94-391: The Dancing Town is a 1928 two-reeler film, starring Helen Hayes . It was Humphrey Bogart 's film debut. The UCLA Film and Television Archive has a complete preservation copy of the film. This short film–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( née Brown ; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993)
188-428: A marquee extends above the doors. The southeastern corner of the facade is curved and contains an entrance to the ticket lobby. This entrance contains a double door, above which is a glass transom panel with the word "Broadhurst" inscribed on it. The corner entrance is topped by a broken pediment , which is supported by console brackets on either side and contains an escutcheon at the center. Along 44th Street,
282-535: A 273-performance run. That year, the Shuberts took over the theater's operation from George Broadhurst. In 1931, the Broadhurst staged Herbert Fields and Rodgers and Hart 's musical America's Sweetheart , which continued for 135 performances. Aarons and Freedley gave up their lease on the theater that August, and Norman Bel Geddes produced a short-lived revival of Shakespeare's Hamlet that November. This
376-829: A depth of 100.42 ft (31 m). The Broadhurst Theatre shares the city block with the Row NYC Hotel to the west. It adjoins six other theaters: the Majestic to the west, the John Golden and Bernard B. Jacobs to the northwest, the Gerald Schoenfeld to the north, the Booth to the northeast, and the Shubert to the east. Other nearby structures include the Music Box Theatre and Imperial Theatre one block north; One Astor Plaza to
470-432: A frieze of horsemen. The theater was also designed with a false proscenium opening, which gave the impression of a smaller stage suitable for dramas and comedies. The proscenium opening measures about 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and 40 ft (12 m) wide. The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is 31 ft (9.4 m), while the depth to the front of the stage is 33 ft 2 in (10.11 m). The ceiling
564-417: A granite water table with terracotta blocks above it. On this story, there are two metal doors and three windows. The stage house has five sash windows on each of the upper stories. These windows are placed within segmental arches made of brick. There is a metal fire escape in front of the stage house, which leads to the fire escape in front of the auditorium's third story. A parapet with corbels runs above
658-544: A half years. The Broadhurst hosted a revival of the August Strindberg play Dance Of Death in late 2001, featuring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren . The next year, the theater revived Stephen Sondheim 's musical Into the Woods with Vanessa Williams , which ran for 279 performances. Two short runs followed in 2003: Urban Cowboy , with 60 performances, and Never Gonna Dance , with 84 performances. As part of
752-463: A hiatus mid-run. Subsequently, Ruth Gordon 's version of the Henrik Ibsen play A Doll's House moved to the Broadhurst in 1938. This was followed in 1939 by Dodie Smith 's Dear Octopus ; the musical The Hot Mikado , an all-Black version of The Mikado with Bill Robinson ; and the revue The Streets of Paris with Carmen Miranda and Abbott and Costello . During the 1940s,
846-417: A large balcony, a small technical gallery, and a flat ceiling. The space is decorated in the classical Greek and Adam styles , with Doric columns and Greek friezes . Near the front of the auditorium, flanking the flat proscenium arch, are box seats at balcony level. The Shubert brothers developed the Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters following the success of the Booth and Shubert theaters directly to
940-813: A revival of Private Lives with Joan Collins and the play Shimada in 1992. The next hit was Terrence McNally , John Kander , and Fred Ebb 's musical Kiss of the Spider Woman , which opened in May 1993 with Anthony Crivello , Brent Carver , and Chita Rivera ; it ran for 906 performances. Next, the New York Shakespeare Festival presented The Tempest in November 1995, starring Patrick Stewart , for 71 performances. The play Getting Away with Murder flopped in March 1996 after 17 performances, and
1034-614: A second benefit for the Riverside Shakespeare Company, this time at the Marquis Theatre , the construction of which had been made possible by the demolition of the Helen Hayes Theatre three years before. The production featured Rex Smith , Ossie Davis and F. Murray Abraham , and was produced by McDowell and directed by Robert Small, with Hayes narrating. According to her daughter-in-law, HB MacArthur, Hayes took
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#17328518906251128-470: A set of plays by Preston Jones . At the end of the year, the theater hosted Larry Gelbart 's farce Sly Fox , starring George C. Scott , which ran for 495 performances. Bob Fosse 's musical Dancin' , starring Ann Reinking and Wayne Cilento , had opened in March 1978. When Dancin' relocated in December 1980, it had had the longest continuous run at the Broadhurst. Immediately afterward,
