Eugene O'Neill Theatre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Forrest Theatre, Coronet Theatre
Seen in 2019, during the run of The Book of Mormon
Address	230 West 49th Street Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°45′40″N 73°59′9″W / 40.76111°N 73.98583°W / 40.76111; -73.98583
Public transit	New York City Subway: 49th Street/Seventh Avenue (N​, ​R​, and ​W) 50th Street/Eighth Avenue (C and ​E) 50th Street/Broadway (1)
Owner	Jujamcyn Theaters
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,108
Production	The Book of Mormon
Construction
Opened	November 24, 1925
Rebuilt	1945, 1959
Years active	1925–1944, 1945–present
Architect	Herbert J. Krapp
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 8, 1987
Reference no.	1365
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

The Eugene O'Neill Theatre is a famous Broadway theater in New York City. You can find it at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. It was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and built for the Shubert brothers.

This theater first opened in 1925. Back then, it was called the Forrest Theatre, named after a famous actor from the 1800s, Edwin Forrest. Later, it was known as the Coronet Theatre. Today, it's named after the important American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The theater has 1,108 seats and is run by Jujamcyn Theaters. The inside of the theater is so special that it's been named a New York City designated landmark.

The outside of the theater used to be made of brick and terracotta. But it was changed in the 1940s to a stucco finish. Now, it has painted limestone and a big iron balcony. Inside, the theater has beautiful decorations, a large balcony, and special box seats. There's also a unique arch around the stage and a curved ceiling with cool designs.

The Shuberts built the Forrest Theatre after World War I. When it opened in 1925, its first show was a musical called Mayflowers. After some shows that didn't do so well, the theater hosted Tobacco Road in 1934. This play became the longest-running show in Broadway history at the time! The theater was sold in 1945 and renamed the Coronet. Then, in 1959, it was sold again and became the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. The famous playwright Neil Simon owned it for a while and put on many of his own plays there. Since 1982, Jujamcyn Theaters has run the theater. Since 2011, the Eugene O'Neill has been home to the super popular musical The Book of Mormon.

Where is the Eugene O'Neill Theatre?

The Eugene O'Neill Theatre is located at 230 West 49th Street. It's on the south side of the street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway. This area is in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The theater building covers about 9,547 square feet (886.9 m²) of land. It has a front side of 95 feet (29 m) on 49th Street and goes back 100 feet (30 m).

Other theaters nearby include the Walter Kerr Theatre and the Ambassador Theatre.

How was the Theater Designed?

The Eugene O'Neill Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and built in 1925. It was one of several theaters the Shubert brothers planned after World War I. The theater was first named the Forrest Theatre, after actor Edwin Forrest. In 1959, it was renamed for playwright Eugene O'Neill. Today, Jujamcyn Theaters operates the theater.

What Does the Outside Look Like?

The Forrest Theatre originally had a facade (the front of the building) made of brick and terracotta. This was similar to the Forrest Hotel, which was built next to it. It was unusual to have a theater and hotel built together back then.

Later, the outside was changed. It was covered in plain stucco and painted in bright colors. This was done in 1945 to make it look like a theater in New Orleans. There was also a large iron balcony added above the entrance. In 1980, the facade was changed again to beige limestone.

What Does the Inside Look Like?

The inside of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, called the auditorium, has different levels for seating. There's the orchestra level (main floor), one balcony, and special boxes on the sides. The stage is at the front, behind a large arch. The auditorium is wider than it is deep and has plaster decorations. The theater has about 1,108 seats.

The theater was built with a strong steel frame. The inside was first decorated in red and gold. In 1945, it was changed to blue and gray. Then, in 1994, purple and gold colors were added. When you enter, you walk through a lobby with a patterned floor and marble decorations.

Where Do People Sit?

The back of the orchestra seating area

The main floor, called the orchestra level, is easy to get to for people using wheelchairs. The back of this level has an open area, and the seats are angled upwards so everyone can see. This open area used to connect directly to the bar of the hotel next door.

The balcony level is higher up and can only be reached by stairs. The seats on the balcony are also angled. There's an aisle that divides the balcony into front and back sections. Along the side walls, there are exit doors and decorative panels with classical designs. The front of the balcony curves out and has decorative panels and designs.

On each side of the stage arch, there are three special box seats on the balcony level. These boxes are decorated with panels and designs. There used to be similar boxes on the orchestra level, but they have been removed.

Other Cool Features

The auditorium as seen from the stage

Right next to the box seats is the main arch around the stage, called the proscenium arch. This arch is decorated with designs of leaves and fruit. The stage used to have a special fireproof curtain. The theater also had a system to move parts of the set using electricity.

The ceiling of the auditorium curves upwards from the walls. This curved part of the ceiling has decorative bands that divide it into sections. Each section has medallions with pictures of classical figures. In the center of the ceiling, there's a round section with theatrical masks and decorations. Five chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

History of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre

The Times Square area became a major spot for big theater shows in the early 1900s. The Shubert brothers built many theaters in Midtown Manhattan during this time. By 1925, they controlled a large part of the theater business in the U.S. After World War I, the Shuberts planned to build six new theaters. Only four were built, and three of them (the Ambassador, O'Neill, and Kerr) are still standing today.

