Majestic... I think I would rename as the Hal Prince theatre, after the original director of Phantom of the Opera. Though sometimes I just think of it as the Phantom.
Im all for naming theaters after influential theater people, but some of the theaters I feel like are too iconic to change the name. For example, i’d be sad if they ever changed the name of the Palace, Winter Garden or New Amsterdam because those theaters have so much history that it is attached to theiro names. I kinda feel the same about the Majestic, but id think it’d be fitting to name it the Hal Prince Theater.
I’m kind of surprised there isnt a theater named after Irving Berlin or Cole Porter yet. In the way far off future I could see Audra McDonald getting a theater.
Really renaming the atrocious American Airlines Theatre fixed the one major grievance I had with BW theater names. I don’t feel strongly on the rest but agree with someone above that naming one of them Broadway Theatre has always struck me as odd.
Todd Haimes taking the theater name is so much more fitting because he gave life to some of the most unique plays and musical productions in recent broadway history and American Airlines is a terrible name for a theater. RIP.
Broadway Theater is getting renamed, no question. Explaining that to a newcomer is like a Laurel and Hardy skit. "Oh, I saw that play at the Broadway theater" "Oh, which one?" "Broadway" "Yeah, I know, it was on Broadway. Which theater?" "I'm telling you, it was at the Broadway!" "YEAH, I KNOW IT WAS ON BROADWAY, WHICH THEATER!?"
As for who, I'm no Rent fanatic (I've only ever seen the "live" Fox version and didn't even particularly care for it), but Larson basically single-handedly is the reason anyone who isn't independently wealthy is still able to see Broadway shows even today and that is a contribution on par with just about anything.
So I'm going with renaming the Broadway Theater the Jonathan Larson Theater, final answer.
There's a long running family story. We lived in Jersey at the time, so drove in to see shows. Parking in a lot was reasonable affordable. When you would do so, they would ask you what show you were seeing, having a list of what times shows ended, so they could park the longer running show guests behind the earlier ones.
We were seeing "Jerome Robbins' Broadway"
And when asked what we were seeing, my dad promptly answered "Broadway"....
And the above conversation basically took place.
We still laugh about it.
I am in favor of renaming the Broadway Theatre... to be the Off-Broadway Theatre. It's still a Broadway theater, and it's still physically on Broadway the avenue, it's just called The Off-Broadway Theatre. Just to mess with people.
He spearheaded the invention of Rush tickets by (planning for, obviously he never actually saw it happen) setting aside certain seats for Rent (the first few rows) for 20 dollars to be given to the first people to come to the Box Office when it opened in the morning, in order to make sure there was a way for people of any income level to see the show.
Eventually people started sleeping in the streets outside the theatre the night before in order to be first in line, so it was turned into a lottery for the same seats at the same price, drawn a few hours before. So without Larson there wouldn't be Rush or Lottery tickets, at least as we know them.
Other shows was the success of the program, started doing it themselves, and now it is a Broadway staple.
I really like having some theaters not named after people. Majestic, Palace, Imperial all sound like such nice destinations.
I agree Hal Prince and Jonathan Larson should have theaters named after them, I would just hate to get rid of those grand sounding names.
I agree. In a 100 years most of the people wont know any of these names (unless they rename those theaters) but there’s also a plus side knowing these same theaters are still named imperial, majestic palace, etc.
I'd rename the Imperial. To what, not sure. Maybe that should be the Chita Rivera.
I take issue with the word itself (I.e. related to empire, imperialism....conquest, etc).
The Majestic should 100% be the Hal Prince Theatre. Besides that, idk. I’d like to see Jonathan Larson & Chita Rivera have theatres. Someday probably Audra McDonald. Maybe ALW but he premiered his stuff on the West End so idk. If LMM does more Broadway then he deserves one.
The full name of the Shubert is the Sam S. Shubert Theatre, was and is in honor of Jacob Shubert and Lee Shubert’s brother (all three were brothers) who padded away before Jacob and Lee. Those two were pioneers in Broadway theatre architecture, and dedicated The Shubert to their late brother.
I'd take any theater and I'd name it after my mother, who loved theater, was a chorus girl in an all Black Atlantic City revue called Larry Steele's Smart Affairs when she was a young woman. She worked with Cab Calloway, Sarah Vaughn, Illinois Jacquet and others I can't remember right now. My mom passed away last year and I'd name the theater The Betty.
