Samuel J. Friedman Theatre facts for kids
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Biltmore Theatre
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(2021)
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| Address | 261 West 47th Street Manhattan, New York City United States |
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| Coordinates | ACoordinates: Unknown argument format |
| Owner | Manhattan Theatre Club |
| Type | Broadway |
| Capacity | 650 |
| Production | Mary Jane |
| Construction | |
| Architect | Herbert J. Krapp |
| Designated | October 27, 2004 |
| Reference no. | 04001203 |
| Designated entity | Theater |
| Designated | November 10, 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1320 |
| Designated entity | Auditorium interior |
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is a famous Broadway theater in New York City. It's located at 261 West 47th Street in the busy Theater District. This theater first opened in 1925 and was known as the Biltmore Theatre.
A talented architect named Herbert J. Krapp designed the building. It has 650 seats for audiences and is run by the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). The inside of the theater is so special that it's a protected New York City landmark. The whole theater is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 2008, the theater has been named after Samuel J. Friedman. His family made a big donation to the MTC, helping the theater to thrive.
The theater's outside walls are made of terracotta and light-colored brick. A large sign, called a marquee, covers the main entrance. Inside, the theater has a classic style with a sloped floor for good views. There's a big balcony and a slightly curved ceiling. The basement has a gift shop and a lounge for visitors. There are also special "false box" seats near the stage. The theater was updated in the 2000s. This renovation made the audience area a bit smaller. This change allowed for new lounges and offices for the MTC.
The Biltmore Theatre was the second Broadway theater built by Irwin Chanin. It opened on December 7, 1925, with a play called Easy Come Easy Go. For many years, the Biltmore hosted various plays. In the 1950s, it became a CBS radio and TV studio. But in 1961, a producer named David Cogan brought it back to life as a theater. After a fire in 1987, the theater fell into disrepair. It was bought and sold several times. Finally, the MTC decided to take over in 2001. The theater reopened in 2003. MTC took full ownership when it was renamed the Friedman in 2008.
Contents
About the Theater's Location
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is at 261 West 47th Street. It's on the north side of the street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway. This area is very close to Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The land the theater sits on is about 8,800 square feet. It has a front side of 75 feet on 47th Street.
The Friedman Theatre shares its block with other famous theaters. These include the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and the Longacre Theatre. Other nearby buildings are the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and the Walter Kerr Theatre. Before the theater was built, this spot had three five-story apartment buildings.
How the Theater Looks
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre was first called the Biltmore Theatre. It was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in 1925. The style is called neo-Renaissance, which means it looks like buildings from the Renaissance period. In 2008, the theater was renamed after Samuel J. Friedman. He was a press agent, and his family made a big donation to the theater.
The theater is run by the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). This is a non-profit theater group. The theater's current look is thanks to a big renovation in the early 2000s. This work was done by Polshek Partnership.
Outside of the Theater
The outside of the theater is designed in an Italian Renaissance Revival style. It has classic decorations that don't stick out too much. The building is made of shiny white brick with white terracotta decorations. The first floor has the main entrance. It has glass and metal doors that lead to the ticket lobby. There are signs on both sides of the entrance.
A metal marquee hangs over the entrance. This was added during the 2000s renovation. The marquee has the words "Samuel J. Friedman Theatre" on it. These letters were put up when the theater got its new name in 2008. There are also narrow walkways on both sides of the theater.
The upper parts of the theater's outside are divided into three sections. These sections are separated by four tall, decorated columns called pilasters. The middle section has four windows on the second floor. The side sections each have one window. All the second-story windows are double-hung windows. They are set in terracotta frames. Above these windows are brick panels with flower decorations. A lighted sign with the theater's name is in front of the middle panel.
The columns support a decorative band near the top of the building. This band has carved flower designs. Above this, there's a cornice with small blocks and teeth-like shapes. At the very top, the middle section has a brick wall. The other sections have decorative railings. During the 2000s renovation, the roof was rebuilt. New heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were put on the roof.