Early Years and the Forrest Theatre

Opening in the 1920s

The theater's exterior in 2021

The Shuberts announced their plans for new theaters in 1920. They thought 49th Street could be as successful for theaters as 42nd Street. In 1924, the Shuberts sold land on 49th Street for a theater and a hotel. They then leased the theater back for 21 years. Construction on the Forrest Theatre began in May 1925.

The Forrest Theatre opened on November 24, 1925, with a musical called Mayflowers. This show closed after 81 performances. Many early shows at the Forrest were not very successful. However, Women Go on Forever in 1927 was a hit, running for 118 performances.

The 1930s and Tobacco Road

View of the theater from across 49th Street

In 1930, the Forrest Theatre finally had some long-running shows, like Bird in Hand and On the Spot. But the Great Depression made things tough for Broadway theaters. The Forrest Theatre was unique because it had a door connecting to the Forrest Hotel's bar. This made it a popular spot, even if the shows weren't always hits.

By 1933, the theater and hotel faced financial trouble. In August 1934, they were sold. Then, in September 1934, the play Tobacco Road moved to the Forrest. This play became a huge success! It ran continuously at the Forrest for five years, becoming the longest-running Broadway production at the time. When it finally closed in May 1941, Tobacco Road had been performed about 3,180 times.

The Coronet Theatre Era

The theater after it was renamed the Coronet

In 1944, the empty Forrest Theatre was leased for a short time. Then, in 1945, a company called City Playhouse Theatres bought it. They renovated the theater, changing its colors inside and rebuilding the dressing rooms. They also installed new seats and a cooling system. In September 1945, the theater was renamed the Coronet, as the new owners thought the old name was unlucky.

The first show at the newly named Coronet was Beggars Are Coming to Town in October 1945. It was followed by two big hits: Dream Girl (348 performances) and Arthur Miller's All My Sons (328 performances). Other successful shows in the late 1940s included Angel in the Wings and a revival of Mae West's Diamond Lil.

In the 1950s, the Coronet hosted many more plays. These included Tickets, Please! in 1950, revivals of Lillian Hellman's The Autumn Garden (1951) and The Children's Hour (1952). Later, The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1953) and The Bad Seed (1955) were also staged here.

The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Era

In May 1959, an investor named Lester Osterman bought the theater. He decided to rename it after his favorite playwright, Eugene O'Neill. This made it the first Broadway theater named after a playwright. O'Neill's widow initially didn't like the idea, but she eventually agreed.

The Eugene O'Neill Theatre had some shows that didn't last long at first. But then came hits like the musical Show Girl with Carol Channing in 1961, and A Thousand Clowns in 1962. The musical She Loves Me was also staged here in 1963.

In 1967, the famous playwright Neil Simon bought full ownership of the theater. His wife, Marsha Mason, helped manage it. Simon kept the theater's name and put on many of his own plays there. These included hits like Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971), and California Suite (1976). Mason also oversaw a renovation of the theater in 1980.

Jujamcyn Takes Over

1980s and 1990s

A closer look at the stage house

Jujamcyn Theaters bought the Eugene O'Neill Theatre from Neil Simon in March 1982. The theater had a few short-lived shows at first, including the very famous flop Moose Murders in 1983. But later that year, a revival of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie was successful.

A major hit came in 1985 with the musical Big River, which ran for 1,005 performances. In 1988, David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly also opened here.

In 1987, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission decided to protect the inside of the Eugene O'Neill as a landmark. This meant its special features could not be changed easily. Jujamcyn and other theater owners tried to fight this decision, but the landmark status was upheld in 1992.

In the 1990s, the Eugene O'Neill hosted a revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990) and a magic show by Penn & Teller (1991). The musical Five Guys Named Moe opened in 1992, and Grease opened in 1994, running for 1,503 performances. During Grease!, Jujamcyn spent $1 million to restore the theater's interior, making it look like its original design. The play Death of a Salesman opened in 1999.

2000s to Today

The theater at night

In the early 2000s, the theater hosted The Full Monty (2000), which ran for over two years. A revival of the musical Nine was performed in 2003. In 2005, the Eugene O'Neill hosted Good Vibrations and Sweeney Todd.

Spring Awakening opened in 2006 and ran for two years. In 2009, the theater hosted 33 Variations and Fela!.

The musical The Book of Mormon opened at the Eugene O'Neill in March 2011. This show was incredibly successful and quickly earned back its production costs. The theater closed on March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on November 5, 2021, with The Book of Mormon continuing its run. In 2021, Jujamcyn agreed to make its theaters, including the Eugene O'Neill, more accessible for people with disabilities.

Famous Shows at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Here are some of the notable productions that have played at this theater:

Forrest Theatre

Coronet Theatre

Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Box Office Records

The Book of Mormon holds the record for the highest earnings at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. For the week ending January 4, 2015, the show made $2,224,280 from nine performances!