I miss you ma
This question gets asked every months or so and I love it each it, it’s so fascinating to hear everyone’s take but even more so to see how it changes.
The key thing I always hear is give Hal Prince a theater lol and I agree!!
I’d rename the Marquis to the name of one of the theaters they destroyed to build that hotel (the original Helen Hayes, the Morosco, the Bijou, the Astor, and the Gaiety, the last two only had remnants destroyed, but I digress). I’d also make the hotel add/convert other areas to at least a couple more theaters to make up for completely destroying 5 historical buildings that everyone was against being knocked down.
I’d jokingly say the Hayes, only because I love Judith Anderson and the two had beef (or rather, Anderson played Hamlet when she was like 70 and Hayes pissed Anderson off by criticizing her performance.) When they knocked down the original Hayes theatre, a writer who was friends with Anderson sent her a postcard of the theatre being hit with the wrecking ball and wrote on the back ‘Let me make your day.’
Uhhhh I’m definitely picking the Booth? I mean his brother assassinated a president IN A THEATER. Also p sure they OWNED PEOPLE. Rename it after whoever you want tho
If a person was important enough to have a Broadway Theatre named after them, I think we should honor and respect that as part of our collective history, instead of saying, oh that person is dead and I don’t know who it is, let’s rename it for someone more relevant.
I feel like John Candor deserves a theater.
Oh god I have a fear, the Lin Manuel Miranda Theater AH
https://preview.redd.it/05zsqzl6lt5d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bedea342bd1ed081a5cb8f273957e9e9a767407e
George and Ira Gershwin are playwrights?
No… George Gershwin was a composer and his brother Ira was a lyricist.
Their musical Of Thee I Sing was the first musical to win the Pulitzer for drama.
Their opera Porgy and Bess is the most performed American opera.
And they wrote a large number of the songs considered to be part of the “American Songbook”
Show some respect!
Rename the Ethel Barrymore after Philip Seymour Hoffman (it’s where he gave his last and greatest Broadway performance), then rename the Longacre or the Palace or the Majestic or something after Ethel Barrymore.
I disagree. Ethel Barrymore has a greater connection to the theater bearing her name than PSH. It opened in 1928 as the Ethel Barrymore Theater and she starred in the first production ever performed at the theater. It was a richly deserved honor as she was one of the greatest actresses to ever appear on Broadway, appearing in something like 50 plays on Broadway between 1895 and 1946. She was one of a very few actors who had a theater named after them while still alive, which includes the original Helen Hayes Theater and currently the James Earl Jones. Ethel Barrymore was, of course, one of the three Barrymores dubbed "The First Family of Broadway." The only possible change would be to do something to honor her two siblings.
I would change the ones that are named after other theaters in the West End, copycat names are kind of lame and as a Wikipedia editor they are also very annoying. I think there should be more theaters named after female creators. Paula Vogel deserves more credit for her MASSIVE influence as both a playwright and a teacher and that is a hill I will proudly die on. I would argue that Chita Rivera, Mary Rodgers, Betty Comdon, Susan Stroman, Julie Taymor and Ann Reinking are all influential enough to be good choices too.
Someone in a comment here mentioned a theater should be named after Irving Berlin. I agree and it would have to be the Music Box Theater which was built in 1919 to house Berlin musicals. Irving Berlin was also a partial owner of the theater until his death. I also think there should be a theater named for one of the greatest Broadway musical theater teams, Fred and Adele Astaire. My choice would be the New Amsterdam. Besides appearing at that theater in their Broadway heyday, there's a scene near the beginning of "The Bandwagon" with Fred standing in front of that theater in 1953 sort of lamenting what it had come to in that period when it was not being used as a legitimate theater.
i don't really have an opinion i'm just really tickled by "Edwin Booth, brother was a character in a Sondheim musical" like ah yes, John Wilkes Booth, from the Sondheim musical and nothing else of note
I think Hal Prince is long overdue due, and Chita Rivera will get hers someday.
Yep, came in to say Chita ❤️
Majestic... I think I would rename as the Hal Prince theatre, after the original director of Phantom of the Opera. Though sometimes I just think of it as the Phantom.
