Best Theatre (house) on Broadway

[henrybutler]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:05pm

Just curious, what is everyone's favorite theatre on broadway? Which one do you think is the most beautiful? Which one is the nicest to see a show in (most comfortable, best sightlines)?

or, conversely, which is the worst of the broadway houses? Which one is ugliest/least comfortable/ has worst sightlines?

[jpbran]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:10pm

The Gershwin is the best!

Soooooooo kidding.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:14pm

The New Amsterdam! Just stunning. I wonder what they are going to do to the rooftop theatre??? I hope that opens someday...

[CouldaWouldaShoulda]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:15pm

The Booth.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:16pm

I find the following theaters very pretty (inside)

1. The New Amsterdam
2. Al Hirschfield (Martin Beck)
3. Walter Kerr

and I never thought that any Broadway house is ugly. They are all pretty in their own way.. some are simple yet they special in their own way.

BTW- If youre interested- there's a book at Amazon about Broadway Theaters:
https://www.amazon.com/Broadway-Theatres-Architecture-William-Morrison/dp/0486402444/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196554726&sr=8-1

J*






Updated On: 12/1/07 at 07:16 PM

[broadwayman17]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:20pm

in my opinion:

1st: Al Hirshfeld Theater
2nd: Shubert Theater
3rd: Broudhurst Theater

honorable mention:

Walter Kerr Theater
Eugene O'Neil Theater
August Wilson Theater

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:23pm

I think the New Amsterdam is the most beautiful, but my GOD you have to be 4'10" and weigh 85 pounds to feel comfortable in those seats.

And I'm neither (to put it delicately).

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:27pm

The New Amsterdam is the MOST uncomfortable theatre I have EVER sat in. My knee is still in severe pain from contorting my legs to fit in my seat in the second row of the mezzanine 2 weeks ago. No joke, there was 6 inches of space between the front of my seat and the back of the seat in front of me. I am 6'2" .. tall.. but not unusually tall. That theatre was renovated 10 years ago and it is total crap that the seats are that crammed in. It is UNHEALTHY. I was not the only one in pain at intermission. Many many many people were upset about this situation but could not move seats because it was sold out.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:39pm

My favorite is definitely The New Amsterdam. I also love the Al Hirschfeld and Neil Simon (there are no bad seats in either houses.) I also love The Shubert (it's at least my favorite theatre from the outside- the facade is beautiful.)

I hate The Helen Hayes and The Marquis because they have NO character- no fancy architecture, nothing pretty to look at. I love the way The Marquis is view-wise (the mezzanine is very steep so you can always see the full stage.)

[CouldaWouldaShoulda]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:46pm

The Music Box is awesome too.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 8:04pm

I don't like the Gershwin. It's so...black. My two personal favorites are the August Wilson and the O'Neill. I love how small and intimate the O'Neill is. But all the orange at the August Wilson gets kind of sickening sometimes. I like the New Amsterdam too.

Updated On: 12/1/07 at 08:04 PM

[JKlock]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 8:08pm

Comfort wise, my favorite is the Broadhurst...the seats are so comfortable and for me there is plenty of leg room in the orchestra. Otherwise I love the St. James and the Shubert.

[yellibean2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 9:06pm

I don't really know if it's necessarily my favorite, but I loved the cozy size of the Helen Hayes.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 9:17pm

well i have only been in a few of them but my favorite is the Eugene O'Neil. I was always confortable and though my seats were not top of the line i never had a problem seeing anything (I saw Sweeney and SA) I think the Palace is gorgeous though but its so big! Like when I saw Lestat and sat in the back of the Mezz i could see pretty well but any farther back (I was in row L) I wouldnt have been able to see anything

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 9:31pm

I think every Broadway house is beautiful in its own way, but my favorites are the Palace and the Majestic.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 10:17pm

Oh, my God, I HATE the Majestic. We had really good seats, but it just felt like the theatre was old and falling apart.

