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The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a
Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
at 138 West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue and
Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue – also known as Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers, p.24 – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown". It is commercial ...
, in the Theater District of
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...
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 ...
, United States. It was built in 1912 and designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb for impresario John Cort. An annex to the west of the theater, built between 2021 and 2022, was designed by
Kostow Greenwood Architects Kostow Greenwood Architects LLP, is a New York City-based architecture firm, specializing in broadcast and live arts facilities, interior architecture and historic preservation and renovation and urban revitalization projects. Serving commercial, ...
. The Jones has 1,092 seats across three levels and is operated 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 ...
. Both the facade and interior of the theater are
New York City designated landmark The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...
s. The theater maintains much of its original neoclassical design. Its 48th Street facade has a glass-and-metal marquee shielding the entrances, as well as a
colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or cur ...
with an additional story above. The lobby has marble paneling and a
coved ceiling A coved ceiling is a ceiling that has had the visual appearance of the point where the ceiling meets the walls improved by the addition of coving. It can also refer to a ceiling, like in a Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid ...
. The
auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, communit ...
contains a ground-level orchestra and two overhanging balconies with boxes. The auditorium's
proscenium A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
arch is designed with "art glass" that can illuminate during performances, and its ceiling is coved. The western annex contains lounges, restrooms, and backstage areas. John Cort received the rights to operate the theater in January 1912, and the Cort Theatre opened on December 20, 1912. Despite being regarded by the theatrical community as being on the "wrong side" 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 ...
, the Cort hosted numerous hit productions during its early years. 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 ...
purchased the theater in 1927, two years before Cort's death. Though the theater was used as a television studio for '' The Merv Griffin Show'' from 1969 to 1972, it has mostly remained in theatrical use through the years. The Cort closed temporarily in 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and was renovated during that time. In 2022, it was renamed after actor
James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...
, becoming the second Broadway venue named after a Black theatrical personality.


Site

The James Earl Jones Theatre is a
Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
on 138 West 48th Street, on the south sidewalk between Seventh Avenue and
Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue – also known as Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers, p.24 – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown". It is commercial ...
(near
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
), in the Theater District of
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...
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 ...
. The rectangular
land lot In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the same thing) in o ...
covers , with a
frontage Frontage is the boundary between a plot of land or a building and the road onto which the plot or building fronts. Frontage may also refer to the full length of this boundary. This length is considered especially important for certain types of ...
of on 48th Street and a depth of . Nearby buildings include 1221 Avenue of the Americas to the northeast, 1211 Avenue of the Americas to the east, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin to the south, the
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia * Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, M ...
and
TSX Broadway TSX Broadway is an under-construction 46-story mixed-use building on Times Square, at the southeastern corner of Broadway and 47th Street, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Developed by L&L Holding, the building will include a 669-room ho ...
to the southwest, and
20 Times Square 20 Times Square is a 39-story mixed-use development at 701 Seventh Avenue, on the northeast corner with West 47th Street at the northern end of Times Square, Manhattan, New York City. (May 21, 2014) The development includes one of Ian Schrager ...
to the west.


Design

The James Earl Jones Theatre, designed by Thomas W. Lamb in the
neoclassical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...
for impresario John Cort, was constructed in 1912. The venue is one of Lamb's few remaining theater buildings. Although Edward B. Corey was frequently credited as the architect, Lamb was the
architect of record Architect of record is the architect or architecture firm whose name appears on a building permit issued for a specific project on which that architect or firm performed services. Building permits are issued by a government agency with the author ...
. and William Crawford was the general contractor for the project. An annex directly to the west was designed by
Kostow Greenwood Architects Kostow Greenwood Architects LLP, is a New York City-based architecture firm, specializing in broadcast and live arts facilities, interior architecture and historic preservation and renovation and urban revitalization projects. Serving commercial, ...
and is being built between 2021 and 2022.


Facade


Original theater

The main
elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...
of the Jones's facade faces north on 48th Street and is made of marble, with a layer of stone underlying it. The original two-story theater facade is split into a central pavilion with a
colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or cur ...
of three
bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...
; the central colonnade is flanked by one additional bay to either side. The facade was modeled on the
Petit Trianon The Petit Trianon (; French for "small Trianon") is a Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of King Louis XV of France. ...
, an 18th-century neoclassical chateau at
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
. A contemporary ''
New-York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...
'' article characterized the main facade elevation as being designed in the
Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
-era style. The central pavilion contains four fluted engaged columns with Corinthian-style
capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
. At ground level, each of the three center bays contains a set of double doors made of glass and aluminum, above which is a marquee. The original marquee had three Art Nouveau arches, but it was replaced in the 20th century with a boxy structure with signs on either side. A new marquee, similar in design to the original, was installed in 2021; it contains three arches framed by metal shield decorations, as well as four spherical lamps hanging from the marquee. Above the marquee are arches topped by
bracket A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or 'r ...
-shaped keystones. A transom bar runs horizontally above the keystones, above which are slightly recessed pairs of windows, flanked by bellflowers. The outer bays contain aluminum double doors, with display boxes on either side of and above the doors. The doorways contain eared
architrave In classical architecture, an architrave (; from it, architrave "chief beam", also called an epistyle; from Greek ἐπίστυλον ''epistylon'' "door frame") is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of columns. The term can a ...
s and are topped by
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
s. Above the cornices are round-arched panels, with keystones flanked by laurel leaves. The outer bays contain carved panels, rather than windows, on the upper story. The northwest and northeast corners of the theater's facade are curved. Each end of the north elevation contains a Corinthian pilaster, and the northern ends of the west and east elevations also contain a pilaster. An
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
runs above the upper story of the facade, wrapping around the curved corners to the northwest and northeast. Atop the central columns, the entablature has an inscription with the theater's name. A neon sign with the "Cort" name had been installed in front of the frieze in 1937; it was removed during the 2021 renovation. Above the entablature is a parapet with
modillion A modillion is an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel. They are often seen underneath a cornice which it helps to support. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally translated as small teeth). Al ...
s and a blind balustrade.