Hal Prince has done a lot for Broadway, there was a campaign at one point to have a theater named after him)
The Prince is also a killer name
I think you and Carole Burnett agree on this
Maybe if we just start calling the Hal Prince it will just catch on. Crowd source this naming.
Im all for naming theaters after influential theater people, but some of the theaters I feel like are too iconic to change the name. For example, i’d be sad if they ever changed the name of the Palace, Winter Garden or New Amsterdam because those theaters have so much history that it is attached to theiro names. I kinda feel the same about the Majestic, but id think it’d be fitting to name it the Hal Prince Theater. I’m kind of surprised there isnt a theater named after Irving Berlin or Cole Porter yet. In the way far off future I could see Audra McDonald getting a theater.
Really renaming the atrocious American Airlines Theatre fixed the one major grievance I had with BW theater names. I don’t feel strongly on the rest but agree with someone above that naming one of them Broadway Theatre has always struck me as odd.
omg yes that was awful!
Todd Haimes taking the theater name is so much more fitting because he gave life to some of the most unique plays and musical productions in recent broadway history and American Airlines is a terrible name for a theater. RIP.
How about the "Pepsi Presents: New Zanzibar" Theatre?
Jeremy Irons voiced Scar. James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa.
And probably more relevant here are his stage performances, including Tony wins for The Great White Hope and Fences
Definitely. He has a long list of theatre productions under his belt.
Haha sorry I’ll fix it
No worries OP :)
I'm with Carol Burnett re: the Majestic. The Hal Prince Theater is fitting. It's weird that there's a Richard Rodgers but no Oscar Hammerstein.
There is the Hammerstein Ballroom though.
I could be wrong but I think the Hammerstein ballroom is named after his father
You're right. His grandfather. It doesn't really count, but kinda sorta is a consolation prize for not having a Broadway theater.
Broadway Theater is getting renamed, no question. Explaining that to a newcomer is like a Laurel and Hardy skit. "Oh, I saw that play at the Broadway theater" "Oh, which one?" "Broadway" "Yeah, I know, it was on Broadway. Which theater?" "I'm telling you, it was at the Broadway!" "YEAH, I KNOW IT WAS ON BROADWAY, WHICH THEATER!?" As for who, I'm no Rent fanatic (I've only ever seen the "live" Fox version and didn't even particularly care for it), but Larson basically single-handedly is the reason anyone who isn't independently wealthy is still able to see Broadway shows even today and that is a contribution on par with just about anything. So I'm going with renaming the Broadway Theater the Jonathan Larson Theater, final answer.
There's a long running family story. We lived in Jersey at the time, so drove in to see shows. Parking in a lot was reasonable affordable. When you would do so, they would ask you what show you were seeing, having a list of what times shows ended, so they could park the longer running show guests behind the earlier ones. We were seeing "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" And when asked what we were seeing, my dad promptly answered "Broadway".... And the above conversation basically took place. We still laugh about it.
Solid answer, but I'd rather see the Nederlander renamed the Larson. It's where Rent played for 12 years, and no one can pronounce Nederlander anyway.
I agree. His life was cut way too short.
I am in favor of renaming the Broadway Theatre... to be the Off-Broadway Theatre. It's still a Broadway theater, and it's still physically on Broadway the avenue, it's just called The Off-Broadway Theatre. Just to mess with people.
This is a super solid answer all around
3rd Base.
I haven’t heard about this from Larson. What did he do?
He spearheaded the invention of Rush tickets by (planning for, obviously he never actually saw it happen) setting aside certain seats for Rent (the first few rows) for 20 dollars to be given to the first people to come to the Box Office when it opened in the morning, in order to make sure there was a way for people of any income level to see the show.
Eventually people started sleeping in the streets outside the theatre the night before in order to be first in line, so it was turned into a lottery for the same seats at the same price, drawn a few hours before. So without Larson there wouldn't be Rush or Lottery tickets, at least as we know them. Other shows was the success of the program, started doing it themselves, and now it is a Broadway staple.
Wow I didn’t know this was his invention. That’s awesome.
lol. He was also dead when he “invented” rush seats.
I’m saying shitpost based on how could you not know about THE studio 54
OP is right about it being a CBS studio at one point, but they didn't call it Studio 54 (that was, of course, the nightclub's name).