1222-475: A settlement with the United States Department of Justice in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Broadhurst. Billy Crystal 's solo show 700 Sundays , which opened in December 2004, ran for 163 performances and at one point was Broadway's highest-grossing non-musical show. The musical Lennon then had 49 performances at
1316-417: Is a terracotta cartouche containing depictions of swags . The curved corner contains a third-floor window, topped by an oval escutcheon decorated with swags and fleur-de-lis . A terracotta cornice and a brick parapet runs above the auditorium facade. The parapet is stepped and contains a coping made of sheet metal . The stage house is five stories high. The ground floor of the stage house contains
1410-416: Is decorated with a medallion containing a light fixture; this is surrounded by a molded band. Doric-style columns separate the boxes from each other, supporting a molding and panel at the top of each wall section. Next to the boxes is a flat proscenium arch, which consists of Doric pilasters on either side of the opening, as well as an entablature above. The entablature contains a central relief panel with
1504-494: Is doing something is almost as pleasurable as what she is doing." She spent most of her last years writing and raising money for organizations that fight asthma. Hayes was a generous donor of time and money to a number of causes and organizations, including the Riverside Shakespeare Company of New York City. Along with Mildred Natwick , she became a founding member of the company's Board of Advisors in 1981. She
1598-617: Is flat, containing plasterwork moldings, friezes, and medallions, as well as air-conditioning vents. Chandeliers are suspended from the medallions. Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression . Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift from Union Square and Madison Square during the first decade of the 20th century. From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including
1692-524: Is operated by the Shubert Organization . Krapp designed the Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters with relatively simple brick-and-stone facades, instead relying on the arrangement of the brickwork for decorative purposes. The Broadhurst and Plymouth contain curved corners at the eastern portions of their respective facades, facing Broadway , since most audience members reached the theaters from that direction. The use of simple exterior-design elements
1786-623: Is regarded as one of the greatest leading ladies of the 20th-century theatre. Her career spanned 82 years. A leading philanthropist in later decades, Hayes was most proud of her 49-year association with the extraordinary Helen Hayes Hospital, a non-profit rehabilitative center overlooking the Hudson River in West Haverstraw, NY. Helen Hayes Brown was born in Washington, D.C. , on October 10, 1900. Her mother, Catherine Estelle "Essie" (née Hayes),
1880-502: Is simple in design and is similar to that of the Schoenfeld (formerly Plymouth) Theatre , which was developed concurrently. The Broadhurst's facade is made of buff -colored brick and terracotta and is divided into two sections: a stage house to the west and the theater's entrance to the east. The entrance is topped by fire-escape galleries and contains a curved corner facing east toward Broadway . The auditorium contains an orchestra level,
1974-506: Is surrounded by a Doric -style cornice as well as a frieze designed in the Adam style . There are also plasterwork panels on the promenade ceiling, which contain chandeliers suspended from medallions. Two staircases with metal railings lead from the promenade to the balcony. The orchestra level is raked , sloping down toward an orchestra pit in front of the stage. The orchestra and its promenade contain walls with plasterwork panels. Doorways on
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#17328518906252068-1168: The Academy of the Sacred Heart Convent in Washington and graduated in 1917. Hayes began a stage career as a five-year-old singer at Washington's Belasco Theatre , on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. By age 10, she had made a short film, Jean and the Calico Doll (1910). Her sound film debut was The Sin of Madelon Claudet , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress . She followed that with starring roles in Arrowsmith (with Ronald Colman ); A Farewell to Arms (with Gary Cooper ); The White Sister (opposite Clark Gable ); Another Language (opposite Robert Montgomery ); What Every Woman Knows (a reprise of her Broadway hit); and Vanessa: Her Love Story also with Robert Montgomery. But Hayes did not prefer film to
2162-725: The Agatha Christie play Ten Little Indians in 1944, and a transfer of the revue Follow the Girls with Jackie Gleason and Gertrude Niesen in 1945. Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton 's revue Three to Make Ready transferred to the Broadhurst in 1946, and Helen Hayes returned the same year in Anita Loos 's Happy Birthday , which ran for 564 performances. Four revues were staged during 1948 and 1949: Make Mine Manhattan , Along Fifth Avenue , Lend an Ear , and Touch and Go . The 1950s saw several long-running shows, though
