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St. James Theatre
Construction
Erlanger's Theatre
St. James Theatre in July 2019
Address	246 West 44th Street Manhattan, New York United States
Coordinates	40°45′29″N 73°59′17″W / 40.75806°N 73.98806°W / 40.75806; -73.98806
Owner	Jujamcyn Theaters
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,710
Production	Illinoise
Opened	1927
Architect	Warren and Wetmore


New York City Landmark
Designated	December 15, 1987
Reference no.	1374
Designated entity	Facade


New York City Landmark
Designated	December 15, 1987
Reference no.	1375
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

The St. James Theatre is a famous Broadway theater in New York City. It is located at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. The theater first opened in 1927 and was originally called Erlanger's Theatre.

It was designed by the architects Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style. This means it looked like buildings from the Georgian era. The theater was built for a man named A. L. Erlanger. The St. James Theatre has about 1,709 seats spread across three levels. Today, it is managed by Jujamcyn Theaters. Both the outside (facade) and the inside (auditorium) of the theater are considered important New York City landmarks.

The outside of the theater is mostly made of stucco, which is a type of plaster. The bottom part is made of cast stone. There are special entrances for the lobby, the main seating area, and offices upstairs. Two big signs, called marquees, hang over the front. They show what's playing. Above these, there's a two-story loggia made of iron. This hides the fire escapes. The inside of the theater is decorated with paintings and plaster designs. It has a sloped main seating area, two balcony levels, and a flat ceiling. The first balcony has special box seats near the stage.

A. L. Erlanger first thought about building a theater here in 1921. His theater, Erlanger's Theatre, opened on September 26, 1927. The first show was a musical called The Merry Malones. Erlanger passed away in 1930. The theater was then taken over by Lodewick Vroom in 1932. He changed its name to St. James, after a theater in London. The Shubert family bought the St. James in 1941. But they had to sell it in 1956 because of a lawsuit. William L. McKnight bought the theater and updated it in 1958. Then, Jujamcyn Theaters started running it. The theater has been updated several times since then, including in 1985, 1999, and 2016. Many famous musicals have played here, like Oklahoma!, The King and I, Hello, Dolly!, The Who's Tommy, and The Producers.

Location of the St. James Theatre

The St. James Theatre is at 246 West 44th Street. It's on the south side of the street. This is between Eighth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. The theater is very close to Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. This area is in New York City.

The land the theater sits on is almost a rectangle. It covers about 12,858 square feet (1,194.5 m²). The front of the building on 44th Street is about 124.5 feet (37.9 m) wide.

The St. James Theatre shares its block with other famous places. These include the Hayes Theater, Sardi's restaurant, and 1501 Broadway. Across 44th Street, you can see the Majestic and Broadhurst theaters. Many other theaters are also nearby. The St. James was built where old three-story houses used to be.

Theater Design

The St. James Theatre was designed by Warren and Wetmore. They used a style called Georgian Revival style. It also had some ideas from Beaux-Arts design. The theater was built for producer Abraham L. Erlanger. It opened in 1927 as Erlanger's Theatre. The company that built it was the Thompson–Starrett Co.. Today, Jujamcyn Theaters runs the St. James.

Outside Look (Facade)

Box office entrance

Detail of loggia

Detail of attic

The outside of the theater, called the facade, is designed to be balanced. It is wider than it is tall. The design is mostly simple. The facade is mainly made of stucco. The bottom part is covered in cast stone above a granite base. Part of the side wall can also be seen from the street. It is covered in stucco over brick.

The St. James has a simpler look compared to some other theaters nearby. The New York Times once said it was "probably the least ornate" of the new theaters in the Times Square area.

The ground floor has many doors. The one on the far right (if you're looking at the theater) is a metal stage door. Right next to it is the entrance to the box office lobby. This entrance has three double doors made of aluminum and glass. There are signs above them. In the middle of the facade, there are four metal doors that lead into the main seating area. The section on the left has a glass-and-metal double door for Jujamcyn's offices.

Two large marquees hang over the front. They have signs that face both west and east. These signs are above the western and central parts of the facade. A stone band runs above the ground floor.

The upper parts of the facade have decorative cornerstones, called quoins, at each end. In the middle, there's a two-story loggia made of wrought iron. This hides the fire escape. The loggia has three arches. These arches are separated by columns in the Ionic style. The arches have iron grilles. Above these are decorations with leaves and winged animals. An iron band, called a frieze, runs above the loggia. There are also decorative tops, called finials, on the loggia's roof. On each side of the loggia, two vertical signs say "St. James". These signs have lanterns on top.

The top floor has five rectangular windows and two round windows. Some rectangular windows have fancy frames. The round windows have frames with leaf designs. The very top of the facade has a frieze with circular flower designs, vertical spaces, and masks. These masks show comedy and tragedy. Above that is the cornice, which is a simple decorative ledge.

Inside the Theater (Auditorium)

The main seating area, called the auditorium, has a ground level (orchestra), two balconies, special boxes, and a stage. The inside is decorated with plaster designs and paintings that look like carvings. Playbill says the theater has 1,684 seats. The Broadway League says it has 1,709 seats. When it first opened, Erlanger's Theatre had 1,600 seats. This was a lot, especially for musicals. Having two balconies was unusual for theaters at that time. Most only had one.

The St. James's inside was designed to be simpler. It didn't have as much fancy plasterwork as other theaters. One person at the time said it felt more like a "residential" home than a theater. The designers, Warren and Wetmore, focused on the layout and colors instead. The theater originally had coral-colored walls with gold accents. The chairs had coral fabrics with gold and blue. After a 1958 update, the inside was decorated in charcoal and gold.

Seating Areas

The orchestra level is the main floor. It is easy for wheelchairs to access through the main doors. It also has wheelchair-friendly restrooms. The back of the orchestra level has a small walking area. Stairs with fancy metal railings lead from here to the first balcony. The orchestra floor slopes down towards the stage. There's a pit in front of the stage for 40 musicians. The side walls of the orchestra used to look like stone blocks. The current layout of the orchestra level was changed in 1958. The back wall was moved, making the lobby bigger and the walking area smaller.

The balcony levels can only be reached by stairs. The first balcony, also called the mezzanine, slopes down. It's split into front and back sections by an aisle. This balcony is deeper than in similar theaters. It reaches over what used to be the tenth row of orchestra seats. The second balcony also slopes but is set back further. The front of the first balcony is curved and has molded decorations. It connects to the special boxes on each side. A decorative band runs near the top of the auditorium. It goes from the second balcony, above the boxes, and over the stage opening. The undersides of the balconies are simple and made of plaster. Both balconies have lights on their fronts. The second balcony also has a technical booth at the back. The side walls originally had murals painted by Paul Arndt. These showed romantic scenes. They were later covered up.

On each side of the stage opening (proscenium) is a curved wall section with one box seat on the first balcony level. One box was called the President's box, and the other was the Governor's box. The fronts of these boxes are curved and have plaster designs. Next to each box are decorative columns, called pilasters. These support the decorative band above the boxes. There are oval spaces on the walls in front of each box. These have busts (sculptures of heads and shoulders) of women. There are also golden urns behind the boxes. Curtains used to hang above the boxes but were removed. Above the boxes are also curved spaces with murals.

Other Design Features

Next to the boxes is the proscenium, which frames the stage. It has a flat-arched opening inside an elliptical arch. The top corners of this opening curve slightly inward. The opening is surrounded by a rounded molding. A mural is placed above the flat arch. It shows cupids playing golf with Satan in a "ruined temple of love." The original stage curtain was made of asbestos and designed by Smeraldi. On each side of the flat arch, there are pictures of court jesters pulling back curtains.

