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The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theatre theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco. The Belasco Theatre has 1,016 seats across three levels and has been operated by The Shubert Organization since 1948. Both the facade and interior of the theater are New York City landmarks.
The main facade on 44th Street is made of red brick in Flemish bond, with terracotta decorative elements. The ground floor contains the entrance, while the upper stories are asymmetrical and topped by a pediment. Belasco and his company had their offices in the western wing of the theater. A ten-room duplex penthouse apartment occupies the top of the eastern wing and contained Belasco's collection of memorabilia. The interior features Tiffany glass lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork, and expansive by American artist Everett Shinn. The auditorium consists of a ground-level orchestra and two overhanging balconies, with boxes at the second balcony level.
The theater was developed by Meyer R. Bimberg and operated by David Belasco as the Stuyvesant Theatre. It opened on October 16, 1907, and was expanded in 1909 with Belasco's apartment. Belasco renamed the venue for himself in 1910. After his death in 1931, Katharine Cornell and then the wife of playwright Elmer Rice leased the space. The Shuberts bought the theater in 1948 and leased it to NBC for three years before returning it to legitimate use in 1953. Through the late 20th century, despite a decline in the quality of productions hosted at the Belasco, it continued to show Broadway plays and musicals. The theater was renovated multiple times over the years, including in the 1920s, 1970s, and 2000s.
The facade's westernmost portion corresponds to the office stories and has a granite stoop with two steps. The steps are flanked by iron railings and lead to two pairs of wood-and-glass doors, which connect to the ticket lobby. These doorways are set within the same opening, with Doric order terracotta pilasters on either side and an entablature above. A metal gate leads to an alley on the west. The easternmost section contains a stoop with three steps, which lead to a pair of wood-and-glass doors flanked by pilasters; this provides access to the balcony. A large metal canopy hangs above the doorways. An egg-and-dart molding and a Greek key frieze runs above the ground story on 44th Street.
The pavilions are made of burnt brick and generally lack windows. A metal sign assembly hangs in front of the west pavilion. The eastern corner of the east pavilion has a terracotta quoin. Belasco's apartment is on the fourth story above the eastern pavilion. On 44th Street, the apartment has quoins at either corner, a brick facade, and a Palladian window. and terracotta pilasters flank the center portion of the Palladian window, while multi-paned windows form the side portions of the window. An egg-and-dart molding runs above the apartment facade.
The three center bays are delineated by a pair of Ionic terracotta pilasters at each end, as well as two single pilasters in the center. At the second story, each of the center bays contains tripartite . Above the windows are terracotta lintels, which are separated into three panels and are topped by a course of . At the third story, each center bay has a round-arched window, surrounded by paneled terracotta blocks and topped by a keystone. A rectangular terracotta panel with eared corners is placed above each window. Above the cornice, a brick triangular pediment rises over the center three bays. There is an oval window at the center of the pediment, with a terracotta frame and keystones, as well as a cornice with modillions above the pediment.
The westernmost portion of the 44th Street elevation is the office section, which is designed in a similar style as the main theater facade, though it is distinctly demarcated from the rest of the facade. which is flanked on either side by terracotta quoins. The second story of the office section has a tripartite window with a terracotta lintel. The third story of the offices contains a Palladian window, which consists of an arched window flanked by rectangular windows on each side. The Palladian window has Ionic terracotta pilasters and a terracotta keystone above the arch. Above the entablature, the fourth story of the office section has quoins at either corner. There are three arched windows at the fourth story, surrounded by terracotta frames and topped by terracotta keystones. The windows are separated by Ionic pilasters, supporting a frieze and egg-and-dart molding of the same material.
The theater was also mechanically advanced for its time, with heating, cooling, and ventilating systems. There were no radiators in the theater, but the floor contained a Plenum space system with 350 ducts. The plenum system used to evenly distribute the heat from two boilers, either of which could heat the theater on its own. When a sufficient level of heat had been reached, the heat was shut off and fresh air was distributed through the plenum system, using large blowers. Air outflow passed through hidden openings in the ceiling of the auditorium. In addition, the cellar contained a fire pump capable of per minute, supplied by a water tower on the roof and a reserve tank in the basement. Below the stage was a mezzanine with heating coils. Each side of the theater had three separate sets of , and the western side had a marble-and-stone staircase leading directly into the alley there. The additional exits were constructed to prevent , such as happened in the 1876 Brooklyn Theatre fire, where hundreds had died.