2256-554: The Astor family . The Broadhurst and Schoenfeld were built as a pair, occupying land left over from the development of the Shubert and Booth, which were also paired. The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld theatrical pair share an alley to the east, parallel to the larger Shubert Alley east of the Shubert/Booth pair. The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld alley was required under New York City construction codes of
2350-719: The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center , in Austin, Texas . The center protects and preserves North America's native plants and natural landscapes. The Helen Hayes Award for theater in the Washington, D.C., area is named in her honor. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6220 Hollywood Blvd. Hayes is also in the American Theatre Hall of Fame . Hayes was a Catholic and a Republican who attended many Republican National Conventions (including
2444-525: The National Medal of Arts . The annual Helen Hayes Awards , which have recognized excellence in professional theatre in greater Washington, D.C., since 1984, are her namesake. In 1955, the former Fulton Theatre on 46th Street in New York City's Theatre District was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre. When that venue was torn down in 1982, the nearby Little Theatre was renamed in her honor. Helen Hayes
2538-455: The Parthenon , which is mostly hidden behind light boxes. There is a small technical gallery above the rear of the balcony, the front railing of which contains moldings of swags. A Doric-style cornice runs above the balcony walls, wrapping above the boxes and proscenium. On either side of the stage is a wall section with three boxes at the balcony level. The boxes step downward toward the stage;
2632-724: The Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards . In 1979, she received the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame . Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1917, the theater
2726-487: The Broadhurst Theatre. The Broadhurst was developed by the Shubert brothers of Syracuse, New York , who expanded downstate into New York City in the first decade of the 20th century. After the death of Sam S. Shubert in 1905, his brothers Lee and Jacob J. Shubert expanded their theatrical operations significantly. The brothers controlled a quarter of all plays and three-quarters of theatrical ticket sales in
2820-501: The Broadhurst and Booth theaters was sold in 2009, and some 1,800 sq ft (170 m ) was sold in 2012. The Shuberts sold a further 58,392 sq ft (5,424.8 m ) of air rights above the Majestic and Broadhurst in 2013. Lucy Prebble 's play Enron flopped at the Broadhurst with 16 performances in 2010, despite critical acclaim on the West End. More successful was
2914-473: The Broadhurst briefly hosted the long-running musical My Fair Lady , and Richard Rodgers 's musical No Strings finished its 580-performance run there. The Tom Jones / Harvey Schmidt musical 110 in the Shade opened in 1963 with Robert Horton , Will Geer , Lesley Ann Warren , and Inga Swenson . The next year, the theater hosted the West End musical Oh, What a Lovely War! . The musical Kelly
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3008-467: The Broadhurst hosted Peter Shaffer 's Amadeus , with Ian McKellen , Tim Curry , and Jane Seymour ; it ran until October 1983. The Tap Dance Kid opened that December, running for three months before transferring. Next was a revival of Death of a Salesman with Dustin Hoffman , which opened in March 1984 and ran until the end of that year. The Broadhurst was then closed for six months, and
3102-497: The Broadhurst hosted numerous musicals and revues. These included Boys and Girls Together with Ed Wynn , Jane Pickens , and the DeMarcos in 1940, as well as High Kickers with George Jessel and Sophie Tucker the next year. The drama Uncle Harry with Eva Le Gallienne, Joseph Schildkraut , and Karl Malden ran at the Broadhurst in 1942. Further hits at the Broadhurst included Fats Waller 's revue Early to Bed in 1943;
3196-548: The Broadhurst in 2005, followed the next year by Alan Bennett 's play The History Boys . A revival of the musical Les Misérables opened in November 2006, just three years after the long-running original production had closed; it had 463 performances. More revivals followed in 2008, with an all-Black cast in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , as well as a revival of Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths . Next in 2009
3290-521: The Broadhurst in 2012, followed the next year by Nora Ephron 's Lucky Guy , with Tom Hanks in his Broadway debut. In 2013, the musical Mamma Mia! transferred from the Winter Garden Theatre to the Broadhurst for the final two years of its 14-year run. The next shows at the Broadhurst were the play Misery in 2015, as well as the musicals Tuck Everlasting and The Front Page in 2016. The musical Anastasia opened at
3384-513: The Broadhurst in 2017 and ran there for nearly two years. It was followed in May 2019 by Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and in December 2019 by Jagged Little Pill . The theater closed on March 12, 2020 , due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It reopened on October 21, 2021, with performances of Jagged Little Pill , which closed at the end of 2021 due to further pandemic-related issues. It
