Broadhurst Theatre

PlayingFrankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, July 2019
Address	235 West 44th Street Manhattan, New York United States
Coordinates	40°45′30″N73°59′15″W / 40.7582°N 73.9876°W /40.7582; -73.9876
Owner	The Shubert Organization
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,218
Construction
Opened	September 27, 1917 (107 years ago) (1917-09-27)
Architect	Herbert J. Krapp
Website
shubert.nyc/theatres/broadhurst/
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 10, 1987[1]
Reference no.	1323[1]
Designated entity	Facade
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 15, 1987[2]
Reference no.	1324[2]
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

TheBroadhurst Theatre is aBroadway theater at 235 West44th Street in theTheater District ofMidtown Manhattan inNew York City, United States. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed byHerbert J. Krapp and was built for theShubert brothers. The Broadhurst Theatre is named for British-American theatrical producerGeorge Broadhurst, who leased the theater before its opening. It has 1,218 seats across two levels and is operated byThe Shubert Organization. Both thefacade and the auditorium interior areNew York City landmarks.

The neoclassical facade is simple in design and is similar to that of theSchoenfeld (formerly Plymouth) Theatre, which was developed concurrently. The Broadhurst's facade is made ofbuff-colored brick andterracotta and is divided into two sections: a stage house to the west and the theater's entrance to the east. The entrance is topped by fire-escape galleries and contains a curved corner facing east towardBroadway. The auditorium contains an orchestra level, a large balcony, a small technical gallery, and a flat ceiling. The space is decorated in the classical Greek andAdam styles, withDoric columns and Greekfriezes. Near the front of the auditorium, flanking the flatproscenium arch, arebox seats at balcony level.

The Shubert brothers developed the Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters following the success of theBooth andShubert theaters directly to the east. The Broadhurst Theatre opened on September 27, 1917, withMisalliance; its namesake had intended to use the theater for his own productions. The Shuberts acquired full control of the Broadhurst in 1929 and have operated it since then. The theater has hosted not only musicals but also revues, comedies, and dramas throughout its history. Long-running shows hosted at the Broadhurst have includedHold Everything!,Fiorello!,Cabaret,Grease,Kiss of the Spider Woman,Les Misérables, andMamma Mia!.

The Broadhurst Theatre is on 235 West 44th Street, on the north sidewalk betweenEighth Avenue andSeventh Avenue, nearTimes Square in theTheater District ofMidtown Manhattan inNew York City, United States.^[3][4] The rectangularland lot covers 10,695 square feet (993.6 m²), with afrontage of 106.5 feet (32.5 m) on 44th Street and a depth of 100.42 ft (31 m).^[4] The Broadhurst Theatre shares the city block with theRow NYC Hotel to the west. It adjoins six other theaters: theMajestic to the west, theJohn Golden andBernard B. Jacobs to the northwest, theGerald Schoenfeld to the north, theBooth to the northeast, and theShubert to the east. Other nearby structures include theMusic Box Theatre andImperial Theatre one block north;One Astor Plaza to the east;1501 Broadway to the southeast; and theSardi's restaurant, theHayes Theater, and theSt. James Theatre to the south.^[4]

The Broadhurst is part of the largest concentration of Broadway theaters on a single block.^[5] The Broadhurst, Schoenfeld (originally Plymouth), Booth, and Shubert theaters were all developed by theShubert brothers between 44th and 45th Streets, occupying land previously owned by theAstor family.^[6][7] The Broadhurst and Schoenfeld were built as a pair, occupying land left over from the development of the Shubert and Booth, which were also paired.^[8][9] The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld theatrical pair share an alley to the east, parallel to the largerShubert Alley east of the Shubert/Booth pair.^[6][10] The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld alley was required under New York City construction codes of the time but, unlike Shubert Alley, it was closed to the public shortly after its completion.^[11] The Shuberts bought the land under all four theaters from the Astors in 1948.^[7][12]

The Broadhurst Theatre was designed byHerbert J. Krapp and constructed in 1917 for theShubert brothers.^[3][13] The Broadhurst and Plymouth were two of Krapp's first theatrical designs as an independent architect after he left the firm ofHerts & Tallant.^[14] While thefacades of the two theaters are similar in arrangement, the interiors have a different design both from each other and from their respective facades.^[15][16] The Broadhurst is designed to complement the Shubert/Booth theatrical pair, with a simpleneoclassical facade compared to the Shubert's and Booth's "Venetian Renaissance" designs.^[17] The Broadhurst is operated bythe Shubert Organization.^[18][19]

