John Golden Theatre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Golden Theatre

Theatre Masque
Address	252 West 45th Street Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°45′31.5″N 73°59′16.6″W / 40.758750°N 73.987944°W / 40.758750; -73.987944
Public transit	Subway: Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal
Owner	The Shubert Organization
Type	Broadway
Capacity	802
Production	Stereophonic
Construction
Opened	February 24, 1927
Years active	1927–1946, 1948–present
Architect	Herbert J. Krapp
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 17, 1987
Reference no.	1335
Designated entity	Facade
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 17, 1987
Reference no.	1336
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

The John Golden Theatre is a famous Broadway playhouse in New York City. It's located at 252 West 45th Street in the busy Theater District. This theater first opened in 1927. It was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in a beautiful Spanish style.

The theater was built for a real estate developer named Irwin Chanin. It has about 800 seats for audience members. Today, the Shubert Organization runs the theater. Both the outside (facade) and the inside (auditorium) of the John Golden Theatre are protected as New York City landmarks. This means they are important historical places.

The outside of the theater looks Spanish with golden bricks and fancy decorations. The entrance has large, rustic blocks. Above the entrance, there are three tall arches. The very top of the building has a loggia, which is like an open hallway with columns. Inside, the theater also has Spanish-style details. It has a big balcony and a ceiling with curved arches. Because the theater is smaller, it doesn't have special "box" seats. The balcony and stage opening are decorated with cool geometric shapes and twisted columns.

The Golden Theatre, along with the Majestic and Bernard B. Jacobs theaters, were all built together. They were part of a bigger complex that included the Lincoln Hotel. The Golden Theatre first opened as the Theatre Masque in 1927. The Shubert family took over in 1930. Later, a producer named John Golden leased the theater in 1936. He renamed it after himself in 1937. The Shuberts got full control back in 1945. The theater has mostly been used for live plays since then. For a short time from 1946 to 1948, it was used as a movie theater. The Golden Theatre is often used for plays with smaller casts or for special variety shows called revues.

Where is the Theater?

The John Golden Theatre is at 252 West 45th Street. It's on the south side of the street. This is between Eighth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. It's very close to Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. The area around the theater is known for its many Broadway shows.

The theater property is about 6,400 square feet (590 m²) in size. It has a front side of 62.33 feet (19.00 m) on 45th Street. The Golden Theatre is next to the Row NYC Hotel. It's also very close to six other theaters. These include the Bernard B. Jacobs, Gerald Schoenfeld, and Booth theaters. The Broadhurst, Shubert, and Majestic theaters are also nearby.

This block of 45th Street has the most Broadway theaters in one place. More people walking on this street helps sell more tickets. The Golden, Majestic, and Bernard B. Jacobs theaters were all built at the same time. They were built on land that used to have twenty brownstone homes. This land was owned by the Astor family for a long time.

How it Looks: Design and Style

The John Golden Theatre was first called the Theatre Masque. It was designed by Herbert J. Krapp. Construction happened from 1926 to 1927. It was built for the Chanin brothers. The theater is named after a famous producer, John Golden (1874–1955).

The theater is part of a bigger entertainment complex. This complex included the Lincoln Hotel and the Majestic and Royale theaters. All these buildings were designed by Krapp in a Spanish style. The Masque was planned to be the smallest theater in the group. It was built with about 800 seats. the Shubert Organization now operates the Golden Theatre.

Outside the Theater

Rusticated terracotta base

The front of the theater looks balanced and even. The bottom part is covered in rough-looking blocks of terracotta. This is above a granite base. The main entrance has four sets of glass and aluminum doors. To the left of the doors, there's a modern sign board. There are also two display boxes on each side of the doors. These boxes have fancy designs like swirls and lion figures. A special plaque honoring John Golden is next to the doors.

A large sign, called a marquee, hangs above the entrance. A decorative border runs above the ground floor. The stage door is to the right of the main front. This door is shared with the Majestic and Bernard B. Jacobs theaters.

The upper parts of the building are made of gold-colored bricks. These bricks match the nearby theaters and hotel. The middle of the front has three large arches. These arches span two floors. They have beautiful leaf designs made of terracotta. Inside the arches on the second floor are metal-framed windows.

Arch detail

A sign with the theater's name is in front of the middle arch. Near the top, there are terracotta circles with mythical creatures and plant designs. The very top of the front has a decorative railing. Above the center part is a loggia. This loggia has six columns with decorative tops. They hold up a roof with Spanish tiles. The Golden's loggia matches a similar one on the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Inside the Theater: The Auditorium

The theater's original colors were red and blue. The seats were a burnt orange color. The inside looks similar to the outside, with a Spanish style. The designer, Irwin Chanin, wanted to make the seating fair for everyone. The Golden was built with only one balcony, not two. Chanin felt that a second balcony was too far from the stage.