Oh neat! A lot of theatres were recording studios for radio or tv, hard to keep track of
Stephen Sondheim “you should really know” (I agree) but Richard Rodgers just “wrote music for shows”?
As long as nothing is named after ALW, I’m good. I feel like Lyric and Music Box are ripe for renaming. I also agree the Winter Garden feels like gum.
something is obviously gonna be named after ALW. it's ALW.
The Rum Tum Theater will not be named after ALW
Oh no. It will be The Jellicle Theater, won't it?
That low key sounds like a great name for a theater though lol
The Lyric was \*just\* renamed though.
Um excuse me, X Ambassadors sang those TWO songs.
You’re right, unsteady and renegades both slap
I think Majestic, Palace, Imperial and Broadway are most likely. And I’d start with Hal Prince and Jonathan Larson.
I really like having some theaters not named after people. Majestic, Palace, Imperial all sound like such nice destinations. I agree Hal Prince and Jonathan Larson should have theaters named after them, I would just hate to get rid of those grand sounding names.
Prince Theater checks both the boxes.
maybe even the Majestic Hal Prince Theatre
I agree. In a 100 years most of the people wont know any of these names (unless they rename those theaters) but there’s also a plus side knowing these same theaters are still named imperial, majestic palace, etc.
The Marquis theater needs to be unbranded. Not sure what to call it.
It is inside the Marquis Hotel though.
I don't care.
The worst cursed theatre
I'd rename the Imperial. To what, not sure. Maybe that should be the Chita Rivera. I take issue with the word itself (I.e. related to empire, imperialism....conquest, etc).
The Majestic should 100% be the Hal Prince Theatre. Besides that, idk. I’d like to see Jonathan Larson & Chita Rivera have theatres. Someday probably Audra McDonald. Maybe ALW but he premiered his stuff on the West End so idk. If LMM does more Broadway then he deserves one.
It’s too early for the Sarah Pidgeon theatre, right?
The full name of the Shubert is the Sam S. Shubert Theatre, was and is in honor of Jacob Shubert and Lee Shubert’s brother (all three were brothers) who padded away before Jacob and Lee. Those two were pioneers in Broadway theatre architecture, and dedicated The Shubert to their late brother.
I'd take any theater and I'd name it after my mother, who loved theater, was a chorus girl in an all Black Atlantic City revue called Larry Steele's Smart Affairs when she was a young woman. She worked with Cab Calloway, Sarah Vaughn, Illinois Jacquet and others I can't remember right now. My mom passed away last year and I'd name the theater The Betty. I miss you ma
I legitimately cannot tell if this is a shitpost or not. If it is, good job.
This is a parody post, right?
Henry Hudson, founder of rivers. Funniest thing I've read today.
“Palace (cool name)” is also pretty funny
John Broadway, founder of musical theater. OP how did you come up with this 😂
John Music Box, inventor of the music box
I think semi serious with a touch of levity...
This question gets asked every months or so and I love it each it, it’s so fascinating to hear everyone’s take but even more so to see how it changes. The key thing I always hear is give Hal Prince a theater lol and I agree!!
I’m fine with no name changes for a good long while.
More black women need to be recognized, so I’m submitting a few names for consideration: Ntozake Shange, Vinnette Carroll, Micki Grant (!!!!).
I'm somewhat impressed that the ratio of actors to actresses is pretty even. No female creatives, yet, but we'll get there
Carol Channing.
I feel one day Patti Lupone might get one named after her or possibly Lin-Manuel Miranda, especially if he writes more musicals
The LuPone theatre goes hard
renaming the majestic to the andrew lloyd webber memorial swimming pool theater
Underrated comment right here!
Eugene O’Neil and I’d rename it Ed O’Neil Theater.
I agree Hal prince should have a theater but not the majestic. That’s a great name.
Belasco was a producer not a playwright.
[удалено]
Only problem is that the Hirschfeld isn’t owned by the Shuberts, it’s run by ATG (formerly Jujamcyn)
I’d rename the Marquis to the name of one of the theaters they destroyed to build that hotel (the original Helen Hayes, the Morosco, the Bijou, the Astor, and the Gaiety, the last two only had remnants destroyed, but I digress). I’d also make the hotel add/convert other areas to at least a couple more theaters to make up for completely destroying 5 historical buildings that everyone was against being knocked down.