Annex

The western annex, measuring wide, was built between 2021 and 2022. The annex is about tall, with five stories; the elevator shaft in the annex rises to . A recessed brown-granite bay at the end of the alley connects the annex and original theater. The annex's elevator shaft is about 30 feet above the roof of the original theater. Unlike the original facade, it has a modern design with cream-colored terracotta facade panels interspersed with polished brownstone pieces. There are glass display boxes at ground level, as well as a glazed window at the eastern corner of the annex's upper stories. There is also an LED sign on the exterior of the annex's upper stories.


Interior

The Jones's interior design is credited to Arthur Brunet, according to a promotional booklet from the theater's opening. While the interior was not similar to that of the Petit Trianon, the design features are from the same era, the 17th century. The interior color scheme was described in the booklet as having "a blending of old rose and gold" and plaster decoration "in colors of
champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
and sienna".


Lobby

The entrance lobby is a rectangular space accessed from 48th Street. The lobby is laid in white Pavanozza
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
with plasterwork panels.
Tiffany Studios Tiffany may refer to: People * Tiffany (given name), list of people with this name * Tiffany (surname), list of people with this surname Known mononymously as "Tiffany": * Tiffany Darwish, (born 1971), an American singer, songwriter, actress know ...
was credited with the design of the lobby. The walls of the lobby contain a dado of Pavanozza marble, which surrounds the entire room. The north doors lead to the street, while three doors on the south wall connect to the auditorium. The south doors are surrounded by plaster frames, above which are entablatures and pediments with cartouches. There is a niche on the east wall, which contains a pedestal with a bust of
Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...
. The west wall has box-office windows with marble frames. The box office's metalwork originally was made of bronze with gold and enamel reliefs. The lobby has a
coved ceiling A coved ceiling is a ceiling that has had the visual appearance of the point where the ceiling meets the walls improved by the addition of coving. It can also refer to a ceiling, like in a Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid ...
with raised-plaster motifs and a central medallion with a
chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent ...
made of bronze and crystal. There is no accessible restroom in the original lobby.


Auditorium

The auditorium has an orchestra level, two balconies, boxes, and a stage behind the
proscenium A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
arch. The auditorium is square in layout and is designed with plaster decorations in high
relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
. The Jones's operator
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 ...
cites the auditorium as having 1,092 seats; meanwhile, The Broadway League cites a figure of 1,084 seats and ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's p ...
'' gives a figure of 1,049. These are divided into 502 seats in the orchestra, 264 on the first balcony, and 263 on the second balcony, as well as 24 box seats and 19 standing-only spots. The Cort was originally a 999-seat venue when it opened in 1912.;


=Seating areas

= The rear (north) end of the orchestra contains a promenade, which has doorways with eared architraves on the rear wall, as well as plain doorways on the side walls. The orchestra has a raked floor and wainscoted walls, with paneling above the wainscoting. Staircases with iron railings lead from the orchestra to the balconies. The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible via the main doors, but the balcony levels could only be accessed by steps prior to the annex's construction. The rears of the balconies have promenades with standing rails. The balcony levels have doorways with eared architraves on the side walls. The second balcony's walls are topped by friezes with swags and cameo panels. The balconies have floral moldings on the fronts of their undersides, with crystal light fixtures underneath. Air conditioning grilles are placed below the balconies. On either side of the stage is a wall section with two boxes each at the first and second balcony level. Each wall section is flanked by Adam-style panels. The boxes themselves are curved and contain latticework and cameo decorations on the front railings. Under each box is a molding and a medallion holding a chandelier. Above each pair of second-balcony boxes, there is an eared architrave, as well as a latticework panel that depicts female figures flanking swags and a cartouche. Originally, the auditorium had twelve boxes (four on each level), but the boxes at orchestra level were removed. Instead of an orchestra pit, there was a
Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...
organ that a single musician could operate. The organ was an Opus 20 model with 13 manuals and three ranks.


=Other design features

= The proscenium arch measures high and wide. It consists of latticed plasterwork with art glass beneath it. The art glass was capable of illumination, but the illumination was then turned off until the theater was renovated in 2021. The sides of the arch have swags and medallions. Above the center of the arch, and within the
spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...
s, there are depictions of putti and muses entangled in vines. There is a cornice with modillions and
dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian R ...
s above the arch. The
sounding board A sounding board, also known as a tester and abat-voix is a structure placed above and sometimes also behind a pulpit or other speaking platform that helps to project the sound of the speaker. It is usually made of wood. The structure may be spe ...
curves onto the ceiling above the proscenium arch and is divided into three sections. The sounding board depicts a
minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that accomp ...
that, according to the ''New-York Tribune'', had been made "during the period made famous in Antoine Watteau's drawings of French court life at Versailles". The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is , while the depth to the front of the stage is . The ceiling is divided into three rectangular sections, which are recessed coves. The ribs of the ceiling, which separate the coves, are decorated with swags and wreaths. The center section contains a circular dome, which has a frieze extending outward, as well as an overhanging bronze and crystal chandelier at the center. Three additional panels, similar in design, hang over the second balcony.