Krapp designed the Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters with relatively simple brick-and-stone facades, instead relying on the arrangement of the brickwork for decorative purposes. The Broadhurst and Plymouth contain curved corners at the eastern portions of their respective facades, facingBroadway, since most audience members reached the theaters from that direction.^[14][15] The use of simple exterior-design elements was typical of Krapp's commissions for the Shubert family,^[14][16] giving these theaters the impression that they were mass-produced.^[16] The Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters' designs contrasted withHenry Beaumont Herts's earlier ornate designs of the Shubert and Booth theaters. Nevertheless, the use of curved east-facing corners was common to all four theaters.^[14] The Broadhurst's facade is divided into two sections: the auditorium to the east and a stage house to the west. The facade is generally shorter than its width.^[20]

Architectural details of the auditorium facade

Lobby entrance

Fire escape on third story, with parapet above

Cartouche above curve

The ground floor of the auditorium contains awater table made of granite, above which are vertical blocks ofarchitectural terracotta. The rest of the facade is made ofbuff brick inFlemish bond, laid in a diaper pattern. Along the ground floor on 44th Street, there are glass-and-bronze double doors with aluminum frames andtransoms. There are display boxes on either side of these doors, and amarquee extends above the doors. The southeastern corner of the facade is curved and contains an entrance to the ticket lobby. This entrance contains a double door, above which is a glass transom panel with the word "Broadhurst" inscribed on it.^[20][21] The corner entrance is topped by a brokenpediment, which is supported byconsole brackets on either side and contains anescutcheon at the center.^[9][20]

Along 44th Street, the auditorium's second and third floors contain afire escape made ofcast iron andwrought iron. There are doors and windows on both levels, leading to the fire escape. In addition, the fire escape's third-floor railing contains cast-iron depictions ofribands and shields.^[20][21] A canopy originally shielded the fire escape at the third floor.^[21] Above the center of the third floor, on 44th Street, is a terracottacartouche containing depictions ofswags. The curved corner contains a third-floor window, topped by an oval escutcheon decorated with swags andfleur-de-lis. A terracottacornice and a brickparapet runs above the auditorium facade.^[20][21] The parapet is stepped and contains acoping made ofsheet metal.^[20]

The stage house is five stories high. The ground floor of the stage house contains a granite water table with terracotta blocks above it. On this story, there are two metal doors and three windows. The stage house has fivesash windows on each of the upper stories. These windows are placed withinsegmental arches made of brick. There is a metal fire escape in front of the stage house, which leads to the fire escape in front of the auditorium's third story. A parapet withcorbels runs above the fifth story of the stage house.^[20]

The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony,boxes, and astage behind theproscenium arch. The auditorium has about the same width and depth, and the space is designed with plaster decorations inrelief.^[22] According to the Shubert Organization, the theater has 1,218 seats;^[18] meanwhile,The Broadway League gives a figure of 1,186 seats^[23] andPlaybill cites 1,163 seats.^[19] The physical seats are divided into 733 seats in the orchestra, 429 on the balcony, and 24 in the boxes. There are 32 standing-only spots.^[18] The theater contains restrooms in the basement and concessions in the lobby.^[19] The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible and contains an accessible restroom; the balcony is not wheelchair-accessible.^[18]

The rear or eastern end of the orchestra contains a promenade, with four paneledpiers supporting the balcony level. The promenade's ceiling is surrounded by aDoric-style cornice as well as afrieze designed in theAdam style.^[22] There are also plasterwork panels on the promenade ceiling, which contain chandeliers suspended from medallions.^[24] Two staircases with metal railings lead from the promenade to the balcony.^[25] The orchestra level israked, sloping down toward anorchestra pit in front of the stage. The orchestra and its promenade contain walls with plasterwork panels. Doorways on the south (left) wall lead from the lobby, while those on the north (right) and east (rear) walls lead to the exits.^[24] The tops of the doorways are flanked by console brackets, which support anentablature and a pediment withanthemia.^[22] When the theater was built, the orchestra had a movable floor;^[26] half the seating could be removed overnight to accommodate smaller productions.^[27][28]

