New York City is known for many things, including the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and Central Park. The city is also one of the entertainment capitals of the world, boasting a rich and diverse theater industry with dozens of Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway productions going on at any time.
New York City’s Theatre District, which includes the 13-mile Broadway Street, features 41 Broadway houses, many of which have been open for nearly 100 years. The New Amsterdam Theatre, the oldest Broadway venue, opened in 1903 and has a capacity of 1,747.
Most Broadway theaters have long and rich histories. There hasn’t been a new theater to open in the 21st century, and only two new venues have opened since 1986. The following is a look at the last five theaters to open on Broadway.
Lyric Theatre (1998)
A 1,622-seat theater owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group, the Lyric Theatre opened as the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in 1998 and was later known as the Hilton Theatre and Foxwoods Theatre until adopting its current name in 2014. While it is the newest Broadway venue, the history of the Lyric Theatre’s name dates back more than a century. The original venue opened in 1903 with a performance of Old Heidelberg and eventually held productions involving the Marx Brothers, Fred and Adele Astaire, and Cole Porter. It became a movie house in 1932 and closed its doors in 1992.
The new Lyric Theatre was built at 214 W. 43rd Street over the foundation of the original Lyric venue and the Apollo Theatre. Its first production was Ragtime, a musical by Stephen Flaherty based on a 1975 novel of the same name, and its longest-running show is 42nd Street, which ran for 1,524 performances from May 2001 to January 2005. The theater has been showing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child since 2018.
Marquis Theatre (1986)
Located at 210 W. 46th Street in the Marriott Marquis Hotel, the Marquis Theatre opened in 1986 with a showing of Shirley Bassey. The 1,611-seat venue, one of nine Broadway theaters owned by The Nederlander Organization, has shown popular musicals such as Man of La Mancha, The Goodbye Girl, Damn Yankees, Peter Pan, and Annie Get Your Gun. Me and My Girl, its longest-running production, featured 1,420 performances from August 1986 until December 1989. The show won three Tony awards and received 13 nominations.
Once Upon a One More Time, a jukebox musical comedy with a twist on fairytale princesses and featuring music from Britney Spears, is set to open at the Marquis on May 13.
Minskoff Theatre (1973)
Opened in 1973, the Minskoff Theatre at 200 W. 45th Street is a 1,710-seat venue owned by The Nederlander Organization. It’s located on the third floor of One Astor Plaza and was named after the prominent New York City real estate family business Sam Minskoff and Sons. Its first production was Irene, a musical that ran for more than 600 performances until 1974. Subsequent productions at the Minskoff include West Side Story, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Tap Dance Kid. The theater has also hosted a variety of special events, including an ice-skating show, a Chinese Acrobats of Taiwan performance, and Star Wars Concert Live.
The Minskoff’s longest-running show has been The Lion King, which premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1997 and transferred to the Minskoff in June 2006. It is the highest-grossing Broadway show and the third-longest-running production of all time.
Circle in the Square Theatre (1972)
Although it was founded in 1951, Circle in the Square Theatre didn’t take hold of its current venue at 235 W. 50th Street until 1972, when it opened with a showing of Mourning Becomes Electra. When the theater opened, it was the first new venue on Broadway to launch in more than five decades.
Circle in the Square strives to highlight original and old productions that typically wouldn’t be featured at other Broadway venues. Past productions include A Streetcar Named Desire, Sweeney Todd, and Once on This Island. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which ran from May 2005 to January 2008, is the longest-running show in Circle in the Square Theatre history.
Gershwin Theatre (1972)
Also owned by The Nederlander Organization, the Gershwin Theatre, located at 222 W. 51st Street in the Paramount Plaza, is a 1,933-seat venue that opened in 1972. It has the highest seating capacity of all 41 Broadway theaters.
The Gershwin Theatre was originally known as the Uris Theatre but was renamed after George and Ira Gershwin in 1983 during the 37th Tony Awards. George, a composer, and Ira, a lyricist, wrote songs, including “The Man I Love,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” for several Broadway shows.
The theater’s rotunda houses the American Theater Hall of Fame, which displays the names and photos of Broadway’s biggest stars. Via Galactica was the first show at the Gershwin. The musical Wicked debuted at the Gershwin in 2003 and has since been shown more than 7,400 times, making it the fifth-longest-running show in Broadway history.