What are the most and least desirable Broadway theatres?

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 3:42pm

Hey everyone! 

I feel like I think about this a lot, but don't actually know so much about it. The people on this board tend to be pretty knowledgeable about stuff like this, so I thought I would ask here!

The only ones I really know are that the Ambassador, Marquis, and Broadway are considered particularly undesirable. 

Any other very undesirable theatres? What about very desirable ones?

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 3:59pm

jkcohen626 said: "Hey everyone!

I feel like I think about this a lot, but don't actually know so much about it. The people on this board tend to be pretty knowledgeable about stuff like this, so I thought I would ask here!

The only ones I really know are that the Ambassador, Marquis, and Broadway are considered particularly undesirable.

Any other very undesirable theatres? What about very desirable ones?"

Two of those theaters hold the longest running Broadway shows, what makes them undesirable?

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 4:18pm

blaxx said: "jkcohen626 said: "Hey everyone!

I feel like I think about this a lot, but don't actually know so much about it. The people on this board tend to be pretty knowledgeable about stuff like this, so I thought I would ask here!

The only ones I really know are that the Ambassador, Marquis, and Broadway are considered particularly undesirable.

Any other very undesirable theatres? What about very desirable ones?"

Two of those theaters hold the longest running Broadway shows, what makes them undesirable?"

Only the Ambassador has a long-running show. I think you're thinking of the Minskoff. 

Both the Ambassador and Marquis (the current home of Beetlejuice) are known for particularly terrible backstage space.

The Ambassador was built diagonally (if that makes sense) to fit on a very small lot and it cut off a ton of the wing space theatres normally have. Despite having 1200 seats, it can't host any sort of show with big set pieces. Chicago is the perfect show for The Ambassador, but it will probably be hard to fill after it eventually closes. 

My understanding of the Marquis was that it was essentially the result of the hotel developers being like "ugh, fine. You want a theatre, we'll give you a theatre" to the city. So it was built because they had to and, as such, there wasn't a ton of thought put into it. 

Both the Marquis and the Broadway suffer from just being too big. Both theatres have only had a few hits this century and even those hits struggled to fill the theatre.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 4:38pm

jkcohen626 said: "blaxx said: "jkcohen626 said: "Hey everyone!

I feel like I think about this a lot, but don't actually know so much about it. The people on this board tend to be pretty knowledgeable about stuff like this, so I thought I would ask here!

The only ones I really know are that the Ambassador, Marquis, and Broadway are considered particularly undesirable.

Any other very undesirable theatres? What about very desirable ones?"

Two of those theaters hold the longest running Broadway shows, what makes them undesirable?"

Only the Ambassador has a long-running show. I think you're thinking of the Minskoff.

Both the Ambassador and Marquis (the current home of Beetlejuice) are known for particularly terrible backstage space.

The Ambassador was built diagonally (if that makes sense) to fit on a very small lot and it cut off a ton of the wing space theatres normally have. Despite having 1200 seats, it can't host any sort of show with big set pieces. Chicago is the perfect show for The Ambassador, but it will probably be hard to fill after it eventually closes.

My understanding of the Marquis was that it was essentially the result of the hotel developers being like "ugh, fine. You want a theatre, we'll give you a theatre" to the city. So it was built because they had to and, as such, there wasn't a ton of thought put into it.

Both the Marquis and the Broadway suffer from just being too big. Both theatres have only had a few hits this century and even those hits struggled to fill the theatre."

I was thinking of the Minskoff, yes, thanks for correcting me.

I am of the belief that the show makes or breaks the production, not the theater. We live in times where audiences look for the venue they really want to attend, it's not like any Broadway theater is inaccessible.

Then there is the Lyric, for example, that has never had a hit since it opened. I would call that venue unlucky, if not undesirable.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 4:42pm

Considering the Beetlejuice/The Music Man fight, that would make The Winter Garden one of the most desirable theatres. Especially with the massive marquis. I think the Shubert Theatre is equally desirable for similar reasons.

