Prettiest/Ugliest Broadway theaters- Page 4

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 10:38am

I always love going to see MARY POPPINS because I love the New Amsterdam. It is GLORIOUS!

I love the Lunt-Fontaine and St. James... but I think it's the memories of the shows I have seen there

NOT impressed with the Richard Rogers, but I have seen some beautiful shows there.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 10:50am

The Neil Simon is definitely rough around the edges. The rake in the orchestra at the Richard Rodgers was great - I thought my Row M seat for Porgy was going to be bad and it was in fact a great seat.

Updated On: 6/26/12 at 10:50 AM

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 11:09am

The Belasco.....is GORGEOUS! Al Hirschfeld, Lyceum, Shubert, New Amsterdam, Longacre, and the Palace. The Nederlander is pretty after its renovation and the Brooks Atkinson(especially with Peter's... added proscenium). The Shuberts did a great job as well with the Booth's renovation much improved!

Not my favorites... Gershwin, Marquis, August Wilson(strange interior), Minskoff(though the improvements for LK help)

The Rodgers has potential it just needs a renovation in the coming years.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 12:07pm

I can remember the ugliest, but not the name of it offhand (lately I'm trying to not hold on to negativity, with mild success). I think the Walter Kerr is beautiful, but maybe that's partly because I've seen so many great things there.

[bobs3]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 12:41pm

New Amsterdam without question has the loveliest interior on Broadway.

An earlier post didn't like the August Wilson, it is a vast improvement over the Virgina (it's former name) before Jujamcyn remodeled the interior -- it used to be a black box. and was considered one of the ugliest interiors on Broadway.

[Ghostfan2]

Posted: 6/27/12 at 10:13pm

I love the BROADWAY theater the best. That place is huge.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 6/27/12 at 10:28pm

But how pretty is it? Size doesn't matter. It's what you do with it.

[Ghostfan2]

Posted: 6/27/12 at 10:35pm

The outside of the broadway theater is very generic, but I love the interior.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 6/27/12 at 10:56pm

That's good to know. Sometimes, big theatres can be uncomfortable, kinda awkward, and disappointing once inside. Makes you wish you hadn't come even before it gets going.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/28/12 at 6:30am

>The outside of the broadway theater is very generic, but I love the interior.<



The Broadway's original facade/front of house was torn down in the 1980s as the skyscraper that now stands above the theatre was built around it. (Same thing happened to the Palace, which ended up with an even worse marquee and front of house). While the Broadway's former facade was not especially distinguished, it looked like it went together with the theatre inside of it and the cursive 'Broadway' letters on the marquee (similar in style to the Winter Garden marquee) were a bit of a landmark.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/28/12 at 8:48am

I think that the ANTA theatre, which I had mentioned in an earlier post, became the VIRGINIA, before it became the AUGUST WILSON. It was while it was the VIRGINIA that it was an ugly black box, where JELLY'S LAST JAM played. I have not been back there, but am glad that as the AUGUST WILSON it has been spruced up. I very much care what a theatre looks like, both exterior but mainly interior. It is fitting that the beautiful WINTER GARDEN was the site of my first Broadway show: the Mary Martin PETER PAN in 1954. I look forward to getting back there if MAMA MIA ever moves, as is rumored.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/28/12 at 9:03am

Gypsy - that's correct - the ANTA/Virginia/August Wilson originally opened as the Guild (as in the Theatre Guild). During the 80s (I think for Carrie?) it was turned into a black box and was truly the ugliest theatre on Broadway. I think shortly before Smokey Joe's Cafe opened, the interior was largely recreated, although evidently it was always a strange looking theatre.

Below is a photo of the original interior, including a tapestry that inspired one of the opening night critics to (brilliantly) write, "the gobelins will get you if you don't watch out."