3478-401: The Broadhurst in November 1988 and ran for just over a year. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting the Broadhurst as an official city landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The LPC designated the facade as a landmark on November 10, 1987, followed by the interior on December 15. This was part of
3572-414: The Broadhurst later in 1934. This included L'Aiglon with Ethel Barrymore , as well as Hedda Gabler and Cradle Song . The Broadhurst hosted Robert E. Sherwood 's play The Petrified Forest , with Humphrey Bogart and Leslie Howard , in 1935. Victoria Regina , featuring Helen Hayes and Vincent Price , opened at the end of that year. It ran for 517 performances through 1937, with
3666-782: The Church for the duration of her marriage to Charles MacArthur , who was a divorced Protestant); and the polio -related death of her 19-year-old daughter, Mary (1930–1949), an aspiring actress. Hayes's adopted son, James MacArthur (1937–2010), had a successful career in acting, including as co-star to Jack Lord in Hawaii Five-O . Hayes guest-starred on Hawaii Five-O in the 1975 episode "Retire in Sunny Hawaii... Forever". She and her son appeared in The Love Boat episode "No Girls for Doc/Marriage of Convenience/The Caller/The Witness". Hayes
3760-552: The LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified the designations in March 1988. The Shuberts, the Nederlanders , and Jujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Broadhurst, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which
3854-574: The Public Theatre's transfer of The Merchant of Venice , starring Al Pacino , the same year. This was followed in 2011 by Floyd Mutrux 's musical Baby It's You! . Hugh Jackman 's concert special Back on Broadway , which opened the same year, broke the theater's box-office record several times; the current record as of 2023 was set on the week ending January 1, 2012, when the show earned $ 2,057,354. A revival of A Streetcar Named Desire with Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker occupied
The Dancing Town - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-438: The Shubert's new 44th Street venue because he wanted a theater to showcase his own work. The Broadhurst opened on September 27, 1917, with George Bernard Shaw 's comedy Misalliance ; the show lasted 52 performances. Despite his early intentions, George Broadhurst did not only stage his own shows at the theater; for example, the Broadhurst hosted a revival of R. C. Carton 's Lord and Lady Algy in December 1917. This
4042-406: The Spider Woman , Les Misérables , and Mamma Mia! . The Broadhurst Theatre is on 235 West 44th Street, on the north sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Seventh Avenue , near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . The rectangular land lot covers 10,695 square feet (993.6 m ), with a frontage of 106.5 feet (32.5 m) on 44th Street and
4136-464: The U.S. by 1925. The Shubert brothers had constructed the Shubert and Booth theaters as a pair in 1913, having leased the site from the Astor family. Only the eastern half of the land was used for the Shubert/Booth project; following the success of the two theaters, the Shubert brothers decided to develop another pair of theaters to the west. Herbert Krapp was hired as the architect, while Edward Margolies
4230-486: The alliance's drama committee and board of directors, according to alliance executive director James Kirk Merrick who noted, "This award isn't given every year.... It is only presented when we feel someone is deserving. I don't think there can be any question as to how we arrived at choosing Miss Hayes." In 1982, with friend Lady Bird Johnson , she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, now
4324-564: The auditorium to the east and a stage house to the west. The facade is generally shorter than its width. The ground floor of the auditorium contains a water table made of granite, above which are vertical blocks of architectural terracotta . The rest of the facade is made of buff brick in Flemish bond , laid in a diaper pattern. Along the ground floor on 44th Street, there are glass-and-bronze double doors with aluminum frames and transoms . There are display boxes on either side of these doors, and
4418-404: The auditorium's second and third floors contain a fire escape made of cast iron and wrought iron . There are doors and windows on both levels, leading to the fire escape. In addition, the fire escape's third-floor railing contains cast-iron depictions of ribands and shields. A canopy originally shielded the fire escape at the third floor. Above the center of the third floor, on 44th Street,
4512-405: The balcony are four paneled piers (corresponding to those at orchestra level), which are topped by Doric-style capitals . The side walls contain plasterwork panels with swags. There are also doorways with pediments, similar to those on the orchestra. Low-relief panels and air-conditioning vents are placed on the balcony's underside. In front of the balcony is a Panathenaic frieze, based on that of
