Music Box Theatre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Music Box Theatre

Showing the musical Dear Evan Hansen in 2019
Address	239 West 45th Street Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°45′32″N 73°59′14″W / 40.758864°N 73.987178°W / 40.758864; -73.987178
Owner	Shubert Organization
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,025
Production	Suffs
Construction
Opened	September 1921
Years active	1921–present
Architect	C. Howard Crane
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 8, 1987
Reference no.	1359
Designated entity	Facade
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 8, 1987
Reference no.	1360
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

The Music Box Theatre is a famous Broadway theater located at 239 West 45th Street in New York City. It opened in 1921 and was designed by C. Howard Crane. The theater was built for the famous songwriter Irving Berlin and producer Sam H. Harris.

The Music Box Theatre has 1,025 seats spread across two levels. It is currently managed by The Shubert Organization, a big name in theater. Both the outside (facade) and the inside (auditorium) of the theater are considered important New York City landmarks. This means they are protected because of their history and design.

The outside of the theater is made of limestone and looks very balanced. It has a grand central section with tall columns. Inside, the auditorium features detailed decorations and a large balcony. There are also special box seats that curve outwards. The theater was also designed with a small lobby, a comfy lounge downstairs, and offices upstairs.

Sam H. Harris first thought of building the Music Box Theatre in 1919. He wanted a special place for his shows with Irving Berlin. The theater mostly showed their Music Box Revue at first. Later, it started showing plays, like Cradle Snatchers in 1925. Many early shows at the Music Box were very popular.

After Sam Harris passed away in 1941, Irving Berlin and the Shuberts shared ownership. The theater then mainly showed dramas instead of musicals. The Music Box has been used for plays and musicals ever since it opened. The Shuberts bought Berlin's share of the theater in 2007.

Location of the Theater

The Music Box Theatre is at 239 West 45th Street. This street is in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It's close to Times Square. The street where the theater is located is also known as George Abbott Way.

The Music Box Theatre shares the block with other famous theaters. These include the Richard Rodgers Theatre and Imperial Theatre. Many other theaters are also nearby, making it a busy and exciting area.

Theater Design

The Music Box Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane. It was built between 1920 and 1921 for Irving Berlin and Sam H. Harris. The inside was decorated by Crane and William Baumgarten. The theater is now run by The Shubert Organization.

Outside Look (Facade)

Ground floor (west to east)

Fire escape (bronze gate)

Auditorium exits (three double doors)

Main entrance (four double doors)

The outside of the theater is made of limestone. It has a balanced design, even though the theater is wider than it is deep. Crane used styles that make it look grand and classic.

On the eastern side of 45th Street, there are four sets of glass and bronze doors. These lead to the ticket lobby. A large sign, called a marquee, hangs over the entrance. The center of the ground floor has three sets of doors that lead from the main seating area. On the far west side are the stage doors. Above the ground floor, there's a decorative band with designs of fabric-like drapes and vases.

The second and third floors have a large central section with four tall, fluted columns. Behind these columns is a hidden fire escape. There are also three double doorways that open onto this area. The outer sections on these floors have large windows. The very top of the facade has more decorations and a sloping slate roof.

Inside the Auditorium

Auditorium as seen from balcony level, looking toward the left-hand box

The main seating area, called the auditorium, has three parts: the orchestra level, a balcony, and special box seats. The room is wider than it is deep. It is decorated with detailed plaster designs.

The Shubert Organization says the theater has 1,025 seats. Other sources give slightly different numbers. This is because there are 1,009 actual seats and 16 standing-only spots. The orchestra level has 538 seats. The balcony has 455 seats, and the boxes have 16 seats. The theater was originally decorated in ivory and dark green colors.

Seating Areas

The orchestra level, which is the main floor, slopes downwards towards the stage. The back wall of this area has doorways with decorative columns. A staircase leads up to the balcony's lobby. Another double staircase goes down to a lounge in the basement.

The balcony level also slopes down. Its walls have plaster panels. The front of the balcony curves outwards. It is decorated with designs of vines, flowers, and medallions. Modern light boxes are in front of the balcony. A special booth for technical equipment is at the back.

Box detail

On each side of the stage, there is an archway with a single box seat area. These boxes are round and stick out from the wall. They are supported by six decorative columns. The fronts of the boxes have metal railings with classic designs. Above the box seats, there are half-domes with paintings of old ruins.

Other Design Features

Next to the box seats is the main archway around the stage, called the proscenium arch. This arch is flanked by fluted columns. The top of the archway has decorations of vases, vines, and fans. The proscenium arch is about 26 feet high and 40 feet wide. Because there isn't much space backstage, a special system lifts sets and props onto the stage.

The ceiling has classic moldings and designs. It also has air conditioning vents. Four chandeliers originally hung from the ceiling.

Other Inside Spaces

The lobby of the Music Box Theatre is 8 feet wide and 25 feet long. It's a simple space with pink marble walls and a decorative plaster ceiling. The lobby has a special booth for buying tickets. The floor is made of alternating gray and pink marble tiles. Curtains separate the lobby from the main seating area.

Upstairs, on the balcony level, there is a mezzanine. This area used to have Irving Berlin's studio. It also had ladies' rooms, phone rooms, and offices for managers. Berlin's studio looked like an attic, with wooden beams and a stone fireplace.

Stair from the basement lounge to the foyer

Below the main seating area is a basement lounge. This lounge was designed to be very fancy. It was much more decorated than lounges in other theaters. The staircase to the lounge is made of marble. A tapestry hangs on the stair landing. The lounge also has mirrored panels and marble fireplaces. The theater's restrooms are also in the basement.

History of the Music Box Theatre

The area around Times Square became the main place for big theater shows in the early 1900s. Many theaters were built by the Shubert brothers, who were very important in theater at the time. Meanwhile, Sam H. Harris was a producer, and Irving Berlin was a famous songwriter.

How It Started

A Home for Revues

The name "Music Box Theatre" came from a conversation between Sam H. Harris and Irving Berlin in 1919. Harris wanted to build a theater, and Berlin suggested the name "Music Box." Berlin even wrote a song for the new theater! In March 1920, Harris and Berlin bought the land for the theater. They announced their plans to build the Music Box Theatre.

The Music Box Theatre opened on September 22, 1921. Its first show was the Music Box Revue. People loved the new theater. Critics praised its design and layout. One reviewer called it the "daintiest theatre in America." Another producer, Moss Hart, said the Music Box was "everybody's dream of a theatre."

Initially, the Music Box Theatre only showed the Music Box Revue for three years. Famous performers like Fanny Brice appeared there. In 1924, Earl Carroll's Vanities was also staged at the theater.

Popular Shows in the 1920s and 1930s

The first play at the Music Box was The Cradle Snatchers in 1925. It was a big hit with almost 500 performances. Other popular shows included Chicago in 1926 and The Spider in 1927.

View of the auditorium

In the 1930s, the theater often hosted plays by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. Their first play together, Once in a Lifetime, premiered in 1930. They also created Of Thee I Sing in 1931, which won a Pulitzer Prize. Another hit was As Thousands Cheer in 1933, which ran for 400 performances.

Other famous plays from this time included Dinner at Eight (1932), Pride and Prejudice (1935), and Stage Door (1936). In 1937, the theater staged an adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. The 1930s ended with the very popular play The Man Who Came to Dinner, which ran for 739 performances.

From the 1940s to the 1970s

Scaffolding over the entrance

In the 1940s, the Music Box Theatre started to change. Sam Harris passed away in 1941. The theater also began to show more dramas instead of musicals. A popular show was the burlesque revue Star and Garter in 1942. In 1944, I Remember Mama ran for 713 performances. This show also featured Marlon Brando in his first Broadway role.

In the 1950s, the playwright William Inge had three very successful plays at the Music Box. These included Picnic (1953), Bus Stop (1955), and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957). Each of these plays ran for over 400 performances.

The 1960s brought more hits. The comedy Any Wednesday opened in 1964 and ran for 983 performances. Other popular shows included The Homecoming (1967).

In 1970, the British play Sleuth opened. It became the theater's longest-running production with 1,222 performances. The Music Box celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1971. In 1974, the theater staged its first musical in 25 years, Rainbow Jones, but it closed after just one performance. Later, Side by Side by Sondheim (1977) and Deathtrap (1978) were big successes.

The 1980s and 1990s

Seen from the east

The 1980s started with a major hit, the drama Agnes of God, which opened in 1982. It ran for 599 performances. In 1987, the theater hosted Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a hit from the Royal Shakespeare Company. The decade ended with the popular play A Few Good Men. Irving Berlin continued to co-own the theater until he passed away in 1989 at 101 years old.

In 1987, the outside and inside of the Music Box Theatre were officially named New York City landmarks. This means they are protected because of their special historical and architectural importance.

The 1990s saw many shorter runs of shows. A musical called Blood Brothers opened in 1993 and ran for 893 performances. In 1994, a special plaque honoring Irving Berlin was placed at the Music Box. Other shows included State Fair (1996) and The Diary of Anne Frank (1997).

2000s to Today

The marquee as seen in 2012

The early 2000s continued with shorter runs of shows. The Dinner Party ran for 364 performances in 2000. In 2003, the Shuberts agreed to make their theaters, including the Music Box, more accessible for people with disabilities.

The Shubert Organization and Berlin's family continued to own the theater together. This unusual arrangement lasted until 2007. Then, Berlin's family sold their share to the Shuberts, who now own the theater completely.

In the late 2000s, shows included August: Osage County (2008) and Superior Donuts (2009). The 2010s brought plays like Jerusalem (2011) and One Man, Two Guvnors (2012). The musical Pippin opened in 2013 and ran for two years.

The musical Dear Evan Hansen opened at the Music Box in December 2016. The theater closed on March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on December 11, 2021, with Dear Evan Hansen continuing its run. Dear Evan Hansen closed in September 2022. In October 2022, Gabriel Byrne's solo show Walking with Ghosts had a short run.

A revival of Bob Fosse's Dancin' opened in March 2023. It ran for two months. It was followed by the play Purlie Victorious in September 2023. After Purlie Victorious closed in February 2024, the musical Suffs opened at the theater in April 2024.

Famous Shows

Here are some of the notable shows that have played at the Music Box Theatre. The Music Box Revue had several versions, listed by their first year.

Box Office Records

The musical Dear Evan Hansen set a new box office record for the Music Box Theatre. It earned $2,119,371 in one week in December 2017. This was the highest amount ever for a Broadway theater with fewer than 1,000 seats.

More to Explore

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