Shubert Theatre (New Haven) facts for kids
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The Shubert
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| Address | 247 College Street New Haven, Connecticut United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°18′23.5″N 72°55′44.6″W / 41.306528°N 72.929056°W |
| Owner | (1914-1941) The Shubert Brothers
(1941-1978) Morris Nunes and Maurice Bailey (1983-2013) City of New Haven (2013-present) CAPA |
| Operator | CAPA |
| Capacity | 1,600 |
| Current use | Broadway and entertainment venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1914 |
| Closed | 1978 |
| Reopened | 1983 |
| Years active | 1914-1978 1983-present |
| Architect | Albert Swazey |
The Shubert Theatre is a famous theatre located in New Haven, Connecticut. It has 1,600 seats, meaning lots of people can watch shows there! It first opened its doors in 1914. A person named Albert Swazey, a New York architect, designed the building.
Today, the Shubert Theatre is run by a group called CAPA. This stands for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts. They operate it as a non-profit organization. This means they use any money they make to keep the theatre running and put on great shows.
The Shubert Theatre's History
The Shubert Theatre faced some tough times in the 1970s. It had money problems and had to close in 1976. But the story didn't end there! The City of New Haven bought the theatre building. They worked hard to fix up the inside.
To make the theatre even better, an old hotel next door was taken down. This made space for a new, modern lobby. The Shubert Theatre reopened in 1983 under the city's ownership. CAPA has been running it ever since.
Famous Shows at the Shubert
The Shubert Theatre is special because it's a "tryout venue." This means many new plays and musicals are performed here first. They try out their shows before taking them to Broadway in New York City. It's like a practice run where they can make changes and improvements.
The Shubert has hosted over 600 tryout shows. More than 300 of these were brand new shows, called "world premieres." Over 50 were "American premieres," meaning they were performed in the U.S. for the first time.
Iconic Musicals and Plays
Many very famous shows got their start at the Shubert Theatre. Here are just a few examples of popular musicals and plays that tried out here before becoming huge hits on Broadway:
- 1943: Oklahoma! – This classic musical was first called Away We Go when it played here.
- 1945: Carousel – Another beloved musical by the same creators as Oklahoma!.
- 1946: Annie Get Your Gun – A fun musical about a sharpshooter.
- 1947: A Streetcar Named Desire – A very famous play that later became a movie.
- 1949: South Pacific – A popular musical set during World War II.
- 1951: The King and I – A classic musical about a king and a teacher.
- 1956: My Fair Lady – One of the most famous musicals of all time!
- 1959: The Sound of Music – This musical later became a hugely popular movie.
- 1962: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – A funny musical comedy.
- 1963: Barefoot in the Park – A popular romantic comedy play.
- 1969: 1776 – A musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
These are just a few of the many amazing shows that have graced the Shubert stage. It continues to be an important place for new theatre productions and entertainment.