The main entrance is from the south wall, above which are murals by Everett Shinn. The east wall contains doors to the auditorium. At the center of the north wall, directly opposite the entrance doors, is an ornate box office within an arched opening. The main ticket window is flanked by Corinthian-style on either side, which support an arched pediment; there are also arched panels to the left and right of the ticket window. In addition, there are Corinthian columns placed on marble bases on either side of the box office opening. Above the opening is the cornice and a carved aedicule with a pediment and a brass figure. A brass standing rail originally was placed in front of the ticket window but was removed.
The orchestra has a raked floor and painted wood paneling on the side walls. Four boxes, each with six seats, flanked the stage at the orchestra level, though these have since been removed. Staircases on either side of the rear doors connect the orchestra to the first balcony level. The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible via the side doors, but the balcony levels can only be accessed by steps. The balcony levels have wainscoting on both the side and rear walls, as well as gilded wall sconces on the side walls. The balconies have paneled bands on their undersides, with light fixtures underneath. Small stained-glass chandeliers hang over the second balcony. In front of the balconies are bosses topped by foliate bands. Until 2010, the second balcony was accessed by a different entrance from the other seats. This arrangement was a vestige of an operation in which theater patrons were separated into two classes, an arrangement more common in West End theatre than Broadway theatre.
On either side of the stage is a wall section, which originally contained two boxes on either balcony level. The first balcony boxes had been removed before the 1980s, but they were restored in 2010. The boxes are supported on console brackets and contain angled railings with foliate decoration; a colonnette separates each pair of boxes. The boxes' wall sections are flanked by octagonal columns with capitals of stained glass, which support an arch with a molding. At the tops of the boxes' wall sections are murals depicting love. A staircase connects the orchestra level to the boxes on the east wall.
The stage itself originally measured wide and deep. In the 1910s, an adjustable apron measuring wide was built in front of the curtain, which could be used to widen the stage to . A gridiron was placed above the stage, while the Fly system were on either side of the stage and above it. At the center of the stage is an elevator Trapdoor measuring about deep and either or wide. The trap could raise or lower an entire set to either of two basement levels below the stage. The lower basement level is or 32 feet deep. A platform with the preceding scene's props, built similarly to a large wagon, could be loaded onto the trap, then swapped in the basement with another platform loaded with the next scene's props. Some 4,500 electric lights were distributed in the stage area. The footlights on the stage were arranged in seven sections. There were five sets of "border lights", with 270 lamps in each, as well as 88 sockets in the fly galleries. The switchboard had 65 or 75 dimmers.
There is a large gilded-and-glass chandelier hanging from the auditorium's main ceiling. The ceiling was designed with 22 stained-glass panels, each depicting two shields and being illuminated from above. Twenty of these panels depicted Shakespeare in the dexter (right) position and various dramatists in the sinister (left) position. Each of these panels depicted a different dramatist, for a total of 21 people. The arms of Stuyvesant and Goethe were depicted in the shield to the left of the stage, while the arms of Greece and Shakespeare were depicted in those to the right. Concealed behind the stained-glass panels are 500 lamps. This illumination was meant to give an impression of "real daylight". George Keister designed the dome lighting.
The eastern portion of the theater contains a ten-room duplex apartment, which was built for Belasco in 1909. The apartment's design complements the fourth story of the office wing to the west. The unit had its own small private elevator, as well as a living room with a 30-foot ceiling. The duplex contained eccentric items including a collection of ancient pieces of glass; a room containing Napoleon memorabilia, such as a strand of Napoleon's hair; and a bedroom designed with Japanese furnishings. Also in the duplex were a dining room, a library leading to a dining room, large baths, and narrow passages. Belasco had a collection of erotica and medieval art in a hidden Gothic-style room. Scattered across the duplex were banners, rugs, books, and what one biographer called "a vast, confusing medley of collectors' treasures". After Belasco died in 1931, Sardi's restaurant received some artifacts for its "Belasco Room". Some books went to the New York Public Library, but most objects were auctioned off. The Shubert Organization removed some decorations in the 1980s, and air ducts were subsequently installed in the apartment.
David Belasco's Stuyvesant Theatre opened on October 16, 1907, with the musical theatre A Grand Army Man featuring Antoinette Perry.; One critic called the theater "the most complete and satisfactory playhouse in existence". Another publication said that the interior was "much the most beautiful in New York". Belasco served as the producer or director of almost 50 productions at the theater for the next two decades; the majority of these ran for at least a hundred performances. Among the early productions at the theater were The Warrens of Virginia and The Fighting Hope in 1908,; as well as The Easiest Way in 1909. Belasco constructed the duplex apartment above the eastern part of the theater during 1909, and he finalized an agreement with Klaw and Erlanger that year, enabling their respective firms to display products at each other's theaters.
