111-557: The number of potential patrons for the growing number of theatres increased enormously. Plays could run longer and still draw in the audiences, leading to better profits and improved production values. As in England, during the latter half of the century, the theatre began to be cleaned up, with less prostitution hindering the attendance of the theatre by women. Gilbert and Sullivan 's family-friendly comic opera hits, beginning with H.M.S. Pinafore in 1878, were imported to New York (by
20280-632: The numbered cross streets, extending from the Nederlander Theatre one block south of Times Square on West 41st Street, north along either side of Broadway to 53rd Street , and Vivian Beaumont Theater , at Lincoln Center on West 65th Street. While exceptions exist, the term "Broadway theatre" is used predominantly to describe venues with seating capacities of at least 500 people. Smaller theaters in New York City are referred to as off-Broadway , regardless of location, while very small venues with fewer than 100 seats are called off-off-Broadway ,
20449-412: The openings in each Palladian frame, while the outer sections of the windows are bordered by pilasters with Corinthian -style capitals . The center opening is an open-air loggia , behind which is a fire stair with an iron railing. The other two Palladian openings contain sash windows. At the third story, there are three openings, surrounded by twisting moldings and a terracotta frame. The center opening
20618-556: The performers, or temporary availability of a theatre between the end of one production and the beginning of another. However, some shows with planned limited engagement runs may, after critical acclaim or box office success, extend their engagements or convert to open-ended runs. This was the case with 2007's August: Osage County , 2009's God of Carnage , 2012's Newsies , and 2022's Take Me Out . Historically, musicals on Broadway tend to have longer runs than "straight" (i.e., non-musical) plays. On January 9, 2006, The Phantom of
20787-468: The plays of George Bernard Shaw , and Katharine Cornell in such plays as Romeo and Juliet , Antony and Cleopatra , and Candida . In 1930, Theatre Guild 's production of Roar, China! was Broadway's first play with a majority Asian cast. As World War II approached, a dozen Broadway dramas addressed the rise of Nazism in Europe and the issue of American non-intervention. The most successful
20956-423: The production plays), meaning that the length of their presentation is not set beforehand, but depends on critical response, word of mouth, and the effectiveness of the show's advertising, all of which determine ticket sales. Investing in a commercial production carries a varied degree of financial risk. Shows need not make a profit immediately; should they make their "nut" (weekly operating expenses), or lose money at
21125-645: The productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein , became enormously influential forms of American popular culture " and contributed to making New York City the cultural capital of the world . New York City's first significant theatre was established in the mid-18th century, around 1750, when actor-managers Walter Murray and Thomas Kean established a resident theatre company at the Theatre on Nassau Street in Lower Manhattan , which held about 280 people. They presented William Shakespeare 's plays and ballad operas such as The Beggar's Opera . In 1752, William Hallam sent
21294-462: The promenade, between which is a decorative railing. Two staircases, with decorative metal railings, lead from either end of the promenade to the balcony level. The orchestra's north (right) wall has doors from the lobby, while the south (left) and rear walls contain exit doors. There are foliate swag motifs on either side of the exit signs above the doors. The orchestra's side walls contain decorative panels. Bronze lighting sconces are placed along
21463-408: The proscenium is a curved wall section with three arches, each of which corresponds to a box at balcony level. The wall section is flanked by fluted pilasters with Corinthian-style gilded capitals. At orchestra level, the wall sections contain a false rusticated wall with three rectangular openings. The undersides of the boxes contain crystal light fixtures similar to those on the balcony. The fronts of
21632-594: The recording studio in 2000 to contribute vocal tracks on Simon Rattle 's Classic Ellington album. Horne was long involved with the Civil Rights Movement . In 1941, she sang at Café Society , New York City's first integrated venue, and worked with Paul Robeson . During World War II , when entertaining the troops for the USO, she refused to perform "for segregated audiences or for groups in which German POWs were seated in front of Black servicemen", according to her Kennedy Center biography. Because
21801-416: The recordings featured Horne with a remarkably secure voice for a woman of her years, and include versions of such signature songs as " Something to Live For ", " Chelsea Bridge ", and " Stormy Weather ". The album, originally titled Soul but renamed Seasons of a Life , was released on January 24, 2006. In 2007, Horne was portrayed by Leslie Uggams as the older Lena and Nikki Crawford as the younger Lena in
21970-531: The run ending just a few months before Booth's brother John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln ), and would later revive the role at his own Booth's Theatre (which was managed for a time by his brother Junius Brutus Booth Jr. ). Other renowned Shakespeareans who appeared in New York in this era were Henry Irving , Tommaso Salvini , Fanny Davenport , and Charles Fechter . Theatre in New York moved from Downtown gradually to Midtown Manhattan , beginning around 1850, seeking less expensive real estate. At
22139-413: The same year. Subsequently, the musical Waitress opened in 2016, with Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz both performing in the show before it closed on January 5, 2020. Waitress became the Brooks Atkinson's longest-running production in 2019, and it ran through early 2020. The musical Six was in rehearsal and was set to open on March 12, 2020, when all Broadway theaters were forced to close due to
22308-590: The scene was deleted prior to the film's release. Horne was the first African-American person elected to serve on the Screen Actors Guild board of directors. In Ziegfeld Follies (1946), she performed "Love" by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane . Horne lobbied for the role of Julie LaVerne in MGM's version of Show Boat (1951), having already played the role when a segment of Show Boat was performed in Till
22477-473: The season. This is done in order to maximize access to their target audience. Most Broadway producers and theatre owners are members of The Broadway League (formerly "The League of American Theatres and Producers"), a trade organization that promotes Broadway theatre as a whole, negotiates contracts with the various theatrical unions and agreements with the guilds, and co-administers the Tony Awards with
22646-412: The second story, as well as rectangular sash windows with lunettes on the third story. The facade is topped by an entablature and a sloping tiled roof. The auditorium contains ornamental plasterwork, a sloped orchestra level, a large balcony, and a coved ceiling . The balcony level contains box seats near the front of the auditorium, above which are murals. The Mansfield Theatre was developed with
22815-492: The show, which also played to acclaim at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1984. Despite the show's considerable success (Horne still holds the record for the longest-running solo performance in Broadway history), she did not capitalize on the renewed interest in her career by undertaking many new musical projects. A proposed 1983 joint recording project between Horne and Frank Sinatra (to be produced by Quincy Jones )
22984-599: The solo shows Mark Twain Tonight! and The Blonde in the Thunderbird in 2005. A revival of The Odd Couple opened at the Brooks Atkinson in late 2005, followed by the dance musical The Times They Are a-Changin' in 2006 and a revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten in 2007. The rock-and-roll musical Grease was revived at the theater in August 2007, and the show ultimately ran for 554 performances over
23153-470: The stage for 657 performances. Chinatown itself was surpassed by the musical Irene (1919) in 1921 as the longest-running Broadway musical, and even earlier, in March 1920, by Lightnin' (1918) as the longest-running Broadway show. In 1896, theatre owners Marc Klaw and A. L. Erlanger formed the Theatrical Syndicate , which controlled almost every legitimate theatre in the U.S. for
23322-623: The stage musical Stormy Weather staged at the Pasadena Playhouse in California (January to March 2009). In 2011, Horne was also portrayed by actress Ryan Jillian in a one-woman show titled Notes from A Horne staged at the Susan Batson studio in New York City, from November 2011 to February 2012. The 83rd Academy Awards presented a tribute to Horne by actress Halle Berry at the ceremony held February 27, 2011. In 2018,