Isn’t the nederlander theatre hindered by low foot traffic by the theatre? Or did I make that up. Similarly The Vivian Beaumont is so far out of the way from the theatre district. I’m kind of shocked LCT is able to get it rented by commercial shows.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 4:48pm

The Lyceum balcony and Studio 54 mezzanine are both death traps. For that reason alone, I would definitely think twice about booking a show in either theater.

[pethian]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 4:59pm

Agree about upstairs at the Lyceum and Studio 54. And, yes, the rap on the Nederlander was about lack of street traffic and it being off the beaten track what with it being south of 42nd and having no other theater on the block.

Used to be that the east-of-Broadway theatres--Lyceum, Belasco, Jones-- were less desirable for the same reason but I suspect that perception has changed somewhat now that their number has increased with the Sondheim and Hudson, and street traffic being less a factor than it was years ago..

[Melissa25]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 6:00pm

The Sondheim for comfort; Booth, Circle in the Square and Schoenfeld because they are smaller and more intimate.  The Beaumont for good sightlines and typically tremendous set/set-design.  The sound in the Freidman mezzanine is not good. The Nederlander has poor sightlines and incredibly uncomfortable seats.  I'd never go back to the Lyceum balcony and will always remember the half stall in the restroom. Not sure how I got out of that intact.  I am also not a fan of the mezzanine at Studio 54.

 

[ijest22]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 6:58pm

The Lyric hasn’t had a hit?  You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 7:07pm

ijest22 said: "The Lyric hasn’t had a hit? You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?"

Unless I missed something, it hasn't made its investment back yet.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 7:36pm

blaxx said: "ijest22 said: "The Lyric hasn’t had a hit? You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?"

Unless I missed something, it hasn't made its investment back yet."

Is that something they have to publicly announce? 

[pethian]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 8:00pm

Melissa25 said: "The Nederlander has poor sightlines and incredibly uncomfortable seats. "

 

Yes! I just saw A CHRISTMAS CAROL there and it was torture. We had good location side orchestra seats and were in agony. Before the lights went down I checked out a center orchestra seat just to see if it was any better. It was but only slightly.

Similarly, unless you are in the very front orchestra at the Hudson, the pitch for the rest of the main floor is such that you are leaning forward in most orchestra seats. Really uncomfortable.

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 8:10pm

I feel like the Marquis gets a bad reputation mostly because people consider the interior ugly. I find it to be just a big unusual but sort of charming in it's retro-ness. I also think it is very comfortable and has great sightlines. I've sat in almost every section and never had a bad seat/view. 

Bonus points for being able to wait comfortably in the hotel before the show as opposed to being stuck on the sidewalk with all the foot traffic.

Updated On: 12/13/22 at 08:10 PM

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 8:11pm

blaxx said: "I was thinking of the Minskoff, yes, thanks for correcting me.

I am of the belief that the show makes or breaks the production, not the theater. We live in times where audiences look for the venue they really want to attend, it's not like any Broadway theater is inaccessible.

Then there is the Lyric, for example, that has never had a hit since it opened. I would call that venue unlucky, if not undesirable."

I strongly disagree about venues not making or breaking a production. I don't think audiences are choosing whether or not to see a show based on the venue (for the most part), but the marriage of venue and show is crucial. There are some things that are the equivalent of semantics, but there are definitely shows that need certain things from their theatres. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 8:24pm

Call_me_jorge said: "blaxx said: "ijest22 said: "The Lyric hasn’t had a hit? You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?"

Unless I missed something, it hasn't made its investment back yet."

Is that something they have to publicly announce?"

No, but at fhis point they probably would have. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 8:52pm

Let's not forget about The Palace. I think that has always been a coveted theater to get. I'll be curious how the lifting and reconfiguring of the space and entrance might affect it. I worry that the curb appeal might be on par with The Marquis. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 9:10pm

I think the Palace is mostly iconic for its name and history. That place is a barn with an incredibly high balcony. It’s hard to fill. The renovation will remove some seats, fortunately. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 9:19pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "I think the Palace is mostly iconic for its name and history. That place is a barn with an incredibly high balcony. It’s hard to fill. The renovation will remove some seats, fortunately."

