Richard Rodgers Theatre
 Tarzan at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (2006) | |
| Former names |
Chanin's 46th Street Theatre 46th Street Theatre |
|---|---|
| Address | 226 West 46th Street |
| Location | New York City, US |
| Coordinates | 40°45′33″N 73°59′13″W / 40.75917°N 73.9869°W |
| Owner | Nederlander Organization |
| Type | Broadway theatre |
| Capacity | 1,319 |
| Production | Hamilton |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Architect | Irwin Chanin |
| Website | |
|
www | |
The Richard Rodgers Theatre is a Broadway theater located at 226 West 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue, in New York City. The theatre was built by Irwin Chanin in 1925 and was originally called Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts, who bought the building outright in 1931 and renamed it the 46th Street Theatre. In 1945, the theatre was taken over by Robert W. Dowling.[1] In 1960, it was purchased by the producer Lester Osterman.,[2] who sold it to producers Stephen R. Friedman and Irwin Meyer in 1978.[3] In 1981, it was purchased and renovated by the Nederlander Organization, who in 1990 changed the house's name in memory of the composer Richard Rodgers.[4]
The theatre currently holds the distinction of having housed the greatest number (eleven) of Tony Award-winning Best Plays and Best Musicals, more than any other theatre on Broadway.[5]
Chanin's seating plan
The Richard Rodgers Theatre is notable in that it was the first to feature Chanin's 'democratic' seating plan. In most earlier Broadway theatres, patrons seated in the cheaper balcony and mezzanine sections utilized separate entrances from patrons who had purchased the more expensive orchestra section seats. Instead, all patrons entered the new theatre through the same doors, and a series of steps inside the house led to the upper seating areas.
Production history
| Production | First Preview | Opening Date | Closing Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenwich Village Follies | N/A | December 24, 1925 | May 1926 | |
| DuBarry Was a Lady | N/A | December 6, 1939 | N/A | Transferred to the Royale Theatre in October 1940 before closing on December 12, 1940. |
| Finian's Rainbow | N/A | January 10, 1947 | October 2, 1946 | |
| Guys and Dolls | N/A | November 24, 1950 | November 28, 1953 | 1951 Tony Award for Best Musical |
| Ondine | N/A | February 18, 1954 | July 3, 1954 | |
| The Bad Seed | N/A | December 8, 1954 | N/A | Transferred to the Coronet Theatre in April 1955 before closing on September 27, 1955. |
| Damn Yankees | N/A | May 5, 1955 | N/A | 1956 Tony Award for Best Musical. Transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in May 1957 before closing on October 12, 1957. |
| Redhead | N/A | February 5, 1959 | March 19, 1960 | 1959 Tony Award for Best Musical |
| Donnybrook! | May 17, 1961 | May 18, 1961 | July 15, 1961 | |
| How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | October 12, 1961 | October 14, 1961 | March 6, 1965 | 1962 Tony Award for Best Musical |
| 1776 | N/A | March 16, 1969 | N/A | 1969 Tony Award for Best Musical. Transferred to the St. James Theatre in December 1970, where it played until April 1971. 1776 then moved to the Majestic Theatre before closing on February 13, 1972. |
| Raisin | October 10, 1973 | October 18, 1973 | December 7, 1975 | 1974 Tony Award for Best Musical |
| Chicago | May 12, 1975 | June 3, 1975 | August 22, 1977 | |
| The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | N/A | June 19, 1978 | March 27, 1982 | |
| Nine | April 22, 1982 | May 9, 1982 | February 4, 1984 | 1982 Tony Award for Best Musical |
| Fences | March 17, 1987 | March 26, 1987 | June 26, 1988 | 1987 Tony Award for Best Play |
| Lost in Yonkers | February 12, 1991 | February 21, 1991 | January 3, 1993 | 1991 Tony Award for Best Play |
| How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | March 10, 1995 | March 23, 1995 | July 14, 1996 | |
| Chicago | October 23, 1996 | November 14, 1996 | N/A | 1997 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Transferred to the Shubert Theatre in February 1997, where it played until January 2003. Chicago then moved to Ambassador Theatre, where it is still running. |
| Steel Pier | March 27, 1997 | April 24, 1997 | June 28, 1997 | |
| Side Show | September 19, 1997 | October 16, 1997 | January 3, 1998 | |
| Footloose | October 5, 1998 | October 22, 1998 | July 2, 2000 | |
| Seussical | November 1, 2000 | November 30, 2000 | May 20, 2001 | |
| Private Lives | April 19, 2002 | April 28, 2002 | September 1, 2002 | |
| Movin' Out | September 30, 2002 | October 24, 2002 | December 11, 2005 | |
| Tarzan | March 24, 2006 | May 10, 2006 | July 8, 2007 | |
| Cyrano de Bergerac | October 12, 2007 | November 1, 2007 | January 6, 2008 | |
| In The Heights | February 14, 2008 | March 9, 2008 | January 9, 2011 | 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical |
| Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo | March 11, 2011 | March 31, 2011 | July 3, 2011 | |
| The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess | December 17, 2011 | January 12, 2012 | September 23, 2012 | 2012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical |
| Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | December 18, 2012 | January 17, 2013 | March 30, 2013 | |
| The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream | April 15, 2013 | April 16, 2013 | May 5, 2013 | |
| Romeo and Juliet | August 24, 2013 | September 19, 2013 | December 8, 2013 | |
| If/Then | March 5, 2014 | March 30, 2014 | March 22, 2015 | |
| Hamilton | July 13, 2015 | August 6, 2015 | 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical; 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama |
Box office record
Hamilton achieved the box office record for the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The production grossed $3,335,430 for the week ending January 1st, 2017 with a top ticket price at $998 and 105.887% of the theatre's gross potential.[6]
References
External links
- Broadway Theatre Guide with full show details for the Richard Rodgers Theatre
- The Richard Rodgers at the Internet Broadway Database
- New York City Landmark Guide
- Seating chart and show guide