23491-610: The theater for a year and renovated it. The theater then hosted a transfer of the long-running What a Life in 1939, as well as the Group Theatre's Thunder Rock featuring Lee J. Cobb and Frances Farmer . In 1940, the Mansfield hosted a revival of Juno and the Paycock , a transfer of the long-running comedy Separate Rooms , and the popular revue Meet the People . The theater staged In Time to Come in 1941, as well as
23660-480: The theater for himself. The beginning of 1928 saw short runs of the plays Mongolia and Atlas and Eva . The first Fields production at the Mansfield was the Rodgers and Hart musical Present Arms in April 1928, which ran for 147 performances. The theater's sign was changed to display the name "Lew Fields Theatre", though programs referred to the house as "Lew Fields's Mansfield Theatre". Rodgers and Hart also wrote
23829-468: The theater had limited appearances by musicians Victor Borge , Peter, Paul and Mary , and Stephanie Mills . This was followed in 1990 by a two-month-long run of The Cemetery Club and an adaptation of William Nicholson 's Shadowlands with Jane Alexander and Nigel Hawthorne . The Brooks Atkinson hosted Death and the Maiden with Glenn Close , Richard Dreyfuss , and Gene Hackman in 1992, then
23998-407: The theater opened with the melodrama The Night Duel . Generally, the Mansfield's early productions were flops . The Night Duel lasted for 17 performances before closing, and three similarly short-lived shows followed. The theater's first moderate success was If I Was Rich with Joe Laurie Jr. , which opened in September 1926 and had 92 performances. The Ladder with Antoinette Perry opened at
24167-478: The theater. Waitress set a box office record for the theater in 2018, grossing $ 1,626,478 over eight performances for the week ending on January 28, 2018. This was surpassed by Six , which grossed $ 1,649,206 over eight performances for the week ending January 1, 2023. Broadway theatre Broadway theatre , or Broadway , is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters , each with 500 or more seats, in
24336-534: The theatres. Since colored bulbs burned out too quickly, white lights were used, and Broadway was nicknamed "The Great White Way". In August 1919, the Actors' Equity Association demanded a standard contract for all professional productions. After a strike shut down all the theatres, the producers were forced to agree. By the 1920s, the Shubert Brothers had risen to take over the majority of the theatres from
24505-528: The theatrical critic for The New York Times . The Brooks Atkinson would be the first Broadway theater to be named for a theatre critic, as well as the second named for a newspaper writer, beside the Mark Hellinger Theatre . The theater was renamed at a ceremony on September 7, 1960. The first production at the Brooks Atkinson was David Merrick 's Vintage ' 60 , which opened on September 12, 1960, and lasted just eight performances. This
24674-481: The theatrical producer and director who established The Public Theater , led the "Save the Theatres" campaign. It was a not-for-profit group supported by the Actors Equity union to save the theater buildings in the neighborhood from demolition by monied Manhattan development interests. Papp provided resources, recruited a publicist and celebrated actors, and provided audio, lighting, and technical crews for
24843-548: The time that all-Black casts had performed the only two "outstanding hits" in the Mansfield's two-decade history: Anna Lucasta and The Green Pastures . The Mansfield's next hit was Ruth Gordon 's Years Ago , which opened in 1946 which ran for 206 performances. For the most part, the Mansfield hosted short runs during 1947. A revival of the musical The Cradle Will Rock opened at the end of that year and ran for two weeks. The Dublin Gate Theatre performed three shows at
25012-499: The time was a largely residential street. Irwin Chanin, who built the theater with his brother Henry, acquired the property title to the two theater sites on 47th Street in March 1925. Though the Biltmore was completed that December, the Mansfield was not finished until early the following year. On February 15, 1926, prior to the theater's opening, a luncheon was hosted in honor of Mansfield's widow Beatrice Cameron . Later that night,
25181-461: The time, the average age of theatergoers was 40.4; nearly two-thirds of the audience were women; and 29% identified as a racial minority. The classification of theatres is governed by language in Actors' Equity Association contracts. To be eligible for a Tony, a production must be in a house with 500 seats or more and in the Theater District, which are the criteria that define Broadway theatre. Off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway shows often provide
