theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...
located in New York City's
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
. It seats between 2,000 and 5,600, and is used for concerts, shows, sports, meetings, and other events. It is located beneath the main Madison Square Garden arena that hosts MSG's larger events.
History
When the Garden opened in 1968, the theater was known as the Felt Forum, in honor of then-president
Irving Mitchell Felt
Irving Mitchell Felt (25 January 1909 – 22 September 1994) was a New York businessman who led the drive in the 1960s to build a new Madison Square Garden.Paramount Theatre in Times Square had been converted to an office tower. The theater received its next name, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, in the mid-1990s, after
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
bought Paramount and sold the MSG properties. In 2007, the theater was renamed the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden through a
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...
deal with
Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual (often abbreviated to WaMu) was the United States' largest savings and loan association until its collapse in 2008.
A savings bank holding company is defined in United States Code: Title 12: Banks and Banking; Section 1842: Def ...
. After Washington Mutual's collapse in 2009, the name reverted to The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In 2018, the theater signed a deal with
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
to become the "Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden".
Structure
No seat is more than from the stage. Due to its location beneath the main Madison Square Garden arena, the theater has a relatively low ceiling at stage level. All of its seating except for boxes on the two side walls is on one level slanted back from the stage. There is an lobby at the theater.
Events
It was the host for
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...
's fourteenth professional fight against Sammy Scaff on December 6, 1985. The theater occasionally hosts boxing matches on nights when the main arena is unavailable, or fights between promising boxers who management believe will not fill up "the big room". Notable fights include
Sergio Martínez vs. Matthew Macklin
Sergio Martínez vs. Matthew Macklin, billed as Get Your Irish Up, is a boxing middleweight bout for ''The Ring'' world title and universally recognized middleweight championship of the world. The bout was held on March 17, 2012, at the Theat ...
in 2012,
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux was a professional boxing match between world champions Vasiliy Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux for the WBO junior lightweight championship. The bout was held on December 9, 2017 at The Theater at Ma ...
in 2017, and
Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr.
Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr. was a lightweight professional boxing match between unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and '' The Ring'' lightweight champion Teófimo López, and IBF mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr. The fight took ...
in 2021.
Music band Menudo's February 5, 1983, concert at Madison Square Garden was held at the Felt Forum. It was member
Xavier Serbia
Xavier or Xabier may refer to:
Place
* Xavier, Spain
People
* Xavier (surname)
* Xavier (given name)
* Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint
** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation)
* St. Xavier (disambiguation)
* Xavier (footballer, born ...
's last official concert with the band (he would return to the band in 1983 for another Madison Square Garden show to substitute for an ill
Ricky Melendez Ricky may refer to:
Places
*Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic
*Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic
*Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky"
...
) and the first for member
Ray Reyes
Ray Reyes León (March 13, 1970 – April 30, 2021) was a Puerto Rican singer who was a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo.
Career
He was born in New York City and was raised in Levittown, a neighborhood in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. He ...
. This concert was transmitted live to most Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela, and to the United States.
In October 21–22, 1986, Philippine singer
Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan ( , ; born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, television host, and socialite. Regarded as one of the most successful and highest-earning individuals in the Philippine entertainment industry, she has ...
performed her New York concert as part of her U.S. concert tour and received a standing ovation. This was also together with the taping of her latest movie Jack and Jill sa Amerika featuring the cities visited during the tour included as a story plot in the movie. The New York concert at the Felt Forum was opposite Elton John's concert at Madison. The October 19 Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles concert caused a traffic jam. As Sharon became the first Filipina artist to sell out the Shrine, Mayor Bradley
bestowed the Official Honorary Welcome Key to the City of Los Angeles. While in L.A. there were plans for a record deal from executives as guests watching the L.A. concert. Upon return to the Philippines she continued her television variety The Sharon Cuneta Show on ABS-CBN channel 2. On the third show also featuring Zsa Zsa Padilla and Kuh Ledesma in 1986 she discussed her American schedule from East to West including Washington D.C. San Diego and San Francisco. TSCS ran from 1986 to 1997 as the Sunday night staple which also aired on Los Angeles Channel 18, however on Sunday afternoon. Also a VHS was planned from highlights of the various U.S. concerts.