Not to mention the last few rows of the orchestra are so far away- it feels like you are watching the show on a small tv screen with the top half covered up.

Updated On: 12/13/22 at 09:19 PM

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 10:29pm

I can't speak to backstage room or anything but I do think the 44th & 45th St theaters (especially the Shubert) benefit from the location. When I think Broadway, I think the corner of Shubert Alley with the Shubert Theatre in prime view. The Winter Garden marquee has to be a huge draw (not to mention the wideness of the stage for big productions). The Nederlander, Al Hirschfeld and "East of Broadway" theaters do feel a little bit off the beaten path though I've always love the neighborhood-y look by the Hirschfeld. I wouldn't put the Beaumont in that category because it's so much its own thing. The Marquis is so non-descript but damn those seats are comfy. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 10:39pm

ijest22 said: "The Lyric hasn’t had a hit? You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?"

Also, didn’t the revival of 42nd St. run for over 3 years?  Also, I terms of number of performances, do t forget that Spider-Man ran over 2 years.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/13/22 at 10:56pm

My favorite theatre is the Hirschfeld.  I love the ‘neighborhood’ feel, the gothic look of the theatre, the upstairs lobby, the boxes are the only boxes I will sit in willingly, and the sight lines are all good.  I also love the old Plymouth (mental block — I can never remember its current name…is it the Jacobs or the Schoenfeld??).

I love / hate the Winter Garden.  It is where I saw my two favorite shows ever, Follies and Mame, multiple times, and my single favorite performance ever (Lansbury in Gypsy).  On the other hand, there are too many far side seats and the first row center of the mezzanine is really far from the stage for me.

I hate the Ambassador, the Minskoff, the Marquis, the location of the Nederlander, and feel that the mezzanine of the Ritz is dangerously steep.

Finally, my favorite seats in any theatre are the first row center mezzanine of the Lunt-Fontanne, and the orchestra in the Majestic and Richard Rodgers, right after the incline starts.  There are no better seats.

 

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/14/22 at 1:31am

Jarethan said: "ijest22 said: "The Lyric hasn’t had a hit? You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?"

Also, didn’t the revival of 42nd St. run for over 3 years? Also, I terms of number of performances, do t forget that Spider-Man ran over 2 years."

Lol  neither turned a profit. No show has turned a profit there, unless someone can prove that HP has.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/14/22 at 2:04am

It really depends on the show.

The Schoenfeld or Music Box or Barrymore is perfect for pretty much any play or modest-sized musical.

If you’re a midsized musical, you might want the Rodgers (in a few decades) or the Broadhurst.

If you’re a big musical, there’s no better place than the Winter Garden (with its large orchestra section and mezz but no balcony) or the Shubert.

Circle in the Square is perfect for very specific tenants. Same with LCT’s Beaumont.

I personally view the Shubert as the crown jewel of Broadway. Most shows that play there have a sense of occasion.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 12/14/22 at 5:41am

blaxx said: "Jarethan said: "ijest22 said: "The Lyric hasn’t had a hit? You don’t consider Harry Potter a hit?"

Also, didn’t the revival of 42nd St. run for over 3 years? Also, I terms of number of performances, do t forget that Spider-Man ran over 2 years."

Lol neither turned a profit. No show has turned a profit there, unless someone can prove that HP has."

Though not on Broadway, I believe that the production of 42nd that did play at the lyric recouped on the road. Though, I could be misremembering that one. 

When it first opened, Harry Potter drew mass appeal and was selling very well. People were enjoying the two part set up. However, over time, that seemed to dwindle, thus having it be one long play instead. Though, I do not believe that this was the result of the pandemic. If memory serves, the observation of lower ticket sales and the idea to fix that by making this a one night out  affair came not too long before the shutdown. I assume that the creatives took advantage of the time away to work on setting up the way it is now.

 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/14/22 at 7:38am

The whole renovation of the Lyric was probably super costly too.