Annex

The Jones's annex contains a
superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...
of concrete and covers . The annex has accessible bathrooms, concession areas, lounge, dressing rooms, and rehearsal space. A grand staircase connects the lounges on three stories of the annex, with views of 48th Street. An elevator is being placed in the annex to allow wheelchair access into the auditorium's balconies. The annex is connected to the existing theater via new door openings. With the construction of the annex, the stage-left
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
was also expanded into the annex.


History

Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift from Union Square and
Madison Square Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, fourth President of the United S ...
during the first decade of the 20th century. From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including the Cort Theatre. John Cort was a theatrical operator who had become highly successful on the
West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
, with 150 theaters at his peak, and came to New York City in 1905. Cort had, in 1910, become president of the National Theatre Owners' Association, a group of circuits that tried to break away from the New York-based syndicates like the
Klaw and Erlanger Klaw and Erlanger was an entertainment management and production partnership of Marc Klaw and Abraham Lincoln Erlanger based in New York City from 1888 through 1919. While running their own considerable and multi-faceted theatrical businesses ...
circuit. It was in this capacity that Cort decided to build new theaters in New York City.


Cort operation


Development and early years

Edward B. Corey acquired the lots on 138–146 West 48th Street and leased them to Cort for 21 years starting in January 1912. Thomas Lamb was hired to design a theater there. That March, Cort announced that he would erect two theaters in New York City: the Cort Theatre on 48th Street and the Illington Theatre on 46th Street. The design of the Cort was so important that the specifications for the theater's design were encoded in the lease agreement. Namely, the design features could not be "inferior" to those in the now-demolished
Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...
across the street. By that June, the production ''Peg o' My Heart'' featuring
Laurette Taylor Laurette Taylor (born Loretta Helen Cooney; April 1, 1883Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Roll: 1119; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 859; FHL microfilm: 1241119. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 Un ...
had been scheduled for the Cort. The opening of the theater was originally scheduled for November 1912. The Cort opened on December 20, 1912, with ''Peg o' My Heart''. Theatrical critics of the time considered the Cort to be physically on the "wrong side" 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 ...
; whereas most contemporary theaters were west of that street, the Cort was to the east. Nonetheless, the theater was described in a contemporary media source as "one of the most exquisitely beautiful playhouses in Manhattan". ''Theatre'' magazine wrote of the Cort's "sweeping, commanding lines, comfortable seats and admirable acoustic properties. If any exception is to be taken, it is that pink is too delicate a shade for such an expanse of decoration." ''Peg o' My Heart'' had over 600 performances,; ; a major accomplishment for the time, when 100 performances constituted a hit. In 1913, Cort gave
Oliver Morosco Oliver Morosco (June 20, 1875 – August 25, 1945) was an American theatrical producer, director, writer, film producer, and theater owner. He owned the Morosco Photoplay Company. He brought many of his theater actors to the screen. Frank A. Garb ...
the exclusive rights to show plays at his namesake theater for five years. After ''Peg o' My Heart'' ended, the
Mutual Film Corporation Mutual Film Corporation was an early American film conglomerate that produced some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies. Founded in 1912, it was absorbed by Film Booking Offices of America, which evolved into RKO Pictures. Founding Mutual's ...
temporarily used the Cort as a cinema in mid-1914. The venue then hosted two hit productions: ''Under Cover'', which opened in 1914, and ''
The Princess Pat ''The Princess Pat'' is an operetta in three acts with music by Victor Herbert and book and lyrics by Henry Blossom. After an Atlantic City, New Jersey tryout in August 1915, it premiered on Broadway on September 29, 1915 at the Cort Theatre and r ...
'', which opened in 1915. Due to the large number of early hits at the Cort, it was quickly perceived among the theatrical community as a "lucky" venue.