25350-488: The time. The Chanin brothers developed another grouping of theaters in the mid-1920s. Though the Chanins largely specialized in real estate rather than theaters, Irwin Chanin had become interested in theater when he was an impoverished student at the Cooper Union . He subsequently recalled that he had been "humiliated" by having to use a separate door whenever he bought cheap seats in an upper balcony level. Irwin Chanin
25519-564: The travel and left the band to work at the Cafe Society in New York. She replaced Dinah Shore as the featured vocalist on NBC's popular jazz series The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street . The show's resident maestros, Henry Levine and Paul Laval, recorded with Horne in June 1941 for RCA Victor . Horne left the show after only six months when she was hired by former Cafe Trocadero (Los Angeles) manager Felix Young to perform in
25688-568: The twenties, there were 70–80 theaters, but by 1969, there were 36 left. During this time, many Broadway productions struggled due to low attendance rates, which resulted in perceived mediocrity among such plays. For this reason, the Theatre Development Fund was created with the purpose of assisting productions with high cultural value that likely would struggle without subsidization, by offering tickets to those plays to consumers at reduced prices. In early 1982, Joe Papp ,
25857-420: The upper panels and plain decorations in the lower panels. A cornice runs above all of the walls. The front rail of the balcony contains shields and foliate decorations. Light boxes are installed on the front rail. The underside of the balcony has plasterwork panels with crystal light fixtures suspended from medallions. Air-conditioning vents are placed along some of the panels under the balcony. On either side of
26026-568: The vein of Victor Herbert. Live theatre has survived the invention of cinema. Leaving these comparatively frivolous entertainments behind and taking the drama a step forward, Show Boat premiered on December 27, 1927, at the Ziegfeld Theatre . It represented a complete integration of book and score, with dramatic themes, as told through the music, dialogue, setting, and movement, woven together more seamlessly than in previous musicals. It ran for 572 performances. The 1920s also spawned
26195-463: The walls of the orchestra and its promenade. The balcony level is divided into front and rear sections by an aisle halfway across the depth. On either side of the crossover aisle are exit doors, which are placed between pilasters and wall panels on either side. Above the exit doors are arch decorations and a frieze with swags. The rest of the balcony's side walls contain panels, which are divided into upper and lower sections, with foliate decorations in
26364-692: The war's end, theatre resumed in 1798, when the 2,000-seat Park Theatre was built on Chatham Street on present-day Park Row . A second major theatre, Bowery Theatre , opened in 1826, followed by others. By the 1840s, P.T. Barnum was operating an entertainment complex in Lower Manhattan. In 1829, at Broadway and Prince Street, Niblo's Garden opened and soon became one of New York's premier nightspots. The 3,000-seat theatre presented all sorts of musical and non-musical entertainments. In 1844, Palmo's Opera House opened and presented opera for only four seasons before bankruptcy led to its rebranding as
26533-519: Was Lillian Hellman 's Watch on the Rhine , which opened in April 1941. After the lean years of the Great Depression , Broadway theatre had entered a golden age with the blockbuster hit Oklahoma! , in 1943, which ran for 2,212 performances. According to John Kenrick 's writings on Broadway musicals, "Every season saw new stage musicals send songs to the top of the charts. Public demand,
26702-459: Was overdubbed by actress Annette Warren (Smith) for the theatrical release. Horne became disenchanted with Hollywood and increasingly focused on her nightclub career. She made only two major appearances for MGM during the 1950s: Duchess of Idaho (1950, which was also Eleanor Powell 's final film); and the musical Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). She said she was "tired of being typecast as
26871-539: Was 14.77 million in 2018–2019, compared to 13.79 million in 2017–2018. The average age of the Broadway audience in the 2017–18 theater season was 40, the lowest it had been in nearly two decades. By 2018, about 20% of Broadway tickets were sold to international visitors, although many visitors reported not being able to use their tickets. In 2022–2023, the first full season since the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway theaters sold 12.3 million tickets, of which 35% were to local residents and 17% to international visitors. At