[Jonwo]

Posted: 6/28/12 at 7:50pm

I've seen a picture of Les Miserables at the Broadway they had the Les Mis logo on the side of the theatre. I'm guessing the conversion to the current facade was done when it moved to the Imperial and before Miss Saigon came in.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 11:15pm

This is based on when I went in 2004, but the Al Hirschfeld is very nice. The Richard Rodgers felt very crampt and very stacked to the poor where the incline scared me. (But I was 10, so...). Not a fan on the Gershwin.

[macnyc]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 4:46pm

I was in the August Wilson yesterday, and I thought it was lovely! Spanish style, muted colors, comfortable and clean seats. It was a bit odd, though, that the audience has to climb so many stairs to get to the orchestra section! I don't remember seeing that in any other theater, although I haven't been to more than a handful.

[Quiche2]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 4:49pm

I agree with Bwayphreak, I LOVE the Eugene O'Neil. Even though it is one of the smallest on Broadway, it is still beautiful.

[budfrump]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 11:19pm

I love the lobby of the Al Hirschfeld and the Imperial, both so beautiful. My favorite theatre that I have been to based on interior is The Longacre though, so gorgeous!

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 11:44pm

The Imperial is neat in how it appears very, very small and insignificant from the outside front. Even the box office area and the lobby right after the 2nd set of glass doors appears tiny.

Then, you look to your right and WHOA...hello! BIG auditorium.

The Majestic is cool. I like the chandeliers (apart from THAT one, lol) and the leveled seating is great.

Have only been to the Broadway twice, both times to see Miss Saigon so it has been awhile. I just remember there was a large space between the first row and the orchestra pit and the seats were an unattractive bright color. Possibly orange or orange/red/whatever.

Was it the Lunt Fontanne that Titanic played in? If so, that has to be Broadway's ugliest theatre. I remember the lobby wasn't so bad but the auditorium was this puke green and it looked like it was falling apart. Hopefully it has been renovated since.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 7/23/12 at 12:38am

The Lunt was painted a shade of blue like a Milk of Magnesia bottle during the 90s, from Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public through Titanic. (It had a kitchy powder blue interior before that, with murals of cherubs flying around on the ceiling). It was repainted prior to Beauty of the Beast, in a sedate blue and tan. It looks better than it did, but still is a little bit cheap looking. The interior somehow doesn't match the very grand facade.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/23/12 at 2:38am

I am curious about the renovation done to the Nederlander after Rent. It was so shocking to see so much goldleaf and ornate details in the theater after going there so many times during RENT. Were all of those details simply painted over for Rent? Wasn't the theater already in a state of disrepair when Rent moved in, and Rent just added things like the pieces of lumber and scaffolding in the boxes, left the peeling paint to peel, etc. And I distinctly remember the broken-plate proscinium of the Nederlander during RENT. One of those broken pieces on stage left had the CATS logo on it.

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 7/23/12 at 9:50am

Has anyone else that's been to the Stephen Sondheim lately noticed how bad the carpet is coming off the stairs? So sad for a theatre that many here have noted as being nice, clean, and modern.

Doesn't seem that they planned well for the stairs where almost the whole audience must travel them during the show (either to sit in the orchestra or use the restrooms).

[DEClarke]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 6:34pm

I liked how ornate and Greek/Roman the interior of The Foxwoods was. I liked the dark, seedy vibe I got a Studio 54 - complete with Leopard carpet. I abhorred the quasi-Art Deco look of The Miskoff. YUCK!

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 6:52pm

I have to disagree with you about the Foxwoods. It's a huge barn and looks so boring. Any attempts at beauty just look garish. I agree with you about Studio 54 and the Minskoff though.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 7:00pm

Has anyone else that's been to the Stephen Sondheim lately noticed how bad the carpet is coming off the stairs? So sad for a theatre that many here have noted as being nice, clean, and modern.

YES!!! The carpet looks awful. I thought the whole theatre was pretty ugly. Good sight lines though.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 8:21pm

The only downside to Studio 54 for me was hearing the train pass by underneath and a bus stopping somewhere outside.