Inside the Theater
Auditorium
The main part of the theater where the audience sits is called the auditorium. It has a main floor, a balcony, and a stage behind a large arch. There are also decorative "false boxes" on the sides of the stage. The theater's shape is like a horseshoe. It has plaster decorations that stand out.
The Friedman is one of the smaller Broadway theaters. It has about 650 seats. The first two rows on the main floor can be removed. This allows for as few as 600 seats for smaller shows. Before the 2001 renovation, the theater had 948 seats. The entire theater is now accessible for wheelchairs. The auditorium has carpets only in the aisles. The seats have hard backs. This helps with the sound, as MTC wanted non-amplified sound. The new seats are about 20 to 22 inches wide. They have 32 inches of legroom.
The Friedman and Rodgers were the only two Broadway theaters that Krapp designed in the Adam style. This style is known for its delicate decorations. Since its renovation, the inside of the theater has cream and brown colors. It also has red and blue accents.
Seating Areas
At the back of the main floor, there's a walkway. The main floor slopes down towards the stage. This slope was made steeper in the 2000s renovation. The back wall was moved forward by 20 feet. This created space for the lobby behind it. Before the renovation, the front doors opened right into the audience area. There was no lobby. The new main floor is a few steps up from the lobby. There's an aisle down the center of the main floor.
The back and side walls of the main floor are curved. They are covered in wooden panels. Doors at the back connect to the lobby. Fire exit doors on the sides lead to alleys. Stairs to the balcony are next to the lobby doors. The outside of the staircases have plaster walls with rectangular panels. The inside edges have iron railings with wooden handrails. These staircases were rebuilt during the 2000s renovation. They help reduce crowding.
The balcony also slopes down. It has a large middle section and two smaller sections on the sides. There are decorative iron railings around the staircases from the main floor to the balcony. A technical booth was put on the back wall. The balcony was rebuilt in the 2000s. It now has special exits on both sides. These lead to a curved hallway. The side walls of the balcony have pairs of columns. Above these columns is a wide decorative band with shields. In front of the balcony are round decorations with golden shapes.
On each side of the stage arch, there's a wall section with a false box. These false boxes are decorative and not for seating. At the main floor level, the wall sections have panels and doorways. The left doorway leads to the dressing room. The false boxes at the balcony level have rectangular openings. These openings have triangular tops with musical instrument designs. On each side of these openings are decorated columns. Above the boxes are oval shapes with carved designs. Lighting equipment was added in front of the boxes during the renovation. Red curtains were placed behind them.
Other Design Features
Next to the false boxes is the proscenium arch. This is the arch that frames the stage. The archway has a rope-like molding around it. There's a decorative carving above the middle of the arch. The areas above the arch's corners have special Adam-style decorations. The stage is behind this arch. When the theater was renovated, the stage was lowered. This was to fit the MTC's shows better. The stage lighting was designed to be enough for most MTC productions. A red main curtain and a fire curtain were also installed.
The ceiling has an oval dome in the center. It has Adam-style moldings around its edge and a centerpiece. During the renovation, four openings were made in the dome. A walkway for stage lights was placed above the ceiling. This meant a large lighting structure wasn't needed in front of the stage. The rest of the ceiling has molded bands. These divide the surface into panels. An Adam-style cornice runs along the walls below the ceiling. There are also air-conditioning vents in the ceiling.
Other Interior Spaces
During the theater's renovation, a basement was dug out. This basement is about 19 feet deep. It was dug into soft rock. The contractors poured a concrete floor for the new basement. The basement has a lounge for theatergoers. It's called the Susan and Peter J. Solomon Family Lounge. Peter J. Solomon was the chairman of MTC's board for many years. The basement also has the Manhattan Theatre Club's gift shop and restrooms. There are also MTC offices and staff areas here.
The exits from the balcony lead to a curved hallway. This hallway is between the main floor and the balcony. You can also reach it from the stairs at the back of the auditorium. The walls of the hallway have wooden baseboards and moldings. The ceiling has curved plaster vaults. The modern design of these vaults is from the 2000s renovation. Beyond this hallway are other spaces. This level includes a private lounge for MTC members. There's another lounge above the balcony level too.