After a renovation in 2013, the theater now has orange/red and blue/green colors. This looks a lot like the original design.

The auditorium has a main floor (orchestra level), one balcony, and a stage. The room is wider than it is deep. It has plaster decorations that stick out from the walls. The Shubert Organization says there are 802 seats. Other sources say 787 or 805 seats. The seats are divided into 465 on the main floor and 337 on the balcony. The Golden Theatre does not have special "box" seats. There are restrooms and water fountains below the main floor. In 1927, it was noted that the seats were a bit wider than usual for Broadway theaters.

Seating Areas

At the back of the main floor, doors lead from the lobby. There are decorative exit signs above these doors. The main floor slopes down towards the stage. The wall on the east side curves inward because of the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre next door. The walls on the main floor have rough stucco blocks. Lights are attached to the walls. Two staircases connect the main floor to the balcony. The main floor is accessible for wheelchairs. However, there are no elevators to the balcony.

On both sides of the front part of the main floor, there are pointed arches with doors. These doors have twisted columns next to them. They also have fancy frames above the exit signs. There are shields high up on the walls. The doorways used to have red velvet curtains, which were put back in 2013.

The balcony is split into front and back sections by an aisle. Fancy metal railings are around the staircases. The front part of the balcony curves forward. It also has decorative metal railings. Like the main floor, the walls have lights. The walls are made of stucco blocks with Moorish designs. There are arched doorways with exit doors at the front of the balcony. Above the wall is a geometric pattern. Geometric panels are also on the front and underside of the balcony. Lights are installed in front of the balcony.

Other Cool Design Features

Near the arched exits on the main floor is an oval-shaped arch around the stage. This arch is framed by twisted columns. There's a band with geometric patterns along the arch itself. The ceiling is curved and has arched ribs. These ribs divide the auditorium into sections. The arches are supported by decorative pieces on the walls. The ribs themselves have small carvings, shields, and geometric patterns. A geometric pattern runs just below the ceiling. At the back of the auditorium, the ceiling is flat. It has a technical booth surrounded by grilles.

History of the Golden Theatre

Times Square became the main place for big theater shows in the early 1900s. Many theaters were built by the Shubert brothers. The Chanin brothers also built many theaters in the mid-1920s. Irwin Chanin, one of the Chanin brothers, became interested in theater when he was a student. He remembered feeling embarrassed having to use a separate door for cheap seats. By 1926, the Chanins decided to build and run theaters in New York and other cities. Herbert Krapp had already designed other theaters for the Chanins.

Building and Early Years

Chanin Family Runs the Theater

Sign with the Golden Theatre's name

The Chanin brothers bought the land in May 1925. They planned to build a hotel and three theaters. In March 1926, plans were filed for the hotel and theaters. They were expected to cost $4.5 million. News reports said there would be a large theater, a medium theater, and a small theater. The old homes on the site were torn down by June. In July, the Chanin brothers got a $7.5 million loan for the four buildings. Irwin Chanin asked the public to suggest names for the three theaters.

The names were announced in December 1926. The large theater became the Majestic. The mid-sized one was the Royale. The small one was the Masque. The Chanins gave A. L. Erlanger control over booking shows for the new theaters.

The Theatre Masque opened on February 24, 1927. The first play was Puppets of Passion. The Masque was the second of the three new Chanin theaters to open. These new theaters helped expand the Broadway theater area. Each Chanin theater had a different purpose. The 1,800-seat Majestic was for "revues and light operas." The 1,200-seat Royale was for "musical comedies." The 800-seat Masque was for "intimate" (smaller) plays.

Critics liked the Masque theater itself. Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times said it was "pleasing and comfortable." However, the first play, Puppets of Passion, was not popular. It closed after only twelve performances.

The Masque mostly had plays that didn't last long in its first two years. In July 1929, the Shubert brothers bought half-ownership of the Majestic, Masque, and Royale theaters. They paid $1.8 million. The Masque's first big success was Rope's End in 1929. This play was later made into the Alfred Hitchcock film Rope.

1930s and Early 1940s

The Booth, Schoenfeld (Plymouth), Bernard B. Jacobs (Royale), and Golden (Masque) theaters from left to right

The Shuberts took full control of the Masque in 1930. But many plays during this time still didn't do well. One successful play was Up Pops the Devil in 1930. It ran for 146 performances. Goodbye Again opened in 1932 and ran for 212 performances. Tobacco Road, another big hit, started at the Masque in 1933. Other successes in the mid-1930s included Post Road (1934), Laburnum Grove (1935), and Russet Mantle (1936). All of these ran for over 100 performances.