Late 1910s and early 1920s

The theater presented John Cort's productions, as well as those of other producers such as Morosco, the
Shubert family The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th c ...
, the Selwyn family, and
Arthur Hammerstein Arthur Hammerstein (December 21, 1872 – October 12, 1955) was an American songwriter, dramatist, playwright and theater manager. Biography Born and educated to a Jewish family in New York City, Hammerstein was the son of the theater impresari ...
, in its early years. ''Molly O'' and ''Upstairs and Down'', as well as the hit ''The Yellow Jacket'', performed at the Cort during 1916. The following year, the venue hosted ''Mother Carey's Chickens'' and ''Flo-Flo'', the latter of which had 220 performances. The Cort then hosted several of
Shakespeare's plays Shakespeare's plays are a canon of approximately 39 dramatic works written by English poet, playwright, and actor William Shakespeare. The exact number of plays—as well as their classifications as tragedy, history, comedy, or otherwise—is a ...
in early 1918. The theater's final hit of the 1910s was ''
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
'', which opened in 1919. The Cort continued to host hits through the following decade. These included ''Jim Jam Jems'' (1920), with Joe E. Brown; ''
Captain Applejack ''Captain Applejack'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code comedy film, produced and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film was directed by Hobart Henley and stars John Halliday, Mary Brian, and Arthur Edmund Carewe.''Pictorial History of the Talkies ...
'' (1921); '' Merton of the Movies'' (1922); and ''The Swan'' (1923), with
Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
and
Eva Le Gallienne Eva Le Gallienne (January 11, 1899 – June 3, 1991) was a British-born American stage actress, producer, director, translator, and author. A Broadway star by age 21, Le Gallienne gave up her Broadway appearances to devote herself to founding t ...
.; Other events of the early 1920s included a seance performed by
John Armstrong Chaloner John "Archie" Armstrong Chaloner (né Chanler; October 10, 1862 – June 1, 1935) was an American writer and activist, known for his catch phrase "Who's looney now?". Early life Chaloner was born John Armstrong Chanler on October 10, 1862 to Mar ...
in 1921, as well as benefit performances such as '' Mu Lan'' (1921) and ''
Book of Job The Book of Job (; hbo, אִיּוֹב, ʾIyyōḇ), or simply Job, is a book found in the Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), and is the first of the Poetic Books in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Scholars a ...
'' (1922). The theater had a series of short-lived productions in 1924. More successful was the play ''The Second Mrs. Tanqueray'' (1924), with
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 regard ...
and
Henry Daniell Charles Henry Pywell Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long career in the United States on stage and in cinema. He came to prominence for his portrayal of villainous roles in films such as '' Camille'' (1 ...
, and the comedy ''White Collars'' (1925). These were followed by another set of productions with short runs. A dispute arose in October 1925 when three producers sued each other, alleging that Cort had granted each of them the right to use the theater during the same time period. Judge Thomas D. Thacher, of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York State. Two of these are in New York City: New ...
, issued two injunctions: one granting production rights to ''Jane, Our Stranger'', and another that canceled that production after four performances. Other hits of the mid-1920s included ''
The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...
'', which was transferred to the Cort in late 1925, as well as ''The Little Spitfire'', which opened in 1926. The 1926 play ''Beyond Evil'', which discussed interracial marriage, nearly prompted a riot when it was performed at the Cort.


Shubert operation


1920s to 1960s

In May 1927, the Shubert Organization purchased the theater from Edward B. Corey, subject to a
mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any ...
of $210,000. The Shuberts took over the operation from Cort, who retired afterward. Joseph Leblang and his representatives then operated the venue from August 1928 to December 1932. The 1928 drama ''These Days'', which had eight performances at the Cort, was
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
's first Broadway appearance. Subsequently, the theater hosted ''A Most Immoral Lady'' in 1928 with Alice Brady, as well as ''Your Uncle Dudley'' in 1929 with Walter Connolly. The Cort hosted Jed Harris's revival of the play ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the di ...
'' in 1930,; ; along with the hit production ''
Five Star Final ''Five Star Final'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film about the excesses of tabloid journalism directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Aline MacMahon (in her screen debut) and Boris Karloff. The screenplay was by Rob ...
'' the same year. In addition to theatrical performances, the Cort hosted events like an opera in 1927 and a folk-song recital in 1930. Richard Aldrich and Alfred De Liagre made their production debut in 1933 with ''Three-Cornered Moon.'' Two hits followed: '' The Green Bay Tree'' in 1933 and ''The Bishop Misbehaves'' in 1935. Two plays by
George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Y ...
took up the Cort during most of the next three years: ''Boy Meets Girl'' (1935) and ''
Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...
'' (1937), both of which had hundreds of performances.; ; Several major productions followed, including ''
The White Steed ''The White Steed'' is a play in three acts written in 1939 by Paul Vincent Carroll. It won the 1939 New York Drama Critics' Circle award for Best Foreign Play. Setting The setting of the play is the present-day village of Lorcan, County Louth, ...
'' (1939), ''The Male Animal'' (1940), ''
Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...
'' (1940),; ''
Cafe Crown ''Cafe Crown'' is a three-act play by Hy Kraft that premiered on Broadway on January 23, 1942, at the Cort Theatre. The cast included Sam Jaffe and Morris Carnovsky. Its action presented "a motley group of amiable squatters found in a Second Avenu ...
'' (1942), ''The Eve of St. Mark'' (1942),; and ''A Bell for Adano'' (1944). During 1946, the
Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of th ...
's Shakespearean Repertory Company appeared in ''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...
'';
Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by critic A ...
produced and starred in ''
Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., ...
'' and '' Candida''; and Estelle Winwood and
Cornelia Otis Skinner Cornelia Otis Skinner (May 30, 1899 – July 9, 1979) was an American writer and actress. Biography Skinner was the only child of actor Otis Skinner and actress Maud Durbin. After attending the all-girls' Baldwin School and Bryn Mawr College ( ...
starred in ''
Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband is ...
''. This was followed in 1948 by the hits ''
The Respectful Prostitute ''The Respectful Prostitute'' (french: La Putain respectueuse) is a French play by Jean-Paul Sartre, written in 1946, which observes a woman, a prostitute, caught up in a racially tense period of American history. The audience understands that t ...
'' and '' Two Blind Mice.'' The 1949 production of '' The Father'' featured
Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...
's Broadway debut. Even in the 1950s, the Cort continued to present long-running productions. The Theatre Guild returned in 1950, presenting ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...
''. This was followed by several hits such as '' Saint Joan'' (1951),; '' The Shrike'' (1952), ''The Fifth Season'' (1953), and '' The Rainmaker'' (1954). Another major production was ''
The Diary of Anne Frank ''The Diary of a Young Girl'', also known as ''The Diary of Anne Frank'', is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherl ...
'', which opened in 1955 and played the Cort for over a year before relocating. Another major productions of the late 1950s was ''The Rope Dancers'' in 1957. The play ''
Sunrise at Campobello ''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 Warner Bros. biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 ...
'' opened in 1958 with Henry Jones, Mary Fickett, and Anne Seymour, as well as
James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...
in his Broadway debut; it had well over 500 performances. The Cort hosted several productions in the early 1960s, including '' The Hostage'' and ''
Advise and Consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive branch of a government enacts something previ ...
'' in 1960, as well as '' Purlie Victorious'' and ''
Sunday in New York ''Sunday in New York'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor and Cliff Robertson. Filmed in Metrocolor, its screenplay was written by Norman Krasna on the basis of his own 1961 ...
'' in 1961''.'' For the rest of the decade, the Cort had many productions, few of which were hits. In May 1962, the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden had a brief engagement with ''The Father,'' '' Long Day's Journey into Night,'' and ''
Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...
'' in
repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...
.; The next year saw a relatively unsuccessful adaptation of ''
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...
''; this was followed in 1965 by ''
The Zulu and the Zayda ''The Zulu and the Zayda'' is a musical play by Howard Da Silva and Felix Leon, with music and lyrics by Harold Rome (his last musical score), and directed by Dore Schary. It was based on a story by Dan Jacobson. Described as a comedy with mus ...
''.