A curved sounding board is above the boxes, in front of the stage opening. It has molded bands of leaves and ribbons. These divide it into two parts. The front part has rectangular panels with urns, leaves, and swag designs. The back part rises from the murals above each arch. It has a central panel showing a musical instrument. The rest of the back part has squares with rosettes. These squares are set diagonally, like diamonds. This makes it look like a coffered ceiling (a ceiling with sunken panels). The ceiling itself is flat. It curves down towards the back of the second balcony. The center of the ceiling has a plaster design with instruments and swags. A chandelier hangs from here. Grilles around the center used to be for ventilation.

Other Inside Areas

The lobby is next to the orchestra seating area. It stretches across the width of the theater. The lobby has an outer and inner part. The box office is in the outer part. The inner lobby originally had a 17th-century tapestry on one wall and a marble table. The floor had black-and-white marble tiles. The walls were gray stone with black-and-gold marble. The ceiling was colorful with gold and lights. Three black-and-gold marble doorways led to the auditorium. A gray marble staircase with a colorful railing led to the upper floors. The lobby was made bigger and changed in 1958.

The theater also had a ladies' lounge in the basement. It had a rose and gold color scheme. There was also a men's lounge on the mezzanine level. This lounge was gray-green and had hidden lights. It was 50 feet (15 m) long. It connected to restrooms, phone booths, and a writing room. A men's club room was in the basement. It was decorated in a Tudor style with a large fireplace.

Backstage, there were dressing rooms for 150 performers. The main stars had their own special rooms with bathrooms. Musicians had their own areas that connected to the orchestra pit. The main offices for Jujamcyn Theaters are also in the St. James Theatre building.

History of the St. James Theatre

The Times Square area became the main place for big theater shows between 1900 and the Great Depression. At the start of the 20th century, A. L. Erlanger was a key person in theater. He worked with Marc Klaw to run Klaw and Erlanger. This was the biggest company for booking theater shows in the U.S. They built two major theaters on nearby 42nd Street. These were the New Amsterdam Theatre (still there) and the Liberty Theatre (no longer operating). Klaw and Erlanger worked together until 1919. After they split up, Erlanger planned to build many new theaters, including three in New York City.

Building the Theater

Seen from the east

Erlanger first suggested a new theater in New York City in 1921. He hired Warren and Wetmore to design a 1,200-seat theater on 44th Street. It was to be called the Model Theatre. This would have been a single-story building at 246–256 West 46th Street. This is the same spot where the St. James is now. The plans were delayed because Erlanger had disagreements with the Shubert brothers. They were another big theater group. He also had issues with Klaw.

The plans were finished in 1922. In December of that year, Erlanger agreed to build the theater for revues. These were shows with music, dance, and comedy. The plan was for a vaudeville duo, Bernard and Collier, to perform there. But that plan also didn't happen. Finally, in February 1926, Erlanger announced a third plan. It was for a theater with two balconies and 1,600 seats. It would be called Erlanger's Theatre. It would cost $1 million. Warren and Wetmore were still the architects for this project.

By May 1927, the theater was almost ready. In July, Erlanger announced that George M. Cohan's The Merry Malones would be the first show. The theater opened on September 26, 1927, with The Merry Malones. This show ran for 192 performances. Erlanger took full control of the theater a month after it opened.

A. L. Erlanger passed away in March 1930. His family continued to run the theater. In 1930, the theater showed a play called The Rivals. Then came the popular musical Fine and Dandy, which ran for 246 performances. In 1931, the Civic Light Opera Company rented the theater. They put on Gilbert and Sullivan shows. After Erlanger's family couldn't pay the rent, the theater went back to the Astor family. They owned the land.

Vroom Takes Over

In July 1932, Lodewick Vroom announced he had bought the Erlanger from the Astors. Soon after, Vroom renamed the theater the St. James. He named it after a theater in London. The first show at the renamed St. James was Walk a Little Faster. It opened in December 1932 and ran for 121 performances. The St. James hosted more Gilbert and Sullivan shows in 1933.

The Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo performed at the St. James from December 1933 to April 1934. This was their last performance in the U.S. for 50 years. Another successful show was the operetta May Wine in 1935. It ran for 212 performances.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA), a U.S. government agency, held interviews at the St. James in 1936. This was for their Federal Theatre Project. In 1937, two Shakespeare plays were shown: Hamlet and Richard II. Later that year, Father Malachy's Miracle ran for 125 performances. In 1938, an uncut version of Hamlet was performed. This was the first time the full play was shown in the U.S.

In January 1940, the St. James hosted Earl Carroll's Vanities. Reviewers didn't like that the show used microphones for sound. In November, another Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night, was performed. This was followed by Native Son in March 1941.

Shubert Family Runs the Theater

The Shubert Organization started running the St. James in July 1941. From January to March 1942, the theater hosted the Boston Comic Opera Company. They performed Gilbert and Sullivan works. The same year, the theater hosted the play Claudia. It also showed the comedy Without Love.

The Theater Guild, which hadn't had much success, premiered Rodgers and Hammerstein's first musical, Oklahoma!, at the St. James in March 1943. Vincent Astor sold the theater to the Shuberts later that year. Oklahoma! ran for over 2,200 performances until 1948. It saved the Theater Guild from going out of business. It became a very famous musical.

Frank Loesser's Where's Charley? opened at the St. James in 1948. It ran for 762 performances. Where's Charley? closed to make room for another musical, Peter Pan. This was followed by more Gilbert and Sullivan shows. Later that year, the St. James premiered the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. It ran for 1,246 performances over three years. George Abbott's The Pajama Game opened in 1954 and ran for 1,061 performances. In 1956, the musical Li'l Abner opened. It ran for 693 performances.

Jujamcyn Takes Over

Side view of the loggia

By the 1950s, the Shuberts owned almost half of all the theaters in New York City. The U.S. government sued them for being too powerful. As part of a deal in 1956, the Shuberts had to sell some of their theaters. In May 1956, a group offered the Shuberts $2.1 million for the St. James Theatre. The sale was completed in July. William L. McKnight and Samuel H. Schwartz bought the St. James for $1.75 million. Schwartz became president of the Jujamcyn Corporation. This company was created to run the theater.

1950s to 1970s

McKnight spent $600,000 to fix up the St. James in 1958. This took three months. The inside was changed a lot, but the outside stayed mostly the same. The outside was painted green and gold. The inside was decorated in gold and charcoal gray. The curtains, carpets, and seats were replaced. New electronic systems were put in. The first show at the newly fixed theater was Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song. It opened in December 1958 and ran for 600 performances.

The St. James then hosted Once Upon a Mattress with Carol Burnett in 1960. This was followed by the play Becket with Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn. Also, the musical Do Re Mi with Nancy Walker and Phil Silvers. Another musical, Subways Are for Sleeping, came in 1961.

More changes were made to the St. James in 1962. That year, the musical Mr. President played there. It was Irving Berlin's last Broadway show. The next show was Luther in 1963. The musical Hello, Dolly! opened at the St. James in January 1964. It first starred Carol Channing. With 2,844 performances until 1970, Hello, Dolly! was the longest-running Broadway musical when it closed. This was followed in 1971 by Two Gentlemen of Verona.

For much of the mid-1970s, the St. James hosted short-lived revivals. For example, a 1973 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire ran for only 53 performances. A 1974 revival of Good News ran only 16 times. In 1976, McKnight gave the St. James and Jujamcyn's other theaters to his daughter Virginia and her husband James H. Binger. The same year, the theater hosted a revival of My Fair Lady. The next big hit was On the Twentieth Century. It opened in 1978 and ran for over 450 performances.

1980s and 1990s

Marquee

The musical Barnum opened in 1980. It starred Jim Dale and ran for 854 performances. The next show was Rock 'N Roll! The First 5,000 Years in 1982. It closed after only a week. After this, My One and Only opened in 1983. It ran for 767 performances. The stage floor was replaced after this show.