4606-751: The building. Parts of the original Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway were used to construct the Shakespeare Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which Hayes dedicated with Joseph Papp in 1982. In 1983 the Little Theater on West 44th Street was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in her honor, as was a theatre in Nyack, which has since been renamed the Riverspace-Arts Center. In early 2014,
4700-520: The city; Bellevue Hospital at night, a tugboat hauling garbage out to sea, parties, libraries, and Puerto Rican markets. They spoke to everyday people to see how they lived their lives and what made the city tick. The result of this collaborative effort was the book Twice Over Lightly , published in 1972. It is unclear when or by whom Hayes was called the "First Lady of the Theatre". Her friend, actress Katharine Cornell , also held that title, and each thought
4794-544: The earliest shows of the decade were short-lived. For example, Martin Balsam and Walter Matthau starred in The Liar , which lasted only 12 performances in May 1950. Douglass Watson and Olivia de Havilland starred in a 49-performance revival of Romeo and Juliet in 1951, while the musical Flahooley ran just 40 performances afterward. Conversely, the musical Seventeen ran for 180 performances later in 1951. Next
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#17328518906254888-481: The east. The Broadhurst Theatre opened on September 27, 1917, with Misalliance ; its namesake had intended to use the theater for his own productions. The Shuberts acquired full control of the Broadhurst in 1929 and have operated it since then. The theater has hosted not only musicals but also revues, comedies, and dramas throughout its history. Long-running shows hosted at the Broadhurst have included Hold Everything! , Fiorello! , Cabaret , Grease , Kiss of
4982-567: The east; 1501 Broadway to the southeast; and the Sardi's restaurant, the Hayes Theater , and the St. James Theatre to the south. The Broadhurst is part of the largest concentration of Broadway theaters on a single block. The Broadhurst, Schoenfeld (originally Plymouth), Booth, and Shubert theaters were all developed by the Shubert brothers between 44th and 45th Streets, occupying land previously owned by
5076-431: The end of 1927. It was immediately followed by Winthrop Ames 's version of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice , featuring George Arliss and Peggy Wood . The Lew Brown / B. G. de Sylva / Ray Henderson musical Hold Everything! opened later in 1928 and lasted for 413 performances. The Broadhurst's last hit of the 1920s was George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner 's play June Moon , which opened in 1929 for
5170-478: The fifth story of the stage house. The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony, boxes , and a stage behind the proscenium arch. The auditorium has about the same width and depth, and the space is designed with plaster decorations in relief . According to the Shubert Organization, the theater has 1,218 seats; meanwhile, The Broadway League gives a figure of 1,186 seats and Playbill cites 1,163 seats. The physical seats are divided into 733 seats in
5264-399: The firm of Herts & Tallant . While the facades of the two theaters are similar in arrangement, the interiors have a different design both from each other and from their respective facades. The Broadhurst is designed to complement the Shubert/Booth theatrical pair, with a simple neoclassical facade compared to the Shubert's and Booth's " Venetian Renaissance " designs. The Broadhurst
5358-531: The firm of Johansen-Bhavnani renovated the venue as part of a project that cost $ 2 million. The project entailed rebuilding the stage, redecorating the lobby, enlarging a lounge and restrooms, and modifying the seating areas. This was part of a restoration program for the Shubert Organization's Broadway theaters. The Broadhurst reopened in June 1985 with a gender-swapped version of Neil Simon 's play The Odd Couple ; it lasted until February 1986. The Eugene O'Neill play Long Day's Journey into Night opened at
5452-419: The front box curves forward into the proscenium arch, while the rear box curves backward into the balcony. At the orchestra level, there are three rectangular openings, corresponding to the locations of former boxes on that level. The front railings of the boxes contain sections of a Panathenaic frieze, separated by fasces made of plaster; the frieze contained depictions of horsemen. The underside of each box
5546-541: The hospital in the 1940s and was named to the Board of Visitors in 1944. In 1974, the hospital was renamed in her honor. She served on the Helen Hayes Hospital Board of Visitors for 49 years, until her death in 1993. In that time, she advocated tirelessly for the hospital and successfully led a fight to prevent its relocation to Albany in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she was instrumental in lobbying for funding to transform
5640-435: The hospital into a state-of-the-art facility. Hayes also contributed her enthusiastic support to hospital events and fund-raising efforts, including handing out diplomas to the children upon graduation when the hospital was still a pediatric care facility. She also faithfully attended the hospital's annual Classic Race, leading it in a classic car, handing out awards to runners, hand cyclists, and wheelchair racers, and offering