27040-591: Was a 50-performance hit called The Elves in 1857. In 1870, the heart of Broadway was in Union Square , and by the end of the century, many theatres were near Madison Square . Theatres arrived in the Times Square area in the early 1900s, and the Broadway theatres consolidated there after a large number were built around the square in the 1920s and 1930s. New York runs continued to lag far behind those in London, but Laura Keene 's "musical burletta" The Seven Sisters (1860) shattered previous New York records with
27209-427: Was a newcomer to the Broadway theater industry when he was developing his first theater, the 46th Street (now Richard Rodgers) . Chanin hired Herbert Krapp, an experienced architect who had designed multiple Broadway theaters for the Shubert brothers. The 46th Street Theatre opened in early 1925 as Chanin's first Broadway theater. Chanin retained Krapp to design the Biltmore and Mansfield theaters on 47th Street, which at
27378-407: Was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving on to Hollywood and Broadway . A groundbreaking African-American performer, Horne advocated for civil rights and took part in
27547-417: Was directed by her then son-in-law Sidney Lumet , and co-hosting the MGM retrospective That's Entertainment! III (1994), in which she related her unkind treatment by the studio. After leaving Hollywood, Horne established herself as one of the premier nightclub performers of the post-war era. She headlined at clubs and hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas,
27716-410: Was followed the same year by Send Me No Flowers , which featured David Wayne and Nancy Olson for 40 performances. The next year, the theater hosted a success with Neil Simon 's first play, Come Blow Your Horn , which ran for 677 performances. This was followed in late 1962 by Sidney Kingsley 's Night Life and in 1963 by Peter Ustinov 's Photo Finish . In early 1964, the Brooks Atkinson staged
27885-402: Was named for Brooks Atkinson (1894–1984), who was the theater critic for The New York Times from 1925 to 1960. Since 2022, the theater has been named for African-American actress and singer Lena Horne (1917–2010). The Lena Horne is operated by the Nederlander Organization . The facade consists of two sections. The three-story-tall eastern section is wider and is symmetrical, containing
28054-482: Was to Lennie Hayton , who was music director and one of the premier musical conductors and arrangers at MGM, in December 1947 in Paris. They separated in the early 1960s but never divorced. He died in 1971. In her as-told-to autobiography Lena by Richard Schickel , Horne recounts the enormous pressures she and her husband faced as an interracial couple. She later admitted in an interview in Ebony (May 1980) that she had married Hayton to advance her career and cross
28223-475: Was twelve years old, after which Horne attended St Peter Claver School in Brooklyn. Horne then attended Girls High School , an all-girls public high school in Brooklyn, which later became Boys and Girls High School ; she dropped out at age 16. At the age of 18 she moved to her father's home in Pittsburgh, staying in the city's Hill District for almost five years and learning music from native Pittsburgers Billy Strayhorn and Billy Eckstine , among others. In
28392-552: Was ultimately abandoned, and her sole studio recording of the decade was 1988's The Men in My Life , featuring duets with Sammy Davis Jr. and Joe Williams . In 1989, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . In 1995, a "live" album capturing Horne's Supper Club performance was released (subsequently winning a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album). In 1998, Horne released another studio album, entitled Being Myself . Thereafter, Horne retired from performing and largely retreated from public view, though she did return to
28561-458: Was under renovation at the time, would be renamed after actor James Earl Jones . In June 2022, the Nederlanders announced that the Brooks Atkinson Theatre would be renamed after Lena Horne , The James Earl Jones Theatre was rededicated in September 2022, while the Lena Horne Theatre was rededicated that November. Although there are some exceptions, shows with open-ended runs generally have evening performances Tuesday through Saturday, with
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