The Majestic Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 245 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan. It is one of the largest Broadway theatres with 1,645 seats, and traditionally has been used as a venue for major musical theatre productions. Among the notable shows that have premiered at the Majestic are Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The Music Man (1957), Camelot (1960), A Little Night Music (1973), and The Wiz (1975). It was also the second home of 42nd Street and the third home of 1776. The theatre has housed The Phantom of the Opera since it opened on January 26, 1988. With a record-breaking 12,139 performances to date, it is currently the longest-running production in Broadway history.
History
Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, the present-day Majestic was constructed by the Chanin Brothers as part of an entertainment complex including the John Golden Theatre, the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, and the Milford Plaza hotel. It opened on March 28, 1927 with the musical Rufus LeMaire's Affairs.
The Majestic was purchased by the Shubert brothers during the Great Depression and currently is owned and operated by the Shubert Organization. Both the interior and exterior were designated New York City landmarks in 1987.
Timeline of productions
Productions are listed by the year they commenced performances:
- 1927: The Letter; Rio Rita
- 1931: Simple Simon; The Student Prince
- 1933: Pardon My English
- 1936: On Your Toes
- 1937: Babes in Arms
- 1941: Hellzapoppin
- 1942: Porgy and Bess
- 1945: Carousel
- 1947: Call Me Mister; Allegro
- 1949: South Pacific
- 1953: Me and Juliet
- 1954: By the Beautiful Sea; Fanny
- 1956: Happy Hunting
- 1957: Meredith Willson's The Music Man
- 1960: Camelot
- 1963: Tovarich; Hot Spot; Jennie
- 1964: Anyone Can Whistle; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Golden Boy
- 1966: Funny Girl; Breakfast at Tiffany's
- 1967: Marat/Sade; Fiddler on the Roof
- 1970: Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
- 1972: Sugar
- 1973: A Little Night Music
- 1974: Mack & Mabel
- 1975: The Wiz
- 1977: The Act
- 1978: First Monday in October; Ballroom
- 1979: I Remember Mama; The Most Happy Fella
- 1980: Grease; Blackstone! The Magnificent Musical Magic Show; Brigadoon
- 1981: 42nd Street
- 1988: The Phantom of the Opera
Box office record
The Phantom of the Opera achieved the box office record for the Majestic Theatre. The production grossed $1,843,296 over nine performances, for the week ending December 29, 2013, beating the previous record of $1,390,530.53 set on the week ending January 2, 2011.
References
Further reading
- Morrison, William. Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture. New York: Dover Publications (1999) ISBNÂ 0-486-40244-4
External links
- Official website
- New York Theatre Guide
- Majestic Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
- Postcard pictures of the Majestic
- Google Maps