At the rear of the balcony are four paneled piers (corresponding to those at orchestra level), which are topped by Doric-stylecapitals.^[25] The side walls contain plasterwork panels with swags. There are also doorways with pediments, similar to those on the orchestra.^[9][25] Low-relief panels and air-conditioning vents are placed on the balcony's underside. In front of the balcony is a Panathenaic frieze, based on that of theParthenon, which is mostly hidden behind light boxes.^[25] There is a small technical gallery above the rear of the balcony, the front railing of which contains moldings of swags. A Doric-style cornice runs above the balcony walls, wrapping above the boxes and proscenium.^[24]

On either side of the stage is a wall section with three boxes at the balcony level. The boxes step downward toward the stage; the front box curves forward into the proscenium arch, while the rear box curves backward into the balcony.^[9][22] At the orchestra level, there are three rectangular openings, corresponding to the locations of former boxes on that level. The front railings of the boxes contain sections of a Panathenaic frieze, separated byfasces made of plaster;^[25] the frieze contained depictions of horsemen.^[9] The underside of each box is decorated with a medallion containing a light fixture; this is surrounded by a molded band.^[25] Doric-style columns separate the boxes from each other, supporting a molding and panel at the top of each wall section.^[9][25]

Next to the boxes is a flat proscenium arch, which consists of Doric pilasters on either side of the opening, as well as an entablature above.^[22] The entablature contains a central relief panel with a frieze of horsemen.^[9][22] The theater was also designed with a false proscenium opening, which gave the impression of a smaller stage suitable for dramas and comedies.^[27] The proscenium opening measures about 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and 40 ft (12 m) wide. The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is 31 ft (9.4 m), while the depth to the front of the stage is 33 ft 2 in (10.11 m).^[18] The ceiling is flat, containing plasterwork moldings, friezes, and medallions, as well as air-conditioning vents. Chandeliers are suspended from the medallions.^[25]

Interior panorama of Broadhurst Theatre as viewed from the boxes on the left side of the auditorium

Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 andthe Great Depression.^[29] Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift fromUnion Square andMadison Square during the first decade of the 20th century.^[30][31] From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including the Broadhurst Theatre.^[32] The Broadhurst was developed by the Shubert brothers ofSyracuse, New York, who expandeddownstate into New York City in the first decade of the 20th century.^[33][34] After the death ofSam S. Shubert in 1905, his brothersLee andJacob J. Shubert expanded their theatrical operations significantly.^[35][36] The brothers controlled a quarter of all plays and three-quarters of theatrical ticket sales in the U.S. by 1925.^[33][37]

The Broadhurst at the opening ofMisalliance in 1917

The facade as depicted inArchitecture and Building (1918)

The Shubert brothers had constructed the Shubert and Booth theaters as a pair in 1913, having leased the site from the Astor family.^[8] Only the eastern half of the land was used for the Shubert/Booth project; following the success of the two theaters, the Shubert brothers decided to develop another pair of theaters to the west.^[13] Herbert Krapp was hired as the architect, while Edward Margolies was the builder.^[26] Krapp filed plans for a new theater at 235 West 44th Street with theNew York City Department of Buildings in January 1917;^[38] he revised these plans in March.^[39] That August, British-American theatrical producerGeorge Broadhurst leased the theater from the Shuberts, and the venue was renamed for Broadhurst.^[27][28] At the time, Broadhurst was a busy playwright; he staged nearly 30 Broadway andWest End plays from 1907 to 1924.^[17][40] He leased the Shubert's new 44th Street venue because he wanted a theater to showcase his own work.^[17]

The Broadhurst opened on September 27, 1917, withGeorge Bernard Shaw's comedyMisalliance;^[41][42] the show lasted 52 performances.^[43][44] Despite his early intentions, George Broadhurst did not only stage his own shows at the theater;^[45] for example, the Broadhurst hosted a revival ofR. C. Carton'sLord and Lady Algy in December 1917.^[46][47] This was followed in 1918 by the musicalMaytime withPeggy Wood^[45][48][49] and the playLadies First withNora Bayes andWilliam Kent.^[41][50]Rachel Crothers's comedy39 East opened at the Broadhurst in 1919,^[41][51][52] andJane Cowl and Allan Langdon Martin's collaborationSmilin' Through at the end of that year.^[53][54][55]