In the 1910s and 1920s, David Belasco was particularly involved in the theatrical development of several actresses, including Blanche Bates, Ina Claire, Katharine Cornell, Jeanne Eagels, and Lenore Ulric.; Among the films in which they starred were Polly With a Past, featuring Claire; Daddies (1918), with Eagles; and The Son-Daughter (1919), with Ulric. During the 1920s, Ulric appeared in Kiki (1921), The Harem (1924), Lulu Belle (1926), and Mima (1928). Theatrical historian Ken Bloom characterized the actresses as "Belasco heroines". Belasco initially paid close attention to accurate representation of details in the theater's productions. He was adamant that laundry scenes should contain functioning laundries capable of washing and ironing real clothes, and for one production he made a mockup of a Childs Restaurants franchise.
The Belasco hosted several other productions in the 1920s. Lionel Atwill starred in Deburau during 1920, and Kiki ran 580 performances the following year. The Belasco hosted Laugh, Clown, Laugh! with Lionel Barrymore in 1923, as well as Tiger Cats with Katharine Cornell in 1924. Lulu Belle was another successful production at the Belasco, with 461 performances. The Belasco also hosted the musical Hit the Deck in 1927, one of the few to take place in the theater. David Belasco renovated the theater for the production of Mima. Though he redesigned the proscenium arch's decorations and added metal sheathing to the balconies and orchestra boxes, he lost $250,000 on the productions. The Bachelor Father (1928) and It's a Wise Child (1929) were among the other successful productions of the 1920s. His last-ever production at the theater was Tonight or Never, which premiered in November 1930.; Since Belasco missed the original opening performance of Tonight or Never due to illness, a second one was hosted for his benefit in March 1931.
In late 1934, the Group Theatre started showing its productions at the Belasco, relocating Gold Eagle Guy from another theater.; The Group Theatre's subsequent productions included Awake and Sing!, Dead End, Golden Boy, and Rocket to the Moon. Dead End had 684 performances before closing in 1937, making it the Belasco's longest-running play, a record that stood for eight decades. The following decade commenced with the production My Dear Children in 1940.; The play featured John Barrymore's last Broadway appearance and was generally negatively panned, even though its $50,000 of advance ticket sales was among the largest such figure of any Broadway show. More successful were Johnny Belinda (1940), Mr. and Mrs. North (1941), and Dark Eyes (1943).
The Belasco Theatre Corporation, a syndicate headed by John Wildberg, purchased the Belasco in May 1944 and leased it to Max Jelin for two years that July. A particularly controversial production was Trio, which discussed the topic of lesbianism when it opened in December 1944, but which was forced to close two months later in February 1945. In the aftermath of the Trio controversy, the theater's owners evicted Jelin, who was only reinstated in January 1946 after suing in the New York Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Judy Holliday had her first major success in Kiss Them for Me (1945),;
while Marlon Brando had his first widely noticed success in Truckline Cafe (1946). Other productions during the 1940s included Home of the Brave (1945),; ; . Burlesque (1946) with Bert Lahr,; Me and Molly (1948) with Gertrude Berg, and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1948) with Martita Hunt and Estelle Winwood. Jelin initially refused to leave the theater when his lease expired in 1947, but the New York Supreme Court ultimately forced him to do so.
The Belasco reopened as a legitimate Broadway venue on November 5, 1953, with The Solid Gold Cadillac. Other Broadway productions in the 1950s included The Flowering Peach (1954), Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1955), and Nude with Violin (1957). The Belasco's production of All the Way Home, which premiered in 1960, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Other notable productions included Write Me a Murder (1961), Seidman and Son (1962), The Last Analysis (1964), Inadmissible Evidence (1965), and The Subject Was Roses (1966). The Killing of Sister George, which was hosted at the Belasco in 1966,; ; was shown without incident, despite being more explicit about lesbian themes than Trio had two decades prior. The 1969 production Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? featured the Broadway debut of Al Pacino.
With the decline of the Broadway-theater industry in the late 1960s, the quality of the Belasco's productions also decreased. A New York Times article in 1975 said the theater had "not seen the opening night of a hit since 1966", though the Belasco was still the second-oldest remaining Broadway theater, after the Lyceum. The off-Broadway production Oh! Calcutta!, a revue in which all the cast members were nude,; moved from the Eden Theatre to the Belasco in 1971.; ; Despite the quality of the productions, the Shubert Organization retained the Belasco in nearly original condition. For the production of The Rocky Horror Show (1975), the Shuberts added stands and temporarily removed some orchestra seating. This was followed by a series of short runs including An Almost Perfect Person (1977), The Goodbye People (1979),; and Hide and Seek (1979). In the late 1970s, there were also plans to convert the Belasco to a cabaret venue.
During the 1980s, the Shuberts renovated the Belasco as part of a restoration program for their Broadway theaters. To raise money for the Belasco Theatre's upkeep, the Shubert Organization leased some of the site's unused Air rights to Feldman Equities in November 1986. The air rights were used to increase the height of the adjacent skyscraper being built at 120 West 45th Street. Under the terms of the deal, the Belasco had to remain active for as long as the skyscraper used the air rights. To increase the occupancy of the Belasco and other little-used Broadway theaters, the League of American Theaters and Producers negotiated with Broadway unions and guilds during the late 1980s.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting the Belasco as an official city landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The LPC designated both the facade and the interior as landmarks on November 4, 1987. This was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified the designations in March 1988. The Shuberts, the Nederlanders, and Jujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Belasco, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified. The lawsuit was escalated to the New York Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States, but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992.
The Shuberts, the Nederlanders, and Jujamcyn formed the Broadway Alliance in June 1990, wherein each company set aside one of its theaters to present dramas and comedies at reduced ticket prices. The program covered the Belasco, Nederlander, and Walter Kerr theaters. The Belasco hosted The Speed of Darkness in 1991. The National Actors Theatre, led by Tony Randall, began showing productions at the Belasco later the same year. The Shuberts had leased the Belasco to the National Actors Theatre so the venue could remain active as part of the agreement concerning the theater's air rights. The National Actors Theatre had a "favorable" lease agreement, paying only for taxes, fixed expenses, and utility use. The group's inaugural program included revivals of The Crucible, The Little Hotel on the Side, and The Master Builder. The National Actors Theatre's productions at the Belasco were mostly flops. The Belasco was then used to host the puppet show A Little More Magic in 1994. The Belasco then hosted other productions such as Hamlet, A Doll's House, Honour, and Ring Round the Moon in the late 1990s. Feldman Equities considered buying the Belasco in 1996 but ultimately did not do so.
In mid-2009, after Joe Turner's Come and Gone closed, the Belasco closed for a renovation. By then, producers considered the theater to be small compared to most other Broadway venues. Francesca Russo oversaw the restoration of the auditorium, while McLaren Engineering Group was the primary contractor. The boxes at the first balcony level were restored, and the segregated entrance providing access to the second balcony was removed. Decorative elements such as the stained glass and murals were restored, and amenities such as restrooms and seats were replaced. The theater reopened on October 2, 2010, with a showing of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In 2014, the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch made its Broadway debut at the Belasco. Other shows at the Belasco in the 2010s included End of the Rainbow, Golden Boy, a double bill of Twelfth Night and Richard III, Blackbird, The Glass Menagerie, The Terms of My Surrender, Farinelli and the King, Gettin' the Band Back Together, and Network.
During November 2019, Netflix leased the theater to screen the Martin Scorsese film The Irishman. For The Irishman, the Belasco's first film screening in its history, the theater was retrofitted with a production booth, surround sound, and a projection screen. The theater staged Girl from the North Country in early 2020 before it closed on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theater reopened on October 13, 2021, with Girl from the North Country. That show closed in January 2022 before returning for a limited engagement from April to June. Ain't No Mo' was staged at the Belasco during December 2022, followed by Good Night, Oscar from April to August 2023. The musical How to Dance in Ohio opened at the Belasco in December 2023 for a limited run. The play Appropriate transferred to the Belasco in March 2024, following a run at the Hayes Theater,; and ran until June. This was followed in November 2024 by the musical Maybe Happy Ending.
After Oh! Calcutta! played at the theater, the ghost of David Belasco reportedly stopped appearing. By the 2000s, people reported that the ghost had reappeared. In Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hedwig briefly discusses the history of the Belasco and references the ghost of Belasco, claiming that if the ghost appears on a show's opening night, then the show is blessed. She then asks audience members in one of the boxes to tell her if the ghost appears.
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