Theater's Story
The Times Square area became very important 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 brothers, became interested in theater when he was a student. He remembered feeling "humiliated" by having to use a separate door for cheap seats.
Early Broadway Years
Chanin Brothers Operate
Irwin Chanin was new to the Broadway theater world. His first theater was the 46th Street Theatre. Chanin hired Herbert Krapp, who had designed many theaters before. The 46th Street Theatre opened in early 1925. Chanin then hired Krapp to design the Biltmore and Mansfield theaters on 47th Street. At that time, 47th Street was mostly a residential street.
Chanin bought the land for the Biltmore in November 1924. Krapp submitted the plans for the Biltmore in March 1925. Krapp made the Biltmore's outside look more fancy than his earlier designs. Irwin Chanin built the theater with his brother Henry. They wanted to attract people with beautiful architecture. This was because they didn't have a long history in the theater business. The Biltmore was the first theater on the north side of 47th Street.
The Biltmore opened on December 7, 1925. The first play was Easy Come Easy Go. This was the Chanins' second Broadway theater. It was meant for comedies and smaller shows. Early shows at the Biltmore were not always big hits. In 1926, it hosted Kongo with Walter Huston. It also had Loose Ankles with Osgood Perkins. In 1927, The Barker with Huston and Claudette Colbert played there.
Many shows in 1928 were not successful. This included Tin Pan Alley. Mae West's Pleasure Man also played there. Seven more shows that were not hits followed in 1929. In 1930, Children of Darkness ran for 79 performances. Philip Goes Forth ran for 98 performances in 1931. Most shows in the early 1930s were not very successful.
In 1932, a bank tried to take over the theater due to money problems. But in 1934, Big Hearted Herbert became a hit. It ran for 154 performances. The First Legion was another small hit later that year.
Government and Warner Bros. Take Over
The Chanin brothers eventually lost control of the Biltmore during the Great Depression. In December 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) leased the theater. The WPA used it for the Federal Theatre Project (FTP). This project created "Living Newspapers." These shows presented factual news in a play format. The first Living Newspaper, Ethiopia, never opened to the public. The government stopped it. The second, Triple-A Plowed Under, opened in March 1936.
In October 1936, Warner Bros. bought the theater. They used it to show plays by George Abbott. The first was Brother Rat, which opened in December 1936. It was a big success, running for 575 performances. Another hit was What a Life in 1938. It ran for 538 performances. In 1939, See My Lawyer with Milton Berle played for 224 performances.
My Sister Eileen, starring Shirley Booth, opened in late 1940. It later moved to another theater. Kiss and Tell opened in March 1943. It ran for two years before moving. In 1947, The Heiress premiered at the Biltmore. It ran for 410 performances. Other hits included The Silver Whistle in 1948. Billy Budd in 1951 was one of the last plays before the theater changed.
Becoming a CBS Studio
In October 1951, Warner Bros. sold the Biltmore Theatre. In February 1952, CBS leased the theater. They turned it into a broadcast studio called Studio 62. Many TV shows were filmed there. These included The Big Payoff, Dotto, The Jack Paar Show, and To Tell the Truth.
First Broadway Comeback
1960s and 1970s
Producer David Cogan bought the Biltmore in August 1960. In 1961, he announced he would bring it back as a theater. He planned to expand it to 1,120 seats. The first show at the reopened Biltmore was Take Her, She's Mine. It opened in December 1961. It starred Art Carney and Elizabeth Ashley.
The famous Neil Simon comedy Barefoot in the Park opened in October 1963. It starred Elizabeth Ashley and Robert Redford. Barefoot in the Park ran for about 1,530 performances. It later became a movie and is strongly linked to the theater.
The rock musical Hair came to the Biltmore in April 1968. It had moved from an Off-Broadway theater. Hair starred Melba Moore and Diane Keaton. It ran for 1,750 performances in total. In the 1970s, many shows had shorter runs. These included Find Your Way Home in 1974. Knock Knock and The Robber Bridegroom played in 1976. Lily Tomlin performed her solo show Appearing Nitely in 1977. A short revival of Hair also played that year.