George Broadhurst's adaptation of the playTarzan of the Apes, with real animals,^[56][57] ran for 13 performances in 1921.^[58][59]The Claw featuringLionel Barrymore opened the same year.^[58][60] Peggy Wood returned to the Broadhurst forHugo Felix'sMarjolaine in 1922,^[58][61] which had 136 performances.^[62] The Broadhurst's productions in 1923 includedThe Dancers withRichard Bennett andFlorence Eldridge,^[58][63][64] as well as the revueTopics of 1923 withAlice Delysia.^[58][65] In early 1924, the Broadhurst stagedMarc Connelly andGeorge S. Kaufman's playBeggar on Horseback withRoland Young,^[66][67] which lasted for 224 performances.^[58][68] This was followed the next year byMichael Arlen'sThe Green Hat withKatharine Cornell;^[66][69] it had 237 performances.^[45][70]

The Broadhurst next hosted the revueBunk of 1926, which was forced to close in June 1926 due to an injunction against it.^[71] Shortly afterward, Alexander A. Aarons andVinton Freedley leased the Broadhurst Theatre for several years.^[72][73]Jed Harris's version of theGeorge Abbott andPhilip Dunning playBroadway opened that September;^[66][74] it continued for 603 performances,^[75][76] ultimately relocating at the end of 1927.^[77] It was immediately followed byWinthrop Ames's version of Shakespeare'sThe Merchant of Venice, featuringGeorge Arliss andPeggy Wood.^[75][78][79] TheLew Brown/B. G. de Sylva/Ray Henderson musicalHold Everything! opened later in 1928^[80][81] and lasted for 413 performances.^[75][82] The Broadhurst's last hit of the 1920s wasGeorge S. Kaufman andRing Lardner's playJune Moon, which opened in 1929 for a 273-performance run.^[75][83] That year, the Shuberts took over the theater's operation from George Broadhurst.^[6]

In 1931, the Broadhurst stagedHerbert Fields andRodgers and Hart's musicalAmerica's Sweetheart,^[84] which continued for 135 performances.^[85][86] Aarons and Freedley gave up their lease on the theater that August,^[87] andNorman Bel Geddes produced a short-lived revival of Shakespeare'sHamlet that November.^[85][88] This was followed in 1932 byPhilip Barry's comedyThe Animal Kingdom;^[85][89][90] the dramaThe Man Who Reclaimed His Head;^[91][92] andBen Hecht andCharles MacArthur's playTwentieth Century.^[93][94][95] Next, theGroup Theatre occupied the Broadhurst during the 1933–1934 season with a production ofSidney Kingsley's playMen in White.^[91][96][97]Eve Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Company presented several shows at the Broadhurst later in 1934.^[98][99] This includedL'Aiglon withEthel Barrymore,^[100][101] as well asHedda Gabler andCradle Song.^[98]

The Broadhurst hostedRobert E. Sherwood's playThe Petrified Forest, withHumphrey Bogart andLeslie Howard, in 1935.^{[93][102][103]}Victoria Regina, featuringHelen Hayes andVincent Price, opened at the end of that year.^[93][104] It ran for 517 performances through 1937,^[105] with a hiatus mid-run.^[106] Subsequently,Ruth Gordon's version of theHenrik Ibsen playA Doll's House moved to the Broadhurst in 1938.^[107][108] This was followed in 1939 byDodie Smith'sDear Octopus;^{[107][109][110]} the musicalThe Hot Mikado, an all-Black version ofThe Mikado withBill Robinson;^{[111][112][113]} and the revueThe Streets of Paris withCarmen Miranda andAbbott and Costello.^[111][114]

During the 1940s, the Broadhurst hosted numerous musicals and revues.^[115] These includedBoys and Girls Together withEd Wynn,Jane Pickens, andthe DeMarcos in 1940,^[116][117] as well asHigh Kickers withGeorge Jessel andSophie Tucker the next year.^{[111][118][119]} The dramaUncle Harry with Eva Le Gallienne,Joseph Schildkraut, andKarl Malden ran at the Broadhurst in 1942.^[120][121] Further hits at the Broadhurst includedFats Waller's revueEarly to Bed in 1943;^[122][123] theAgatha Christie playTen Little Indians in 1944,^{[124][125][126]} and a transfer of the revueFollow the Girls withJackie Gleason andGertrude Niesen in 1945.^[124][127]Morgan Lewis andNancy Hamilton's revueThree to Make Ready transferred to the Broadhurst in 1946,^[124][128] and Helen Hayes returned the same year inAnita Loos'sHappy Birthday,^[122][129] which ran for 564 performances.^[124][130] Four revues were staged during 1948 and 1949:Make Mine Manhattan,Along Fifth Avenue,Lend an Ear, andTouch and Go.^[131]

The 1950s saw several long-running shows,^[122] though the earliest shows of the decade were short-lived.^[132] For example,Martin Balsam andWalter Matthau starred inThe Liar, which lasted only 12 performances in May 1950.^[133][132]Douglass Watson andOlivia de Havilland starred in a 49-performance revival ofRomeo and Juliet in 1951,^[134][135] while the musicalFlahooley ran just 40 performances afterward.^{[134][136][137]} Conversely, the musicalSeventeen ran for 180 performances later in 1951.^[134][138] Next was the revival of theRodgers and Hart musicalPal Joey in 1952, featuringVivienne Segal andHarold Lang,^[139][140] which at 542 performances ran longer than the original production.^[141][142] The Spanish Theatre performed several plays inrepertory at the Broadhurst in 1953,^[143] followed thereafter byThe Prescott Proposals with Katharine Cornell.^[141][144] This was followed by long runs ofAnniversary Waltz (1954) withMacdonald Carey andKitty Carlisle;Lunatics and Lovers (1954) withSheila Bond,Buddy Hackett, andDennis King; andThe Desk Set (1955) withShirley Booth.^[141]

The Broadhurst hostedAuntie Mame in 1956,^[145][146] starringRosalind Russell in her last Broadway appearance;^[147] it ran for 639 performances.^[147][148] This was followed in 1958 by the playThe World of Suzie Wong withFrance Nuyen andWilliam Shatner,^[145][149] which lasted for 508 performances.^[150][151] Next,Jerry Bock andSheldon Harnick's musicalFiorello! opened at the Broadhurst in November 1959,^[145][152] relocating over a year later in May 1961.^[153][154]Noël Coward's musicalSail Away opened at the Broadhurst in October 1961 withElaine Stritch,^[155][156] running for 167 performances.^[150][157] The next year, the Broadhurst briefly hosted the long-running musicalMy Fair Lady,^[158][159] andRichard Rodgers's musicalNo Strings finished its 580-performance run there.^[160][161] TheTom Jones/Harvey Schmidt musical110 in the Shade opened in 1963 withRobert Horton,Will Geer,Lesley Ann Warren, andInga Swenson.^[162][163] The next year, the theater hosted the West End musicalOh, What a Lovely War!.^[160][164]

The musicalKelly was aflop in 1965, withjust one performance before it closed.^[165][166] It was followed the same year by the West End musicalHalf a Sixpence withTommy Steele,^[167][168] which ran for 512 performances.^[169] Afterward, in late 1966, the Broadhurst premieredJohn Kander andFred Ebb'sCabaret,^[170] which only stayed a short time at the Broadhurst but ultimately lasted for about 1,165 performances.^[171][172]More Stately Mansions, the last play byEugene O'Neill, opened at the Broadhurst in 1967^[173][174] and featuredIngrid Bergman,Arthur Hill, andColleen Dewhurst.^[171][175]You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running occupied the Broadhurst for several months in 1968, during the middle of that play's run.^[176][177] The next year,The Fig Leaves Are Falling flopped after four performances,^[178] andWoody Allen,Tony Roberts, andDiane Keaton starred inPlay It Again, Sam.^{[167][179][180]}

The Broadhurst was increasingly hosting musicals, dramas, and comedies by the 1970s, with the decline of revues.^[181]George Furth'sTwigs, featuringSada Thompson, opened at the theater in 1971.^{[182][183][184]} Next,Grease had a short run at the Broadhurst during 1972;^[185][186] after transferring elsewhere, the show becameBroadway's longest-running musical.^[182][186] It was followed at the end of the year byNeil Simon'sThe Sunshine Boys.^{[182][187][188]}Herb Gardner's playThieves was performed at the Broadhurst in 1974,^[189][190] and theRoyal Shakespeare Company's revival ofSherlock Holmes opened that year, withJohn Wood.^{[191][192][193]} Productions shown at the Broadhurst in 1976 includedEnid Bagnold's dramaA Matter of Gravity, withKatharine Hepburn andChristopher Reeve;^{[191][194][195]} a brief run of the musicalGodspell, which had been an off-Broadway hit;^{[196][197][198]} andA Texas Trilogy, a set of plays byPreston Jones.^{[191][199][200]} At the end of the year, the theater hostedLarry Gelbart's farceSly Fox, starringGeorge C. Scott,^[201][202] which ran for 495 performances.^[203][204]

Bob Fosse's musicalDancin' , starringAnn Reinking andWayne Cilento, had opened in March 1978.^[205][206] WhenDancin' relocated in December 1980,^[207][208] it had had the longest continuous run at the Broadhurst.^[209][a] Immediately afterward, the Broadhurst hostedPeter Shaffer'sAmadeus, withIan McKellen,Tim Curry, andJane Seymour;^[210][211] it ran until October 1983.^[207][212]The Tap Dance Kid opened that December,^[213] running for three months before transferring.^[207][214] Next was a revival ofDeath of a Salesman withDustin Hoffman,^[215] which opened in March 1984^[216][217] and ran until the end of that year.^[218] The Broadhurst was then closed for six months, and the firm of Johansen-Bhavnani renovated the venue as part of a project that cost $2 million. The project entailed rebuilding the stage, redecorating the lobby, enlarging a lounge and restrooms, and modifying the seating areas.^[219] This was part of a restoration program for the Shubert Organization's Broadway theaters.^[220]

The Broadhurst reopened in June 1985 with a gender-swapped version ofNeil Simon's playThe Odd Couple;^[221][222] it lasted until February 1986.^[223] The Eugene O'Neill playLong Day's Journey into Night opened at the theater in April 1986, withBethel Leslie andJack Lemmon,^[224][225] followed later that year by the Royal Shakespeare Company's production ofThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, withRoger Rees.^[226][227] At the end of 1986, Neil Simon'sBroadway Bound opened at the Broadhurst withJason Alexander,Linda Lavin, andPhyllis Newman;^[228][229] it ran for 756 performances over the next two years.^[230][231] Another Simon play,Rumors, opened at the Broadhurst in November 1988^[232][233] and ran for just over a year.^[234]

TheNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting the Broadhurst as an official city landmark in 1982,^[235] with discussions continuing over the next several years.^[236] The LPC designated the facade as a landmark on November 10, 1987,^{[237][238][239]} followed by the interior on December 15.^[2] This was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters.^[240] TheNew York City Board of Estimate ratified the designations in March 1988.^[241] The Shuberts, theNederlanders, andJujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Broadhurst, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified.^[242] The lawsuit was escalated to theNew York Supreme Court and theSupreme Court of the United States, but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992.^[243]

TheAndrew Lloyd Webber musicalAspects of Love opened at the Broadhurst in April 1990;^[244][245] despite running for 377 performances,^[246] the show lost its entire investment of $8 million.^[247] Several short-lived shows followed,^[248] includingAndré Heller'sWonderhouse in 1991,^[249][250] as well as a revival ofPrivate Lives withJoan Collins^[251][252] and the playShimada in 1992.^[253][254] The next hit wasTerrence McNally,John Kander, andFred Ebb's musicalKiss of the Spider Woman, which opened in May 1993 withAnthony Crivello,Brent Carver, andChita Rivera;^[255][256] it ran for 906 performances.^[257][258] Next, theNew York Shakespeare Festival presentedThe Tempest in November 1995, starringPatrick Stewart,^[259][260] for 71 performances.^[261][262] The playGetting Away with Murder flopped in March 1996 after 17 performances,^[263][264] and the musicalOnce Upon a Mattress opened that December withSarah Jessica Parker,^[265][266] running for 187 performances.^[267] In 1998,Jerry Seinfeld performed an originalstand-up act at the Broadhurst; his final performance,I'm Telling You for the Last Time, was aired live onHBO.^[268] This was followed byFosse, a revue featuringBob Fosse shows, which opened in January 1999^[269][270] and ran for two and a half years.^[271]

The Broadhurst hosted a revival of theAugust Strindberg playDance Of Death in late 2001, featuringIan McKellen andHelen Mirren.^[272][273] The next year, the theater revivedStephen Sondheim's musicalInto the Woods withVanessa Williams,^[274] which ran for 279 performances.^[275] Two short runs followed in 2003:Urban Cowboy, with 60 performances,^[276][277] andNever Gonna Dance, with 84 performances.^[278][279] As part of a settlement with theUnited States Department of Justice in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Broadhurst.^[280][281]Billy Crystal's solo show700 Sundays, which opened in December 2004,^[282][283] ran for 163 performances^[284] and at one point was Broadway's highest-grossing non-musical show.^[285][286] The musicalLennon then had 49 performances at the Broadhurst in 2005,^[287][288] followed the next year byAlan Bennett's playThe History Boys.^[286][289]

A revival of the musicalLes Misérables opened in November 2006, just three years after the long-running original production had closed;^[290][291] it had 463 performances.^[292] More revivals followed in 2008, with an all-Black cast inCat on a Hot Tin Roof,^[293][294] as well as a revival ofEquus starringDaniel Radcliffe andRichard Griffiths.^[295][296] Next in 2009 was a production ofFriedrich Schiller'sMary Stuart, starringJanet McTeer andHarriet Walter,^[297][298] and a West End transfer ofHamlet, starringJude Law.^[299][300] Meanwhile, the Shuberts sold 54,820 sq ft (5,093 m²) of unusedair development rights above the Broadhurst to a developer in 2007;^[301] this allowed the firm to profit from the site, since the theater was landmarked and could not be further developed.^[302] A further 9,480 sq ft (881 m²) above the Broadhurst and Booth theaters was sold in 2009, and some 1,800 sq ft (170 m²) was sold in 2012.^[301] The Shuberts sold a further 58,392 sq ft (5,424.8 m²) of air rights above the Majestic and Broadhurst in 2013.^[303][304]

Lucy Prebble's playEnron flopped at the Broadhurst with 16 performances in 2010,^[305][306] despite critical acclaim on the West End.^[306][307] More successful was the Public Theatre's transfer ofThe Merchant of Venice, starringAl Pacino, the same year.^[308][309] This was followed in 2011 byFloyd Mutrux's musicalBaby It's You!.^[310][311]Hugh Jackman's concert specialBack on Broadway, which opened the same year,^[312][313] broke the theater's box-office record several times;^[314] the current record as of 2023^[update] was set on the week ending January 1, 2012, when the show earned $2,057,354.^[315] A revival ofA Streetcar Named Desire withBlair Underwood andNicole Ari Parker occupied the Broadhurst in 2012,^[316][317] followed the next year byNora Ephron'sLucky Guy, withTom Hanks in his Broadway debut.^[318][319] In 2013, the musicalMamma Mia! transferred from theWinter Garden Theatre to the Broadhurst for the final two years of its 14-year run.^{[320][321][322]} The next shows at the Broadhurst were the playMisery in 2015,^[323][324] as well as the musicalsTuck Everlasting^[325][326] andThe Front Page in 2016.^[327][328]

The musicalAnastasia opened at the Broadhurst in 2017 and ran there for nearly two years.^[329][330] It was followed in May 2019 byFrankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune^[331][332] and in December 2019 byJagged Little Pill.^[333][334] The theaterclosed on March 12, 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.^[335] It reopened on October 21, 2021, with performances ofJagged Little Pill,^[336][337] which closed at the end of 2021 due to further pandemic-related issues.^[338][339] It was followed in November 2022 byA Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical,^[340][341] which ran until June 2024.^[342] A single performance of the musicalChess was also hosted at the Broadhurst in December 2022.^[343] The next show to be staged at the Broadhurst, the playThe Hills of California, opened at the Broadhurst in September 2024, running for two months;^[344][345] this will be followed byBoop! The Betty Boop Musical in April 2025.^[346][347]

Productions are listed by the year of their first performance.^[19][23]

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