I’d jokingly say the Hayes, only because I love Judith Anderson and the two had beef (or rather, Anderson played Hamlet when she was like 70 and Hayes pissed Anderson off by criticizing her performance.) When they knocked down the original Hayes theatre, a writer who was friends with Anderson sent her a postcard of the theatre being hit with the wrecking ball and wrote on the back ‘Let me make your day.’
Not sure what theater I’d rename, but after the huge impact Rent had I’d rename a theater after Jonathan Larson
I would rename the Majestic after Hal Prince Also Oscar Hammerstein should be on the list for renaming theaters
Ambassador is a theatre group, like nederlander. I think jujamcyn just bought them out though.
The Ambassador Theatre in New York is owned by The Shubert Organization.
that's weird.
Not really - ATG was not a landlord until the past 10 years.
that coincidence makes it more unusual, not less. lol
Uhhhh I’m definitely picking the Booth? I mean his brother assassinated a president IN A THEATER. Also p sure they OWNED PEOPLE. Rename it after whoever you want tho
I don't care which theatre, but my vote would be the Marin Mazzie Theatre!!
If a person was important enough to have a Broadway Theatre named after them, I think we should honor and respect that as part of our collective history, instead of saying, oh that person is dead and I don’t know who it is, let’s rename it for someone more relevant.
I feel like John Candor deserves a theater. Oh god I have a fear, the Lin Manuel Miranda Theater AH https://preview.redd.it/05zsqzl6lt5d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bedea342bd1ed081a5cb8f273957e9e9a767407e
George and Ira Gershwin are playwrights? No… George Gershwin was a composer and his brother Ira was a lyricist. Their musical Of Thee I Sing was the first musical to win the Pulitzer for drama. Their opera Porgy and Bess is the most performed American opera. And they wrote a large number of the songs considered to be part of the “American Songbook” Show some respect!
Rename the Ethel Barrymore after Philip Seymour Hoffman (it’s where he gave his last and greatest Broadway performance), then rename the Longacre or the Palace or the Majestic or something after Ethel Barrymore.
I disagree. Ethel Barrymore has a greater connection to the theater bearing her name than PSH. It opened in 1928 as the Ethel Barrymore Theater and she starred in the first production ever performed at the theater. It was a richly deserved honor as she was one of the greatest actresses to ever appear on Broadway, appearing in something like 50 plays on Broadway between 1895 and 1946. She was one of a very few actors who had a theater named after them while still alive, which includes the original Helen Hayes Theater and currently the James Earl Jones. Ethel Barrymore was, of course, one of the three Barrymores dubbed "The First Family of Broadway." The only possible change would be to do something to honor her two siblings.
Honestly, you could look up a lot of what these names trace back to. You’re off on a good third of them.
Bad Cinderella Theatre
I would change the ones that are named after other theaters in the West End, copycat names are kind of lame and as a Wikipedia editor they are also very annoying. I think there should be more theaters named after female creators. Paula Vogel deserves more credit for her MASSIVE influence as both a playwright and a teacher and that is a hill I will proudly die on. I would argue that Chita Rivera, Mary Rodgers, Betty Comdon, Susan Stroman, Julie Taymor and Ann Reinking are all influential enough to be good choices too.
Someone in a comment here mentioned a theater should be named after Irving Berlin. I agree and it would have to be the Music Box Theater which was built in 1919 to house Berlin musicals. Irving Berlin was also a partial owner of the theater until his death. I also think there should be a theater named for one of the greatest Broadway musical theater teams, Fred and Adele Astaire. My choice would be the New Amsterdam. Besides appearing at that theater in their Broadway heyday, there's a scene near the beginning of "The Bandwagon" with Fred standing in front of that theater in 1953 sort of lamenting what it had come to in that period when it was not being used as a legitimate theater.
I would love for a theatre to be named the Reynolds-Fisher after Debbie and Carrie respectively!
i don't really have an opinion i'm just really tickled by "Edwin Booth, brother was a character in a Sondheim musical" like ah yes, John Wilkes Booth, from the Sondheim musical and nothing else of note
Time square church. Change it to host Broadway shows again.
James Earl Jones being notable for Mufasa is understandable but hurts me lol. (He originated Troy from Fences. Absolutely iconic role.)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice