Theaters East Of Broadway - Are They Cursed?

I don't know who did your map, but Drew Barrymore is going to sue you for spelling her great-aunt's name incorrectly.

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Yes and it's CORT (not Court) theatre.

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@mysterious growl
WHY are you OBSESSED with Ms. Taymor????!!

Tell me. Does the use of consecutive capitalizations and excessive puntuation help?

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Yes, they are "cursed" and the poster who called it a vicious circle pretty much hit the nail on the head. The shows that are really wanted get the prime theatres. The ones that are thought to be bridesmaids, get what's left.

Also remember than the Cort in the early 70s was used as a tv studio by CBS for Merv Griffin's late night talk show; the Miller's/Sondheim was a porn house then a disco before it was demolished and rebuilt behind the original facade; the Hudson became part of a hotel; the Belasco had it's orchestra seats removed for about 4 years with the idea of it becoming a cabaret and its boxes were restored only this year; and the Playhouse which was across 48th St. from the Cort, the 54th St/Abbott on 54th between 6th and 7th and the original Ziegfeld at 54th and 6th were torn down.

Of these houses, the Playhouse was actually sought after. In the 60s, its last decade, it housed two major comedy hits that each ran over two years, Never Too Late and The Impossible Years. This is the theatre used in the original film of The Producers.

The hits that have played the east of Broadway theatres have often been limited runs. Occasionally a commercial show will come in and will get a real run, but not all that often.

William Goldman in The Season addresses this issue and while things have changed, they haven't changed all that much.

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"The hits that have played the east of Broadway theatres have often been limited runs. Occasionally a commercial show will come in and will get a real run, but not all that often."

It seems that the hits that Smaxie listed were largely limited-run star vehicles so surely people would have to "find" the theaters but the fact that they'd have to "find" them in the first place is a telltale sign!

Living in NYC for 5+ years now I can admit having to google the theaters of shows before leaving the office and more times than not, it's for theaters east of Broadway which I wouldn't pass on a regular basis and therefore not know which shows inhabit them.

The Winter Garden seems to have done okay for itself for the past, oh, twenty-something years.

I think if anything is "cursed", its the Marquis Theatre.

That map makes it look like the Palace is halfway between 6th and 7th and that the Neil Simon and August Wilson are right on the corner of 8th.

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But Mr. Roxy, is the Marquis cursed because the original Helen Hayes and Morosco were cursed as well? Or is it because they tore down great theatres for a hotel. I'm just trying to think, and there were some great shows that played the Morosco.

The Belasco's ceiling looks incredible since the renovation, with all the Tiffany glass. The place was so shabby when I saw "Journey's End" and "Passing Strange" there, but really sparkled this weekend when I saw "Women on the Verge."

I think the Belasco could be more desirable after the renovation.

The Lyceum needs to be cleaned. Sitting in those balconies for "Scottsboro Boys" I just kept thinking they need to clean the tops of those boxes!