5734-579: The last play by Eugene O'Neill , opened at the Broadhurst in 1967 and featured Ingrid Bergman , Arthur Hill , and Colleen Dewhurst . You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running occupied the Broadhurst for several months in 1968, during the middle of that play's run. The next year, The Fig Leaves Are Falling flopped after four performances, and Woody Allen , Tony Roberts , and Diane Keaton starred in Play It Again, Sam . The Broadhurst
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#17328518906255828-578: The most pride in her philanthropic work with Helen Hayes Hospital , a physical rehabilitation hospital located in West Haverstraw , New York. She was extremely proud of the strides the hospital made toward the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, saying: "I've seen my name in lights on theater marquees and in letters 20 feet tall on Broadway billboards, but nothing has ever given me greater sense of pride and satisfaction than my 49-year association with this unique hospital." Hayes became involved with
5922-511: The musical Once Upon a Mattress opened that December with Sarah Jessica Parker , running for 187 performances. In 1998, Jerry Seinfeld performed an original stand-up act at the Broadhurst; his final performance, I'm Telling You for the Last Time , was aired live on HBO . This was followed by Fosse , a revue featuring Bob Fosse shows, which opened in January 1999 and ran for two and
6016-719: The one held in New Orleans in 1988 ), but she was not as politically vocal as several other Republicans (e.g., Adolphe Menjou , Ginger Rogers , John Wayne , Ronald Reagan , etc.) in the Hollywood community of that time. Hayes delivered a seconding speech to George H. W. Bush 's nomination during the roll call at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Hayes wrote three memoirs: A Gift of Joy , On Reflection , and My Life in Three Acts . Some of these books' themes include her return to Roman Catholicism (she had been denied communion from
6110-438: The orchestra, 429 on the balcony, and 24 in the boxes. There are 32 standing-only spots. The theater contains restrooms in the basement and concessions in the lobby. The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible and contains an accessible restroom; the balcony is not wheelchair-accessible. The rear or eastern end of the orchestra contains a promenade, with four paneled piers supporting the balcony level. The promenade's ceiling
6204-453: The other deserved it. One critic said Cornell played every queen as though she were a woman, whereas Hayes played every woman as though she were a queen. Hayes was also recognized with additional awards during her career. In January 1968, Philadelphia Art Alliance president Raymond S. Green presented her with the alliance's Award of Merit "in recognition of outstanding creative work of high artistic merit." She had been chosen unanimously by
6298-474: The same year. Peggy Wood returned to the Broadhurst for Hugo Felix 's Marjolaine in 1922, which had 136 performances. The Broadhurst's productions in 1923 included The Dancers with Richard Bennett and Florence Eldridge , as well as the revue Topics of 1923 with Alice Delysia . In early 1924, the Broadhurst staged Marc Connelly and George S. Kaufman 's play Beggar on Horseback with Roland Young , which lasted for 224 performances. This
6392-496: The site was refurbished and styled by interior designer Dawn Hershko and reopened as the Playhouse Market, a quaint restaurant and gourmet deli. Hayes, who spoke with her good friend Anita Loos almost daily on the phone, told her, "I used to think New York was the most enthralling place in the world. I'll bet it still is and if I were free next summer, I would prove it." With that, she convinced Loos to embark on an exploration of all five boroughs of New York. They visited and explored
6486-402: The south (left) wall lead from the lobby, while those on the north (right) and east (rear) walls lead to the exits. The tops of the doorways are flanked by console brackets, which support an entablature and a pediment with anthemia . When the theater was built, the orchestra had a movable floor; half the seating could be removed overnight to accommodate smaller productions. At the rear of
6580-405: The stage. Hayes eventually returned to Broadway in 1935, where for three years she played the title role in Gilbert Miller 's production of Victoria Regina , with Vincent Price as Prince Albert, first at the Broadhurst Theatre and later at the Martin Beck Theatre . In 1951, she was involved in the Broadway revival of J.M. Barrie 's play Mary Rose at the ANTA Playhouse . In 1953, she
6674-450: The theater in April 1986, with Bethel Leslie and Jack Lemmon , followed later that year by the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby , with Roger Rees . At the end of 1986, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound opened at the Broadhurst with Jason Alexander , Linda Lavin , and Phyllis Newman ; it ran for 756 performances over the next two years. Another Simon play, Rumors , opened at
6768-704: The theaters could be modified. The lawsuit was escalated to the New York Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States , but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Aspects of Love opened at the Broadhurst in April 1990; despite running for 377 performances, the show lost its entire investment of $ 8 million. Several short-lived shows followed, including André Heller 's Wonderhouse in 1991, as well as
6862-452: The time but, unlike Shubert Alley, it was closed to the public shortly after its completion. The Shuberts bought the land under all four theaters from the Astors in 1948. The Broadhurst Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and constructed in 1917 for the Shubert brothers . The Broadhurst and Plymouth were two of Krapp's first theatrical designs as an independent architect after he left
6956-655: The use of her home, Pretty Penny, for a dinner to launch the hospital's endowment fund. Hayes died on March 17, 1993, of congestive heart failure in Nyack, New York . Hayes's friend Lillian Gish , the "First Lady of American Cinema", was the designated beneficiary of her estate, but Gish had died only 18 days earlier. Hayes was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Nyack and was survived by her son, James Gordon MacArthur, and four grandchildren: Charles P. MacArthur, Mary McClure, Juliette Rappaport, and James D. MacArthur. In 2011, she
7050-424: Was a flop in 1965, with just one performance before it closed. It was followed the same year by the West End musical Half a Sixpence with Tommy Steele , which ran for 512 performances. Afterward, in late 1966, the Broadhurst premiered John Kander and Fred Ebb 's Cabaret , which only stayed a short time at the Broadhurst but ultimately lasted for about 1,165 performances. More Stately Mansions ,
7144-487: Was a production of Friedrich Schiller 's Mary Stuart , starring Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter , and a West End transfer of Hamlet , starring Jude Law . Meanwhile, the Shuberts sold 54,820 sq ft (5,093 m ) of unused air development rights above the Broadhurst to a developer in 2007; this allowed the firm to profit from the site, since the theater was landmarked and could not be further developed. A further 9,480 sq ft (881 m ) above
7238-748: Was also on the board of directors for the Greater New York Council of the Girl Scouts of the USA during the early 1970s. In 1982, Hayes dedicated Riverside's The Shakespeare Center with New York theatre producer, Joseph Papp , and in 1985 she returned to the New York stage in a benefit for the company with a reading of A Christmas Carol with Raul Julia , Len Cariou , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Carole Shelley , Celeste Holm and Harold Scott , directed by W. Stuart McDowell. The next year Hayes performed
7332-568: Was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award) , and the first person to win the Triple Crown of Acting . Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom , America's highest civilian honor, from President Ronald Reagan in 1986. In 1988, she was awarded
7426-714: Was an aspiring actress who worked in touring companies. Her father, Francis van Arnum Brown, worked at a number of jobs, including as a clerk at the Washington Patent Office and as a manager and salesman for a wholesale butcher. Hayes's Catholic maternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland during the Great Famine . Hayes attended Dominican Academy 's prestigious primary school, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, from 1910 to 1912, appearing there in The Old Dutch , Little Lord Fauntleroy , and other performances. She attended
7520-501: Was considered a comeback—she had suspended her career for several years due to her daughter Mary's death and her husband's failing health. In 1955, the Fulton Theatre was renamed for her. In the 1980s, business interests wished to raze that theatre and four others to construct a large hotel that included the Marquis Theatre . Hayes's consent to raze the theatre named for her was sought and given, though she had no ownership interest in
7614-400: Was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers . The Broadhurst Theatre is named for British-American theatrical producer George Broadhurst , who leased the theater before its opening. It has 1,218 seats across two levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization . Both the facade and the auditorium interior are New York City landmarks . The neoclassical facade
7708-538: Was followed in 1918 by the musical Maytime with Peggy Wood and the play Ladies First with Nora Bayes and William Kent . Rachel Crothers 's comedy 39 East opened at the Broadhurst in 1919, and Jane Cowl and Allan Langdon Martin's collaboration Smilin' Through at the end of that year. George Broadhurst's adaptation of the play Tarzan of the Apes , with real animals, ran for 13 performances in 1921. The Claw featuring Lionel Barrymore opened
7802-513: Was followed in 1932 by Philip Barry 's comedy The Animal Kingdom ; the drama The Man Who Reclaimed His Head ; and Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur 's play Twentieth Century . Next, the Group Theatre occupied the Broadhurst during the 1933–1934 season with a production of Sidney Kingsley 's play Men in White . Eve Le Gallienne 's Civic Repertory Company presented several shows at
7896-497: Was followed in 1958 by the play The World of Suzie Wong with France Nuyen and William Shatner , which lasted for 508 performances. Next, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick 's musical Fiorello! opened at the Broadhurst in November 1959, relocating over a year later in May 1961. Noël Coward 's musical Sail Away opened at the Broadhurst in October 1961 with Elaine Stritch , running for 167 performances. The next year,
7990-519: Was followed in November 2022 by A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical , which ran until June 2024. A single performance of the musical Chess was also hosted at the Broadhurst in December 2022. The next show to be staged at the Broadhurst, the play The Hills of California , opened at the Broadhurst in September 2024, running for two months; this will be followed by Boop! The Betty Boop Musical in April 2025. Productions are listed by
8084-587: Was followed the next year by Michael Arlen 's The Green Hat with Katharine Cornell ; it had 237 performances. The Broadhurst next hosted the revue Bunk of 1926 , which was forced to close in June 1926 due to an injunction against it. Shortly afterward, Alexander A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley leased the Broadhurst Theatre for several years. Jed Harris 's version of the George Abbott and Philip Dunning play Broadway opened that September; it continued for 603 performances, ultimately relocating at
8178-760: Was honored with a US postage stamp. Hayes was in the inaugural class of inductees to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972. In 1972, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement . The following year, in 1973, Hayes was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame . In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Hayes's name and picture. In 1983, Hayes received
8272-407: Was hospitalized a number of times for asthma , which was aggravated by stage dust, forcing her to retire from theater in 1971, at age 71. Her last Broadway show was a 1970 revival of Harvey , in which she co-starred with James Stewart . Clive Barnes wrote, "She epitomizes flustered charm almost as if it were a style of acting ... She is one of those actors ... where to watch how she
8366-454: Was increasingly hosting musicals, dramas, and comedies by the 1970s, with the decline of revues. George Furth 's Twigs , featuring Sada Thompson , opened at the theater in 1971. Next, Grease had a short run at the Broadhurst during 1972; after transferring elsewhere, the show became Broadway's longest-running musical . It was followed at the end of the year by Neil Simon 's The Sunshine Boys . Herb Gardner 's play Thieves
8460-478: Was performed at the Broadhurst in 1974, and the Royal Shakespeare Company 's revival of Sherlock Holmes opened that year, with John Wood . Productions shown at the Broadhurst in 1976 included Enid Bagnold 's drama A Matter of Gravity , with Katharine Hepburn and Christopher Reeve ; a brief run of the musical Godspell , which had been an off-Broadway hit; and A Texas Trilogy ,
8554-524: Was the builder. Krapp filed plans for a new theater at 235 West 44th Street with the New York City Department of Buildings in January 1917; he revised these plans in March. That August, British-American theatrical producer George Broadhurst leased the theater from the Shuberts, and the venue was renamed for Broadhurst. At the time, Broadhurst was a busy playwright; he staged nearly 30 Broadway and West End plays from 1907 to 1924. He leased
8648-834: Was the first-ever recipient of the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre , repeating as the winner in 1969. She returned to Hollywood in the 1950s, and her film star began to rise. She starred in My Son John (1952) and Anastasia (1956), and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as an elderly stowaway in the disaster film Airport (1970). She followed that up with several roles in Disney films such as Herbie Rides Again , One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing and Candleshoe . Her performance in Anastasia
8742-787: Was the revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey in 1952, featuring Vivienne Segal and Harold Lang , which at 542 performances ran longer than the original production. The Spanish Theatre performed several plays in repertory at the Broadhurst in 1953, followed thereafter by The Prescott Proposals with Katharine Cornell. This was followed by long runs of Anniversary Waltz (1954) with Macdonald Carey and Kitty Carlisle ; Lunatics and Lovers (1954) with Sheila Bond , Buddy Hackett , and Dennis King ; and The Desk Set (1955) with Shirley Booth . The Broadhurst hosted Auntie Mame in 1956, starring Rosalind Russell in her last Broadway appearance; it ran for 639 performances. This
8836-413: Was typical of Krapp's commissions for the Shubert family, giving these theaters the impression that they were mass-produced. The Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters' designs contrasted with Henry Beaumont Herts 's earlier ornate designs of the Shubert and Booth theaters. Nevertheless, the use of curved east-facing corners was common to all four theaters. The Broadhurst's facade is divided into two sections:
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