In 1987, the comedy concert film ''
Eddie Murphy Raw
''Eddie Murphy Raw'' is a 1987 American stand-up comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Robert Townsend. It was Murphy's second feature stand-up comedy film, following ''Eddie Murphy Delirious''. However, unlike ''Delirious'', ''Raw'' ...
'' was filmed at the Forum and released in December of that year.
On December 8, 1991, the draw for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification was held at the theater.
WCW
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
held two live events there, one on April 13, 1993, marking the first time an WCW event was ever held in New York City, and again on June 30, 1996.
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
held one event in the theater on November 16, 2016. Lucha Libre AAA and
Impact Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
hosted
Lucha Invades NY
Lucha Invades NY was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), in partnership with Impact Wrestling. The event took place on Septemb ...
on September 15, 2019.
An annual staging of '' The Wizard of Oz'' played at the theater from 1997 to 1999. Notable actors in the musical included
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and former presidential candidate. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom ''Roseanne'' (1988–1 ...
,
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...
, and
Jo Anne Worley
Jo Anne Worley (born September 6, 1937) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Her work covers television, films, theater, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and cartoons. Worley is widely known for her work on the comedy-variety show ...
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...
as the Wizard, and
Ken Page
Ken Page (born January 20, 1954) is an American actor and singer. Page created the role of "Ken" in the original Broadway production of '' Ain't Misbehavin, and played the role of "Old Deuteronomy" in both the original Broadway and filmed stag ...
and Lara Teeter as the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow, respectively.
The theater was home to an annual staging of ''A Christmas Carol'' from 1994 to 2003.
In 2001, the national tour of ''
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella
''Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella'' is a musical written for television, but later played on stage, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based upon the fairy tale ''Cinderella'', particularl ...
'' starring
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (born May 15, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''.
Early life
Jamie-Lynn Sigler was born in Jericho, New York, on May 15, 1981, the daughter of S ...
in the title role, Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother, and Paolo Montalbán as Prince Christopher played at the theater.
In 2003, popular Australian children's group
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Ca ...
performed 12 sold-out shows in a row at the theater, besting a record held by
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
. The current record belongs to Billy Joel, who has sold out more than 76 consecutive shows at the theater.
In 2004, it served as the venue of the '' Survivor: All-Stars'' finale.
In 2005 and 2011, ''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...
'' starring Cathy Rigby in the title role returned to New York City at the theater.
It was the home of the
NFL draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. It also hosted the NBA draft from 2001 to 2010.
From 2004 to 2006 and in 2008 Theatre of MSG hosted the
Jammy Award
The Jammy Award (also known as the Jammys) is an awards show for bands typically referred to as jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music, created by Dean Budnick and Peter Shapiro. The Jammys are sponsored by Reli ...
darts
Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, missiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dar ...
event held at the theater was the
2022 US Darts Masters
The 2022 bet365 US Darts Masters was the fourth staging of the tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was the first event in the 2022 World Series of Darts. The tournament featured 16 players (8 PDC representatives, and 8 North Americ ...
.
In 2021, the theater also hosted two
Verzuz
''Verzuz'' is an American webcast series created by record producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, that airs on Verzuz TV.
Verzuz was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic as a virtual DJ battle, with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz facing off in ...
hip-hop battles:
The Lox
The Lox (stylized The LOX or The L.O.X.) is an American hip hop group from Yonkers, New York, formed in 1994. The group is composed of East Coast rappers Sheek Louch, Styles P and Jadakiss. They had originally signed to Puff Daddy's Bad Boy R ...
against
DipSet
The Diplomats (also known as Dipset) is an American hip hop collective formed in 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jim Jones in Harlem, New York. The group was originally composed of Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Zekey, all of whom grew ...
and
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
against
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with '' Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single " Holla Holla". Dur ...
.
The theater also hosted its first
Esports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...
event in 2022 with the main event group stage and quarterfinals of the ''
League of Legends
''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for War ...