[Pascal/Menzel/Bundy]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 10:20pm

I think the most comfortable for me is the Eugene O'Neill theatre, but I just love sitting in the Palace just because it is the Palace (and a beautiful theatre).

However, even though it's obviously in need of some serious paint and fix ups, I have always loved the Nederlander. It's such a cool exterior and I love how every seat is a good one because it's so small. Please understand that I am in no way saying that it's the nicest theatre. I guess it just has always seemed the most "in character" to me for its show. It also has housed Rent for the last 11 years and therefore has a special place in my heart. :)

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 10:28pm

I'm quite partial to the Nederlander. Just in terms of how close you are to the stage even when you're sitting rear mezzanine. I wish more theaters were like that.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 10:34pm

Walter Kerr

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 10:41pm

the Marc Hellinger...gorgeous!

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 11:08pm

Really? Nobody has said the Biltmore? After its renovation, I think it's one of, if not THE best theatre to see anything in. Quite the beautiful space for a Broadway House!

[Copeman63]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 11:15pm

How could everyone forget the Winter Garden? The seats are comfy and roomy, and I should know since I'm 6'6. And the sightlines are great, and because the theatre is so wide, even the last row is still quite close to the stage. Not to mention the beautiful restoration they did after Cats.

[Ivan2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 11:18pm

I haven't been to many Broadway theatre personally, but from what I've been to:

PALACE: I really enjoyed the character of the Palace and how even when sitting in the second balcony, I felt pretty close to the action (I'm sure it sounds odd, but in Minneapolis our theatres are much longer and I'm used to those far seats.) The lighting was nice enough as well. I didn't enjoy the lack of leg room or how the dome above was completely unlit and just overall boring.

NEDERLANDER: I loved the rundown bohemian feel of this theatre for Rent. If I was seeing another show, I would be so appalled at the interior, but I just love it for Rent. I love the proscenium all decked out with it's broken dishes and how the whole theatre is in such disrepair. But like I said, I would only accept it for Rent. Escaping that deathtrap was kind of scary, with the entrances for the mezzanine level only at the very back of the theatre other than the one in the very center towards the top.

BROADWAY: There was no legroom. At all. But it's a BEAUTIFUL interior of a theatre. The stage is uncomfortably high (especially sitting in the 5th row), but what can you do.

MAJESTIC: I absolutely loved the Majestic. I was sitting front row and the stage was at perfect eye level. I could still see the stage floor a bit, and I loved it. The musty smell of the old place really set the mood for Phantom with me. They have a really creepy sitting area outside of the mens bathroom though. It's like it's supposed to be a sitting area but it's barely lit and has a single couch in it.

GERSHWIN: Wicked is an amazing show, but that was the only amazing thing I saw all night. I could hear fine (I was sitting in the loge), and I had great sightlines, but the place lacked any character. The seats were just a dull bluish grey and the Hall of Fame or whatever is kind of unimpressive. Overall, after all of the hype I had about the monstrous theatre, I was let down (but not by Julia and Kendra, who I find phenomenal). The only good thing was their plentitude of bathrooms. And I'd heard it was just a gigantic theatre, almost feeling like a warehouse, but I was kind of shocked. At the time (this was my very first Broadway theatre to enter), I was shocked almost to see it was much smaller than I thought. Maybe I'm just being overanalyzing though

[rclocalz]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 11:27pm

You know, even though it is no longer a Broadway House, I still think the Mark Hellinger Theater, where Times Square Church is, the one of the most beautiful theaters I've ever seen in person. Everytime I bring friends to New York, I take them inside to show them how beautiful it is. I can only imagine the history of musicals that went on in that house.

[TheatreGal614]

Posted: 12/2/07 at 12:00am

i like the nederlander because it is so personal

plentitude of bathrooms? on the second floor, the bathrooms at Gershwin have three stalls. i almost cried while waiting in the hour long line