1970s to 1990s

CBS leased the theater as a television studio for '' The Merv Griffin Show'', which started broadcasting there in August 1969. The network spent $1 million on renovating the theater to convert it to a television studio. By late 1970, Merv Griffin had moved his show to California. Griffin said he had been "ashamed" of leaving the Cort, since CBS had renovated it exclusively for his show, but the ratings for ''The Merv Griffin Show'' had increased following its relocation to California. Meanwhile, CBS continued to lease the theater at a high price. Two years into CBS's lease, the construction of the neighboring 1211 Avenue of the Americas caused structural damage to the theater's interior, and two girders were placed on the eastern wall. Because the interior was no longer suitable for television productions, CBS decided to let the lease lapse. The CBS lease from 1969 to 1972 was the only period in which the Cort was used as a television studio rather than as a theater. The theater hosted the short-lived ''All the Girls Came Out to Play'' in 1972 and ''Jockey Club Stakes'' in 1973. '' The Magic Show'' opened in 1974 and played 1,920 performances over the next five years.; ; The last production of that decade was '' King Richard III'', which opened in 1979 and ran only 33 performances. In 1980, the Cort hosted the flop '' Clothes for a Summer Hotel'', as well as the more successful ''Home'' the same year, with over 200 performances.; The Cort then hosted ''Rose'' in 1981; ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jaso ...
'' and ''Twice Around the Park'' in 1982; and ''
A Moon for the Misbegotten ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in 1 ...
'' and '' Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' in 1984.
Theatrical historian
Ken Bloom Ken Bloom is a New York-based, Grammy Award-winning theatre historian, playwright, director, record producer, and author. He began his theatre career in the mid-'70s at the New Playwrights Theatre of Washington. Along with some friends, Bloo ...
, observing several of the Cort's short performances, said: "The Cort's luck seems to have run out." The 1980s ended with the South African play '' Sarafina!'', which played for over a year. During the 1980s, the Shuberts renovated the Cort as part of a restoration program for their Broadway theaters. The
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...
(LPC) had started considering protecting the Cort as an official city landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The LPC designated both the facade and the interior as landmarks on November 17, 1987. This was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. The
New York City Board of Estimate The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments effec ...
ratified the designations in March 1988. The Shuberts, the
Nederlanders The Dutch (Dutch language, Dutch: ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Netherlands. They share a common history and culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, ...
, and
Jujamcyn Jujamcyn Theaters LLC , formerly the Jujamcyn Amusement Corporation, is a theatrical producing and theatre-ownership company in New York City. For many years Jujamcyn was owned by James H. Binger, former Chairman of Honeywell, and his wife, Virgi ...
collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Cort, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified. The lawsuit was escalated to the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
and the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. Federal tribunals in the United States, federal court cases, and over Stat ...
, but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992. The Cort hosted the hit ''
The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...
'' in 1990, as well as Lincoln Center Theater's short-lived production of ''Two Shakespearean Actors'' in 1992. This was followed in 1994 by '' Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.'' Lincoln Center Theater returned to the Cort in 1995 with its revival of '' The Heiress'', which ran for over 300 performances. Lincoln Center Theater then booked two additional productions: ''Sex and Longing'' in 1996 and ''
An American Daughter ''An American Daughter'' is a play written by Wendy Wasserstein. The play takes place in a living room in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Production history ''An American Daughter'' opened under the New Play Workshop Series at Seattle Repertory The ...
'' in 1997. At the end of the decade, productions at the Cort included ''
Freak A freak is a person who is physically deformed or transformed due to an extraordinary medical condition or body modification. This definition was first attested with this meaning in the 1880s as a shorter form of the phrase "freak of nature" ...
'' (1998), '' The Blue Room'' (1998), and ''
Kat and the Kings ''Kat and the Kings'' is a South African musical with a book and lyrics by David Kramer and music by Taliep Petersen. Set in late-1950s South Africa, it focuses on teenager Kat Diamond, who believes he's the best singer and dancer in District S ...
'' (1999).