1980s
The Nederlander Organization leased the theater in 1980. The theater hosted Nuts and a revival of The American Clock. In 1981, A Talent for Murder with Claudette Colbert played there. The long-running thriller Deathtrap moved to the Biltmore in 1982. The musical Doonesbury was staged in 1983.
In 1984, A Woman of Independent Means closed after only 13 performances. The theater then stayed empty for a whole season. The Broadway theater industry was struggling at the time. The Nederlander Organization decided not to renew its lease in August 1984.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) began thinking about protecting the Biltmore in 1982. In 1985, David Cogan put the Biltmore up for sale. He even thought about tearing it down. Cogan was paying a lot of money to keep the theater maintained while it was empty. He quickly found a buyer who wanted to use the valuable space above the theater.
In February 1986, Cogan sold the Biltmore to Samuel Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer promised to keep the theater open for at least six months. The theater's last shows of the 1900s were Honky Tonk in 1986 and Stardust in early 1987. These shows limited their audience to 499 seats. This was to avoid certain union rules.
The LPC made the Biltmore's interior a landmark on November 10, 1987. But the outside of the building was not landmarked. On December 11, 1987, a month after it became a landmark, the theater's inside caught fire. The New York City Fire Department quickly said it was arson. People had been breaking into the empty theater. The fire damaged the stage and thirty seats. Because the theater's interior was a landmark, it could not be changed without the LPC's permission.
Falling Apart and Being Left Empty
By February 1988, Pfeiffer put the Biltmore up for sale again. Morris Gluck bought it for $5.35 million. But the Biltmore kept getting worse. In August 1988, after two men stole chandeliers, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) said the theater was unsafe. Jack Goldstein from a group called Save the Theaters said the theater looked like it was being run "into the ground."
The theater was put up for auction again in March 1989. But Pfeiffer didn't sell it. Several developers and theater groups tried to buy it. The landmark status meant the Biltmore had to be a real Broadway theater if it was fixed up. No progress happened until early 1991. The theater was auctioned again. Jay Cardwell and David Yakir agreed to buy it for $4 million. Cardwell thought it would cost $5–8 million to fix it. At that time, the theater had falling plaster, burned seats, and water-damaged walls.
By February 1992, the sale wasn't finished. A bank took ownership of the Biltmore. The Nederlander Organization and Stewart F. Lane bought the Biltmore in July 1993. The abandoned Biltmore had holes in the ceiling. Rain leaked in, and it was vandalized. LPC chairwoman Jennifer Raab said it was an example of "demolition by neglect." The new owners talked with theater unions about the theater's future. By early 1996, these talks were not successful. The owners thought about changing the theater for non-theater use. Lane even thought about leasing it to a deli owner.
In March 1996, the Nederlanders and Lane agreed to sell the theater to developer Joseph Moinian. Moinian also bought other buildings nearby. The next year, Moinian said he would build a hotel. He planned to restore the theater's auditorium. But it would become part of the hotel's lobby. The LPC said no to Moinian's plan for the Biltmore. The Nederlanders then decided to sell the property again in April 1999. Moinian sued them. In December, the court sided with Lane and the Nederlanders. They said they would restore the theater.
Second Broadway Comeback
The Manhattan Theatre Club became very successful in the 1990s. They had been looking for a Broadway theater since the early 1990s. A Broadway home would make their shows eligible for the Tony Awards. Duncan Hazard of Polshek Partnership helped MTC find a theater. He saw the Biltmore from across the street in 1999. He contacted MTC's director of operations, Michael Moody. Moody had looked at the Biltmore before and said no. But he looked again after Hazard asked for the building plans.
MTC Renovation
In late 2000, MTC suggested taking over the Biltmore and fixing it up. A group called Biltmore 47 Associates was planning an apartment building next door. They agreed to renovate the theater. In return, they could build a taller apartment building. This deal needed approval from the New York City Department of City Planning. MTC development director Andrew Hamingson remembered the mechanical room was flooded. Many people in the neighborhood supported MTC's renovation. But they didn't like the tall apartment building. So, Biltmore 47 agreed to make their building smaller. The apartment building was built as a 51-story structure. The developers were allowed to build 18 extra stories because they renovated the theater.