The Broadway theater business struggled during the Great Depression. The Majestic, Masque, and Royale theaters were sold in 1936. A Shubert family representative bought the right to run them. At the end of 1936, producer John Golden leased the Masque. He planned to fix it up and rename it after himself. The Theatre Masque became the John Golden Theatre on January 26, 1937.

The Golden Theatre continued to host plays that didn't last long. One very short run was Curtain Call in 1937, which closed after only four performances. The Golden's next hit was Shadow and Substance in 1938. It ran for 206 performances. A major hit opened in 1941 with Angel Street. This play ran for almost 1,300 performances over three years! Angel Street became the Golden's longest-running play. It was followed by Soldier's Wife in 1944, which ran for 255 performances.

Later Shubert Ownership

Mid-1940s to 1960s

The Shubert brothers bought the Majestic, John Golden, and Royale theaters in 1945. This gave them full ownership. In July 1946, the Golden was leased to a cinema company. It showed the British film Henry V for almost a year. The theater was used as a movie theater until February 1948. Then, Maurice Chevalier performed a solo show there. The Golden then hosted several short live shows. In 1950, The Velvet Glove was a moderate hit.

Victor Borge's one-man show Comedy in Music opened in 1953. It ran for an amazing 849 performances over three years! In 1956, Waiting for Godot had only 59 performances, even though the actors were praised. Look Back in Anger was also a minor hit in 1958. Starting in the late 1950s, the Golden hosted many two-person variety shows. These included A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (1958) and An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May (1960).

The Golden hosted Sunday in New York with Robert Redford in 1962. Beyond the Fringe premiered later that year. It ran for over 600 performances. Victor Borge returned in 1964 with his solo show. In 1966, the South African show Wait a Minim! ran for 457 performances. Most other shows in the 1960s were short-lived.

1970s and 1980s

The first success in the 1970s was Bob and Ray—The Two and Only in 1970. This comedy ran for 158 performances. In 1972, Sticks and Bones ran for 245 performances. Two major plays opened in 1977: Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land and The Gin Game. The Gin Game won a Pulitzer Prize and ran for 517 performances.

In 1980, the Golden hosted A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine. This show moved, and the Golden was renovated. It reopened with Tintypes. In 1981, Crimes of the Heart transferred from off-Broadway. It won a Pulitzer Prize and ran for 535 performances. Two more Pulitzer-winning plays were staged: 'night, Mother in 1983 and Glengarry Glen Ross in 1984. This set a record for Pulitzer-winning shows on Broadway.

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) began looking at protecting the John Golden Theatre in 1982. They made both the outside and inside official city landmarks on November 17, 1987. This was part of a big effort to protect many Broadway theaters. The Shuberts and other theater owners sued to stop these landmark designations. They said it limited how much they could change the theaters. But the courts upheld the designations in 1992.

1990s to Today

While showing Avenue Q

In 1990, Michael Feinstein performed his show Concert: Piano and Voice. This was followed by Falsettos (1992), which ran for 487 performances. The comedian Jackie Mason starred in Politically Incorrect in 1994. It ran for over 340 performances. Master Class was also successful, running for about 600 performances until 1997. Side Man transferred from off-Broadway in 1998 and ran until 1999.

The first hit of the 2000s was Stones in His Pockets in 2001. It ran for 198 performances. This was followed by The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? in 2002. In 2003, the Shuberts agreed to make their theaters more accessible for people with disabilities.

The musical Avenue Q opened at the Golden on July 31, 2003. It became a huge hit! It earned back its production cost within a year. By the time Avenue Q moved back off-Broadway in 2009, it had run for over 2,500 performances. This made it the Golden's longest-running show ever!

After Avenue Q, the Golden hosted plays like Red and Driving Miss Daisy in 2010. In 2011, The Normal Heart and Seminar were staged. The Shuberts renovated the theater again in 2013. They brought back its original look using old photos.

The John Golden Theatre continued to host smaller productions. These included Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013) and Skylight (2015). In 2017, A Doll's House, Part 2 was staged. Three Tall Women and The Waverly Gallery followed in 2018. In 2019, Hillary and Clinton and Slave Play were presented.

The theater closed on March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on October 13, 2021, with Thoughts of a Colored Man. This was followed by Hangmen in 2022. Topdog/Underdog ran from October 2022 to January 2023. The play Prima Facie was staged from April to July 2023. The Shark Is Broken followed from August to November 2023. The play Stereophonic ran at the Golden starting in April 2024.

Famous Shows at the Golden Theatre

Here are some of the notable plays and shows that have been performed at the John Golden Theatre. This list includes only Broadway shows.

See also

• List of Broadway theatres
• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets