Stage 42 (known as the Little Shubert Theatre until July 2015)
is a theatre in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on
Theatre Row, about half a mile west of
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
. Its address is 422 West 42nd Street, between
9th Avenue and
Dyer Avenue
Dyer Avenue is a short, north-south thoroughfare in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, located between Ninth Avenue and Tenth Avenue. It is primarily used by traffic exiting the Lincoln Tunnel. Dyer Avenue runs bet ...
. It was built in 2002 and has a seating capacity of 499, counting as an
Off-Broadway theatre
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
(fewer than 500 seats).
The Little Shubert was the first Off-Broadway theatre in New York built from the ground up, and the first to be owned by the
Shubert Organization
The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of theatres based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by the three Shubert brothers in the late 19th century. They steadily expanded, owning many theaters ...
. Built as part of a residential tower and opened in 2002, the Little Shubert was the first new theatre built by the Shubert Organization in New York City since 1928, when the
Ethel Barrymore
Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarde ...
opened on West 47th Street. Features of Stage 42 include an auditorium with stadium seating providing proximity to the stage. The stage itself and the orchestra pit are comparable in size to the dimensions of many Broadway theatres.
Stage 42 is one of the largest Off Broadway theatres but has proven to be an expensive venue to mount shows, partly due to contracts with theatrical unions.
In 2011, theater producers speculated that Stage 42 might become a Tony-eligible Broadway house by the addition of one seat to bring it to the 500 seat minimum required for Tony eligibility; this has not happened, as going to 500 seats would require negotiating new contracts with the unions, raising costs further.
References
External links
Shubert Organization Official SiteStage 42New York Show Guide
*
Theatres in Manhattan
Off-Broadway theaters
Shubert Organization
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Theatres completed in 2002
2002 establishments in New York City
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