Hudson Theatre
The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built from 1902 to 1903. The exterior was designed by J. B. McElfatrick & Son, while Israels & Harder oversaw the completion of the interior. The theater has 970 seats across three levels. Both its exterior and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and the theater is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Address
141 West 44th Street
Manhattan, New York City
United States
970
October 19, 1903
February 8, 2017
1903–1934, 1937–1949, 1960–1968, 2017–present
J.B. McElfatrick & Son; Israels & Harder
November 15, 2016[1]
16000780
Theater
November 17, 1987[2]
1340[2]
Facade
November 17, 1987[3]
1341[3]
Lobbies and auditorium interior
The Hudson Theatre's massing consists of two primary rectangular sections, both of which are clad in tan brick with Flemish bond. The main entrance is through a four-story wing on 44th Street, while the auditorium is housed in the rear along 45th Street. The first story of the 44th Street wing contains an entrance vestibule, ticket lobby, and main lobby, while the other stories contained offices. The auditorium consists of a ground-level orchestra and two overhanging balconies, with boxes at the first balcony level. The lobbies and auditorium are ornately decorated in the Beaux-Arts Classical style, while the backstage facilities are more simply decorated. The theater is flanked by the two wings of the Millennium Times Square New York hotel, of which it is part.
The Hudson was originally operated by Henry B. Harris, who died in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. His widow, Renee Harris, continued to operate the Hudson until the Great Depression. It then served as a network radio studio for CBS from 1934 to 1937 and as an NBC television studio from 1949 to 1960. The Hudson operated intermittently as a Broadway theater until the 1960s and subsequently served as an adult film theater, a movie theater, and the Savoy nightclub. The Millennium Times Square New York hotel was built around the theater during the late 1980s, and the Hudson Theatre was converted into the hotel's event space. The Hudson Theatre reopened as a Broadway theater in 2017 and is operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group; the building is owned by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.
Site[edit]
The Hudson Theatre is at 139–141 West 44th Street,[4][5] between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue near Times Square, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.[6] It is between the two wings of the Millennium Times Square New York hotel,[4] of which the Hudson Theatre is technically part.[6] The primary elevation of the facade is along 44th Street; a rear elevation extends north to 45th Street.[7] The theater's land lot originally had the addresses 139 West 44th Street and 136–144 West 45th Street.[8][9] It had a frontage of 42.6 feet (13.0 m) on 44th Street and 83.4 feet (25.4 m) on 45th Street, with a depth of 200 feet (61 m) between the two streets.[10] The modern hotel's lot includes the theater. The lot covers 16,820 square feet (1,563 m2), with a frontage of 117.42 feet (35.79 m) on 44th Street and a depth of 200 feet (61 m).[6]
On the same block, 1530 Broadway is to the west and the Hotel Gerard and Belasco Theatre are to the east. Other nearby buildings include the High School of Performing Arts to the northeast, the Lyceum Theatre and 1540 Broadway to the north, One Astor Plaza to the west, 1500 Broadway to the southwest, and the Chatwal New York hotel and the Town Hall to the south.[6] Generally, the area includes residential or commercial buildings much larger than the Hudson.[7] Just before the theater's development at the beginning of the 20th century, the portion of the site on 45th Street had belonged to Paul J. Crovat, while the 44th Street portion was owned by the estate of Joseph Deutsch.[11]
History[edit]
Original Broadway run[edit]
Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression.[57] Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift from Union Square and Madison Square during the first decade of the 20th century.[58][59] The Hudson, Lyceum, and New Amsterdam, which all opened in 1903, were among the first theaters to make this shift.[60] From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including the Hudson Theatre.[61] The theater was originally operated by producer Henry B. Harris, who had become well known in the theatrical community by the 1900s.[62] The site, at 44th and 45th Street, was owned by financier George Gustav Heye.[11][63]
Notable productions[edit]
Hudson Theatre[edit]
Productions are listed by the year of their first performance. This list only includes Broadway shows; it does not include other live shows or films presented at the theater. Live shows that were presented when the theater operated as the Savoy nightclub are listed under § The Savoy.[248][249]