2000s to present

In 2000, the Cort hosted a short production of '' The Green Bird''. It then hosted ''
Hollywood Arms ''Hollywood Arms'' is a play by Carrie Hamilton and Carol Burnett. It ran at the Goodman Theatre and on Broadway in 2002. The play is adapted from Carol Burnett's memoir '' One More Time''. Background and productions The dramedy is set in Holly ...
'' in 2002, '' A Year with Frog and Toad'' in 2003, and '' Laugh Whore'' in 2004. As part of a settlement with the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...
in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Cort. The theater's other productions in the decade included '' On Golden Pond'' (2005), ''
Barefoot in the Park ''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda. Productions ''Barefoot ...
'' and ''
The Little Dog Laughed ''The Little Dog Laughed'' is a 2006 comedy play by Douglas Carter Beane. The four characters are an actor, Mitchell, his acerbic agent Diane, a hustler named Alex, and Alex's girlfriend Ellen. When Mitchell and Alex become involved in a physica ...
'' (2006), ''
Radio Golf Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tra ...
'' and ''
The Homecoming ''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 by Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony A ...
'' (2007), '' The 39 Steps'' (2008), and '' You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush'' (2009). Early in the 2010s, the theater hosted ''
Fences A fence is a barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary. Fence or fences may also refer to: Entertainment Music * Fences (band), an Amer ...
'' and '' Time Stands Still'' in 2010; '' Born Yesterday'' and ''
Stick Fly ''Stick Fly'' is a 2006 play written by Lydia Diamond. It opened on Broadway on December 8, 2011 and closed on February 26, 2012. Synopsis The show takes place at the LeVay Home, in Edgartown, as it is a point of contention where the family res ...
'' in 2011; and ''
The Lyons ''The Lyons'' is a play by Nicky Silver. The play first ran Off-Broadway in 2011 and then premiered on Broadway in 2012. This marks the Broadway debut of a Nicky Silver play.Jones, Kenneth" 'The Lyons', Led By Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa, Opens o ...
'' and ''
Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...
'' in 2012. ''Fences'' set the box office record for the theater, grossing $1,175,626 over eight performances for the week ending July 11, 2010. The Cort hosted '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' in 2013, and ''
No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
'' and '' Waiting for Godot'' played in repertory the same year. Subsequently, ''
The Cripple of Inishmaan ''The Cripple of Inishmaan'' is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary ''Man of Aran''. The play is set on the small Aran Islands community of Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) off the Western C ...
'' and ''
This is Our Youth ''This Is Our Youth'' is a play by American dramatist and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan. It premiered Off-Broadway in 1996 and since been produced all over the world, including the West End, Broadway Sydney and Toronto. Plot The play takes pla ...
'' played at the Cort in 2014, while ''
Fish in the Dark ''Fish in the Dark'' is a play by Larry David that focuses on fifteen characters as they deal with a death in the family. The play premiered on Broadway in 2015. History Larry David got the idea for the play from his friend and lawyer Lloyd Braun ...
'' and '' Sylvia'' played in 2015. The Shuberts acquired an adjacent garage to the west and demolished it in 2016. The Cort then hosted the production of '' Bright Star'' that year. In 2017, the Shuberts received permission from the LPC to construct a 35-foot-wide annex west of the existing theater, designed by Kostow Greenwood Architects. Francesca Russo would also design a renovation of the existing theater. The Shuberts also received permission to transfer of air development rights to a 49-story hotel adjoining the theater; the air rights sale was valued at $50 million. The Cort additionally showed two productions in 2017: ''
Indecent Inappropriateness refers to standards or ethics that are typically viewed as being negative in a society. It differs from things that are illicit in that inappropriate behavior does not necessarily have any accompanying legal ramifications. Co ...
'' and ''
M. Butterfly ''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. ...
''.
Mike Birbiglia Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
performed his one-man comedy ''The New One'' in 2018, and the productions of ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
'' and Derren Brown's one-man show ''Secret'' were housed at the Cort in 2019. The theater closed on March 12, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. During the shutdown, in March 2021, the Shuberts announced that the Cort would be refurbished and the annex would be built. The work was planned to be completed by 2022. '' The Minutes'', which had only played previews at the Cort before the shutdown, relocated as a result of the renovation. During the COVID-19 shutdown, the Shuberts, Nederlanders, and Jujamcyn had pledged to increase racial and cultural diversity in their theaters, including naming at least one theater for a Black theatrical personality. Accordingly, in March 2022, the Shuberts announced that the Cort would be renamed after actor
James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...
and would be rededicated upon its reopening in mid-2022. The Jones was the second Broadway theater to be named after a Black theatrical personality. In August 2022, it was announced that the Jones would reopen that November with previews of the play '' Ohio State Murders''. The James Earl Jones Theatre's marquee was revealed on September 12, 2022, celebrating the completion of the theater's $47 million renovation and expansion. ''Ohio State Murders'' officially opened that December as the renamed theater's first show.


Notable productions


1910s to 1990s

* 1915: ''
The Princess Pat ''The Princess Pat'' is an operetta in three acts with music by Victor Herbert and book and lyrics by Henry Blossom. After an Atlantic City, New Jersey tryout in August 1915, it premiered on Broadway on September 29, 1915 at the Cort Theatre and r ...
''
* 1918: ''
Everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin The term ''everyman'' was used as early as ...
'' * 1918: ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...
'' * 1918: ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...
'' * 1918: ''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
'' * 1918: '' The Better 'Ole'' * 1919: ''
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
''
* 1921: ''
Captain Applejack ''Captain Applejack'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code comedy film, produced and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film was directed by Hobart Henley and stars John Halliday, Mary Brian, and Arthur Edmund Carewe.''Pictorial History of the Talkies ...
''
* 1922: '' Merton of the Movies''
* 1924: '' The Assumption of Hannele'' * 1924: '' The Second Mrs. Tanqueray''
* 1925: ''
The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...
'' * 1928: '' The Wrecker'' * 1930: ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the di ...
''
* 1930: ''
Five Star Final ''Five Star Final'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film about the excesses of tabloid journalism directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Aline MacMahon (in her screen debut) and Boris Karloff. The screenplay was by Rob ...
''
* 1932: '' The Blue Bird'' * 1933: '' The Green Bay Tree''
* 1935: '' The Bishop Misbehaves''
* 1935: ''
Most of the Game ''Most of the Game'' is a 1935 comedy play by the British writer John Van Druten. Much of the play is set in New York where a British writer and his aristocratic wife have fallen out of love with each other, and started new relationships with a tea ...
'' * 1935: ''
There's Wisdom in Women ''There's Wisdom in Women'' is a play written by Joseph Kesselring. Producer D. A. Doran staged it on Broadway in 1935. Walter Pidgeon played Leon Nordoff, a famous pianist who has cheated on his wife, Margalo (Ruth Weston). She must decide whethe ...
'' * 1937: ''
Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...
''
* 1939: ''
The White Steed ''The White Steed'' is a play in three acts written in 1939 by Paul Vincent Carroll. It won the 1939 New York Drama Critics' Circle award for Best Foreign Play. Setting The setting of the play is the present-day village of Lorcan, County Louth, ...
''
* 1940: '' The Male Animal''
* 1940: ''
Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...
''
* 1942: ''
Cafe Crown ''Cafe Crown'' is a three-act play by Hy Kraft that premiered on Broadway on January 23, 1942, at the Cort Theatre. The cast included Sam Jaffe and Morris Carnovsky. Its action presented "a motley group of amiable squatters found in a Second Avenu ...
''
* 1942: '' I Killed the Count'' * 1946: ''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...
''
* 1946: ''
Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., ...
'' * 1946: '' Candida'' * 1946: ''
Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband is ...
''
* 1948: ''
Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...
'' * 1948: ''
Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...
'' * 1948: '' The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden'' and ''
The Respectful Prostitute ''The Respectful Prostitute'' (french: La Putain respectueuse) is a French play by Jean-Paul Sartre, written in 1946, which observes a woman, a prostitute, caught up in a racially tense period of American history. The audience understands that t ...
''
* 1948: '' Make Way for Lucia'' * 1949: '' Two Blind Mice''
* 1949: '' The Father'' * 1950: ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...
''
* 1951: '' Saint Joan''
* 1952: '' The Shrike''
* 1954: '' The Rainmaker''
* 1955: ''
The Diary of Anne Frank ''The Diary of a Young Girl'', also known as ''The Diary of Anne Frank'', is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherl ...
''
* 1958: ''
Sunrise at Campobello ''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 Warner Bros. biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 ...
''
* 1960: ''
Once Upon a Mattress ''Once Upon a Mattress'' is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway. The play was writte ...
'' * 1960: '' The Hostage'' * 1960: ''
Advise and Consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive branch of a government enacts something previ ...
'' * 1961: '' Purlie Victorious'' * 1961: ''
Sunday in New York ''Sunday in New York'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor and Cliff Robertson. Filmed in Metrocolor, its screenplay was written by Norman Krasna on the basis of his own 1961 ...
'' * 1962: '' The Father,'' '' Long Day's Journey into Night,'' and ''
Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...
'' * 1963: ''
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...
'' * 1965: '' Boeing-Boeing'' * 1965: ''
The Zulu and the Zayda ''The Zulu and the Zayda'' is a musical play by Howard Da Silva and Felix Leon, with music and lyrics by Harold Rome (his last musical score), and directed by Dore Schary. It was based on a story by Dan Jacobson. Described as a comedy with mus ...
'' * 1967: ''
Johnny No-Trump ''Johnny No-Trump'' is a play written by Mary Mercier which ran for one performance on Broadway. Productions ''Johnny No-Trump'' opened at the Cort Theatre on October 8, 1967 and ran for 5 previews and one regular performance. Directed by Joseph ...
'' * 1967: '' Something Different'' * 1968: ''
Leda Had a Little Swan ''Leda Had a Little Swan'' is a 1968 play written by Bamber Gascoigne. It never officially opened. The work, which included references to sexual relations between parents and their children, had not received a licence to perform in London but had ...
'' * 1974: '' The Magic Show''
* 1979: '' King Richard III''
* 1980: '' Clothes for a Summer Hotel''
* 1982: ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jaso ...
''
* 1984: ''
A Moon for the Misbegotten ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in 1 ...
''
* 1984: '' Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' * 1988: '' Sarafina!''
* 1990: ''
The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...
''
* 1993: ''
Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Howe ...
'' * 1994: '' Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992''
* 1995: '' The Heiress'';
* 1997: ''
An American Daughter ''An American Daughter'' is a play written by Wendy Wasserstein. The play takes place in a living room in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Production history ''An American Daughter'' opened under the New Play Workshop Series at Seattle Repertory The ...
'';
* 1998: ''
Freak A freak is a person who is physically deformed or transformed due to an extraordinary medical condition or body modification. This definition was first attested with this meaning in the 1880s as a shorter form of the phrase "freak of nature" ...
''
* 1998: '' The Blue Room''
* 1999: ''
Kat and the Kings ''Kat and the Kings'' is a South African musical with a book and lyrics by David Kramer and music by Taliep Petersen. Set in late-1950s South Africa, it focuses on teenager Kat Diamond, who believes he's the best singer and dancer in District S ...
''


