Prettiest/Ugliest Broadway theaters

[Joe Dee]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:25pm

When seeing Venus in Fur a few weeks back, I fell in love with its interior. Dark cherry wood everywhere. What do you believe are the most beautiful and (on the opposite end of the spectrum) least beautiful Broadway theaters?

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:30pm

The Marquis is by far the ugliest.

[artscallion]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:38pm

The New Amsterdam is the prettiest.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:40pm

The Eugene O'Neil and the Palace are both goregous. I thought the Stephen Sondheim Theatre was absolutely hideous.

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:42pm

I'm with Joe Dee. The Lyceum is my hands-down favorite. Also, fond of the Brooks Atkinson, the Nederlander and the Booth. For exterior, I love the Music Box.

[booth0882]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:43pm

I have always really liked the Imperial and the O'Neil. I also like the Booth. I like the Palace, but the Balcony seats are up in the stratosphere, and the stage is the highest on Broadway, which is problematic if you are in the first half dozen rows. The Netherlander has some really crappy sight-lines.

My favorite would have to be the Stephen Sondheim, and my least favorite is probably the Minskoff.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:44pm

I am in the vast minority in that I did not mind the balcony at the Palace.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 3:58pm

I like the Winter Garden. Circle in the Square isn't that great, in my opinion, look wise. I just don't recall anything worth mentioning it as being pretty. The Ambassador I think was pretty beat looking the last time I went. The sight lines on the edges in the mezzanine were horrible and the seats were in bad shape.

[JamesBroadwayWiner]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:11pm

The Gershwin isn't too attractive. The Stephen Sondheim is really pleasant and modern feeling, but the New Amsterdam is beautiful!

[Citygirl.grace]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:11pm

I always thought the New Amsterdam was gorgeous! Hate the Minskoff!! I thought the Stephen Sondheim was a bit too modern, same with Marquis. (obviously). I thought the Lunt-Fontanne was pretty.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:13pm

The Palace and the Majestic are beautiful!

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:15pm

For me, the prettiest: Lunt-Fontanne, New Amsterdam, Belasco, Lyceum, Studio 54, Imperial and the Al Hirschfeld
(I love the Sondheim- just not for a theatre)

Ugliest: Marquis, Gerhswin

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:45pm

I've always thought the Lunt was hideous. I hate that ugly silver and purple painted panels on the walls.

Also, say what you want about the Marquis appearance, but it has fantastic sightlines. I've sat all over the place and had a great seat every time.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:49pm

I actually think the Lunt looks pretty tacky.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 4:50pm

Sorry pointless thread - prettiest/ugliest only can be defined, by what happens on stage!!

[willep]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:19pm

What? What happens on stage has nothing to do with how pretty/ugly the theater itself is.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:21pm

Eh, I love the Lunt's bathrooms- that's a big deal for me! Also, the dressing rooms. From an aesthetic value, no it's not that nice.

[mjroberts972]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:26pm

Prettiest: Winter Garden , Eugene O'Neil & the Palace

Ugliest : Marquis, Lunt-Fontanne

Also, I really think that the New World stages is really pretty and modern.

[East Village]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:35pm

When similar topics have come up before, folks pretty much detest the Gershwin, the Marquis and the theater currently known as the Foxwoods

The Marquis does have nice sight lines. The Foxwood has a beautifully reconstructed lobby but the interior theater is a cavernous barn.

I don't recall anyone having anything good to say about the monstrosity known as the Gershwin

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:47pm

Prettiest- The New Amsterdam

[SNAFU]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:51pm

I found the recently rennovated Belasco to be simply stunning.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:52pm

Circle on the Square is Broadway, right? It doesn't really hold a candle.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 5:53pm

My least favorite, so far, is The Golden.. It lacks warmth to me and feels really cavernous.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 6:44pm

Oh yea, good point with the bathrooms! The Lunt has awesome men's bathroom.

The Palace has a terrible bathroom situation.

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/23/12 at 6:44pm

IMO, most beautiful, the one that has in the times square church, cant remember it's previous name.
followed closely by the New Amsterdam.

I dont find the Maruquis that bad, it just needs some sprucing up

for me the ugliest are Gershwin and Minskoff, Lion King did brighten up the place a bit with the murals on the sides of the boxes (or where boxes would usually be) but the gershwin looks like some extruded concrete spaceship.