In July 1985, Jujamcyn announced a $1.5 million renovation for the theater. This included a new marquee, seats, curtains, and carpets. The auditorium was repainted, and new electrical wiring was installed. The theater reopened in December 1985 with Jerry's Girls. After that, the long-running musical 42nd Street moved to the St. James in 1987. It extended its run for two more years. The St. James's last shows of the decade were Largely New York and a revival of Gypsy in 1989. Gypsy ran for over a year.

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) started thinking about making the St. James a landmark in 1982. The LPC officially named the St. James's outside and inside as a landmark on December 15, 1987. This was part of a big effort to protect Broadway theaters. Jujamcyn and other theater owners sued the LPC in 1988. They wanted to stop the landmark status for 22 theaters, including the St. James. They said it limited how much they could change the theaters. But these landmark designations were upheld in 1992.

The musical The Secret Garden opened in 1991. It ran for 706 performances. This was followed in 1993 by The Who's Tommy, which ran for 900 performances. The next show was supposed to be Busker Alley in 1995. A tall mural was painted on the theater's facade for this show. But the musical was canceled after its star broke his foot. The mural was painted over. The musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was revived in 1996. It ran for 715 performances. This was followed by a short concert by singer Patti LaBelle in 1998. Also, the musical High Society ran for 98 performances that year.

The St. James had a $3 million renovation for eight months. When it reopened in 1999, it hosted The Civil War. Then, the dance show Swing! ran for a year.

2000s to Present

Seen in 2006, during the run of The Producers

Swing! closed in January 2001. It was replaced by Mel Brooks's musical The Producers. This show broke ticket-sale records when it opened in April 2001. Because it was so popular, the producers started a special ticket system. This was to stop people from buying tickets at normal price and selling them for much more. The Producers ran until 2007, with 2,502 performances.

After James H. Binger passed away in 2004, Rocco Landesman bought the St. James and Jujamcyn's other four theaters in 2005. Jordan Roth joined Jujamcyn the same year. In 2007, a limited run of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! played at the St. James. The theater then hosted a revival of Gypsy in 2008. It starred Patti LuPone.

In 2009, Jordan Roth became a major owner of Jujamcyn. He took full control of the company. That year, the St. James showed Desire Under the Elms and Finian's Rainbow. In the early 2010s, the St. James hosted musicals and concerts. These included American Idiot in 2010. Also, Hair and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever in 2011. Leap of Faith and Bring It On: The Musical played in 2012. Barry Manilow had a concert in 2013. Let It Be also played that year. Bullets Over Broadway and Side Show were in 2014. Part of the stage was removed for the set of Bullets Over Broadway.

Something Rotten! opened in 2015 and ran for a year and a half. A revival of the play Present Laughter was then hosted in 2017. Jujamcyn bought the alley next to the theater. This allowed them to make the St. James's stage 10 feet (3.0 m) longer. The stage expansion was finished for the Disney musical Frozen. It opened in March 2018. Frozen set a box office record for the St. James Theatre. It made $2,624,495 in one week in December 2018.

2020s to Present

On March 12, 2020, the theater temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frozen was canceled. The St. James was the first Broadway theater to reopen after the pandemic. Bruce Springsteen's Springsteen on Broadway shows opened on June 26, 2021. As part of a deal with the U.S. government, Jujamcyn agreed to make its five Broadway theaters, including the St. James, more accessible for people with disabilities.

David Byrne's American Utopia opened later in 2021 and ran until early 2022. This was followed in July 2022 by a limited run of the musical Into the Woods. It was extended until January 2023. Jujamcyn and Ambassador Theatre Group agreed to combine their companies in early 2023. The new company will run seven Broadway theaters, including the St. James. New York, New York, a musical based on the film, opened in April 2023. It ran for three months.

A revival of Spamalot opened in November 2023 and closed after 164 performances. The musical Illinoise was staged at the theater from April to August 2024. After that, the 2023 West End revival of Sunset Boulevard will play at the St. James.