2000s to present

* 2000: '' The Green Bird''
* 2002: ''
Hollywood Arms ''Hollywood Arms'' is a play by Carrie Hamilton and Carol Burnett. It ran at the Goodman Theatre and on Broadway in 2002. The play is adapted from Carol Burnett's memoir '' One More Time''. Background and productions The dramedy is set in Holly ...
''
* 2003: '' A Year with Frog and Toad''
* 2003: '' Bobbi Boland''
* 2004: '' Laugh Whore''
* 2005: '' On Golden Pond'' * 2006: ''
Barefoot in the Park ''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda. Productions ''Barefoot ...
'' * 2006: ''
The Little Dog Laughed ''The Little Dog Laughed'' is a 2006 comedy play by Douglas Carter Beane. The four characters are an actor, Mitchell, his acerbic agent Diane, a hustler named Alex, and Alex's girlfriend Ellen. When Mitchell and Alex become involved in a physica ...
'' * 2007: ''
Radio Golf Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tra ...
'' * 2007: ''
The Homecoming ''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 by Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony A ...
'' * 2008: '' The 39 Steps'' * 2009: '' You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush'' * 2010: ''
A View from the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...
'' * 2010: ''
Fences A fence is a barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary. Fence or fences may also refer to: Entertainment Music * Fences (band), an Amer ...
'' * 2010: '' Time Stands Still'' * 2011: '' Born Yesterday'' * 2011: ''
Stick Fly ''Stick Fly'' is a 2006 play written by Lydia Diamond. It opened on Broadway on December 8, 2011 and closed on February 26, 2012. Synopsis The show takes place at the LeVay Home, in Edgartown, as it is a point of contention where the family res ...
'' * 2012: ''
The Lyons ''The Lyons'' is a play by Nicky Silver. The play first ran Off-Broadway in 2011 and then premiered on Broadway in 2012. This marks the Broadway debut of a Nicky Silver play.Jones, Kenneth" 'The Lyons', Led By Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa, Opens o ...
'' * 2012: ''
Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...
'' * 2013: '' Breakfast at Tiffany's''
* 2013: ''
No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
'' and '' Waiting for Godot''
* 2014: ''
The Cripple of Inishmaan ''The Cripple of Inishmaan'' is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary ''Man of Aran''. The play is set on the small Aran Islands community of Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) off the Western C ...
''
* 2014: ''
This is Our Youth ''This Is Our Youth'' is a play by American dramatist and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan. It premiered Off-Broadway in 1996 and since been produced all over the world, including the West End, Broadway Sydney and Toronto. Plot The play takes pla ...
''
* 2015: ''
Fish in the Dark ''Fish in the Dark'' is a play by Larry David that focuses on fifteen characters as they deal with a death in the family. The play premiered on Broadway in 2015. History Larry David got the idea for the play from his friend and lawyer Lloyd Braun ...
''
* 2015: '' Sylvia''
* 2016: '' Bright Star''
* 2017: ''
Indecent Inappropriateness refers to standards or ethics that are typically viewed as being negative in a society. It differs from things that are illicit in that inappropriate behavior does not necessarily have any accompanying legal ramifications. Co ...
''
* 2017: ''
M. Butterfly ''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. ...
''
* 2018: '' Mike Birbiglia's The New One''
* 2019: ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
''
* 2019: '' Derren Brown: Secret''
* 2020: '' The Minutes'' * 2022: '' Ohio State Murders''


See also

* List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets *
List of Broadway theaters There are 41 active Broadway theaters listed by The Broadway League in New York City, as well as eight existing structures that previously hosted Broadway theatre. Beginning with the first large long-term theater in the city, the Park Theatre ...


References


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * * * *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, James Earl, Theatre 1912 establishments in New York (state) Broadway theatres Neoclassical architecture in New York City New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan New York City interior landmarks Shubert Organization Theater District, Manhattan Theatres completed in 1912 Thomas W. Lamb buildings