MTC first thought the renovation would cost $18 million. But the costs went up to $27 million. This was because more damage was found. Before work started, Hazard made a foam model of his ideas. He sent it to MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow, who approved it right away. The plans were to make the theater smaller and more cozy. This would also create space for MTC offices behind the audience area. Hazard suggested digging a basement for MTC's club facilities.
The renovation started in December 2001. MTC began a $35 million fundraising campaign. They had already raised $20 million. This included $5 million from the city government. Biltmore 47 also gave $4.65 million. They also gave a construction loan of $10.35 million. The city's share increased to $6.4 million. The MTC board gave $12 million.
Polshek Partnership Architects restored the parts of the theater that were still there. EverGreene Architectural Arts fixed the plasterwork. They also rebuilt missing parts. EverGreene hired 18 plasterers. They replaced 70 percent of the plasterwork. This included 6,000 feet of moldings. John Civetta was hired to dig the basement lounge. The theater's steel frame was made stronger. Workers installed devices to check for damage during the digging. The main floor, balcony, and stairs were rebuilt. The decorations were rebuilt to their original designs. This was because of the interior landmark status. The outside of the theater got a new canopy and glass doors.
MTC Takes Over and Renames
The theater was officially reopened on October 15, 2003. The Biltmore reopened for shows on November 6 with The Violet Hour. The Biltmore won an award for its preservation. It also got praise from other groups and magazines. The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. MTC's first season at the Biltmore had some challenges. But their second season was more successful. MTC has hosted three plays at the Biltmore each season since then.
In June 2008, the Dr. Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman Foundation made a large donation to the MTC. The amount was not made public. MTC then announced they would rename the Biltmore. It would be named after Samuel J. Friedman. The theater was renamed at a ceremony on September 4, 2008. MTC officially bought the Friedman the next month. The first show at the renamed theater was To Be or Not to Be.
The theater closed on March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on September 14, 2021. The first show was Lackawanna Blues. The theater was renovated again in 2021.
Famous Shows
Here are some of the plays and musicals that have been performed at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. They are listed by the year they first opened. No shows were held between 1952 and 1961, or between 1987 and 2003.
From the 1920s to the 1980s
- 1926: Loose Ankles
- 1927: The Marquise
- 1928: Pleasure Man
- 1936: Triple-A Plowed Under
- 1936: Brother Rat
- 1938: What a Life
- 1939: See My Lawyer
- 1940: My Sister Eileen
- 1943: Kiss and Tell
- 1946: No Exit
- 1947: The Heiress
- 1948: The Silver Whistle
- 1951: Billy Budd
- 1961: Take Her, She's Mine
- 1963: Barefoot in the Park
- 1968: Hair
- 1976: Knock Knock
- 1976: The Robber Bridegroom
- 1980: Nuts
- 1982: Deathtrap
- 1983: Doonesbury
From the 2000s to Today
- 2003: The Violet Hour
- 2004: Reckless
- 2005: Brooklyn Boy
- 2006: Rabbit Hole
- 2007: Translations
- 2007: LoveMusik
- 2008: Top Girls
- 2008: To Be or Not To Be
- 2009: The American Plan
- 2010: Time Stands Still
- 2011: Good People
- 2011: Master Class
- 2011: Venus in Fur
- 2012: Wit
- 2012: The Columnist
- 2013: The Other Place
- 2014: Outside Mullingar
- 2014: Casa Valentina
- 2015: Constellations
- 2016: The Father
- 2016: Heisenberg
- 2017: Jitney
- 2017: The Little Foxes
- 2018: Saint Joan
- 2019: Choir Boy
- 2019: Ink
- 2021: Lackawanna Blues
- 2022: Skeleton Crew
- 2022: How I Learned to Drive
- 2023: Summer, 1976
- 2023: Jaja's African Hair Braiding
- 2024: Prayer for the French Republic
- 2024: Mary Jane
Images for kids
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Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Samuel J. Friedman para niños
