Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Plymouth Theatre
Come From Away at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (2019)
Interactive map of Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Address	236 West 45th Street Manhattan, New York United States
Coordinates	40°45′31″N73°59′15″W / 40.7585°N 73.9874°W /40.7585; -73.9874
Public transit	Subway:Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal
Owner	Schoenfeld Theatre, LLC
Operator	The Shubert Organization
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,079
Production	Buena Vista Social Club
Construction
Opened	October 10, 1917 (108 years ago) (1917-10-10)
Architect	Herbert J. Krapp
Website
shubert.nyc/theatres/gerald-schoenfeld/
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 15, 1987[1]
Reference no.	1368[1]
Designated entity	Facade
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 15, 1987[2]
Reference no.	1369[2]
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

TheGerald Schoenfeld Theatre (known as thePlymouth Theatre prior to 2004) is aBroadway theater at 236 West45th Street in theTheater District ofMidtown Manhattan inNew York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed byHerbert J. Krapp and was built for theShubert brothers. The Schoenfeld Theatre is named forGerald Schoenfeld, longtime president ofthe Shubert Organization, which operates the theater. It has 1,079 seats across two levels. Both thefacade and the auditorium interior areNew York City landmarks.

The neoclassical facade is simple in design and is similar to that of theBroadhurst Theatre, which was developed concurrently. The Schoenfeld'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 facade 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, a mostly flat ceiling, and asounding board. The space is decorated in theAdam style with plasterwork designs. Near the front of the auditorium, flanking the ellipticalproscenium 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 Plymouth Theatre was leased toArthur Hopkins and opened on October 10, 1917, with the comedyA Successful Calamity. The Shuberts retained ownership of the theater and took over after Hopkins's death in 1950. The theater has hosted not only musicals but also revues, comedies, and dramas throughout its history. It was renamed for Gerald Schoenfeld in 2005.

The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre is on 236 West 45th Street, on the south sidewalk betweenEighth Avenue andSeventh Avenue, nearTimes Square in theTheater District ofMidtown Manhattan inNew York City, New York, U.S.^[3][4] The rectangularland lot covers 9,695 square feet (900.7 m²), with afrontage of 96.5 feet (29.4 m) on 44th Street and a depth of 100.42 feet (31 m).^[4] The Schoenfeld Theatre shares the city block with theRow NYC Hotel to the west. It adjoins six other theaters: theMajestic to the southwest, theJohn Golden andBernard B. Jacobs to the west, theBooth to the east, theShubert to the southeast, and theBroadhurst directly to the south. Other nearby structures include theMusic Box Theatre,Imperial Theatre, andRichard Rodgers Theatre to the north; theNew York Marriott Marquis to the northeast;One Astor Plaza to the east; andSardi's restaurant, theHayes Theater, and theSt. James Theatre one block south.^[4]

The Schoenfeld is part of the largest concentration of Broadway theaters on a single block.^[5] The adjoining block of 45th Street is also known asGeorge Abbott Way,^[6] and foot traffic on the street increases box-office totals for the theaters there.^[7] The Broadhurst, Schoenfeld, Booth, and Shubert theaters were all developed by theShubert brothers between 44th and 45th Streets, occupying land previously owned by theAstor family.^[8][9] 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.^[10][11] The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld theatrical pair share an alley to the east, parallel to the largerShubert Alley east of the Shubert/Booth pair.^[8][12] 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.^[13] The Shuberts bought the land under all four theaters from the Astors in 1948.^[9][14]

The Schoenfeld Theatre was designed byHerbert J. Krapp and constructed in 1917 for theShubert brothers as the Plymouth Theatre.^[3][15] The Broadhurst and Plymouth were two of Krapp's first theatrical designs as an independent architect.^[16] 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.^[17][18] The Schoenfeld is operated bythe Shubert Organization.^[19][20]

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 Schoenfeld contain curved corners at the eastern portions of their respective facades, facingBroadway, since most audience members reached the theaters from that direction.^[16][17] The use of simple exterior-design elements was typical of Krapp's commissions for the Shubert family,^[16][18] giving these theaters the impression that they were mass-produced.^[18] 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.^[16] The Schoenfeld'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.^[21]

Architectural details of the auditorium facade

Lobby

Fire escape on third story, with parapet above

Cartouche and window on curve

The ground floor of the auditorium contains awater table made of granite.^[21] The rest of the facade is largely made ofarchitectural terracotta, which surrounds patches ofbuff brick inFlemish bond.^[12][21] Along the ground floor on 45th Street, there are three glass-and-bronze double doors with aluminum frames andtransoms, which lead to the lobby. There are display boxes on either side of the lobby doors, and a bronze stage door is to the right (west) of these doors. Amarquee extends above the doors.^[22] The northeastern 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. The corner entrance is topped by a brokenpediment, which is supported byconsole brackets on either side and contains anescutcheon at the center.^[23][24]

Both the curved corner and the 45th Street facade contain terracotta frames, which are flanked by terracottapilasters with stylizedcapitals. Along 45th 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, while a sheet-metal canopy covers the fire escape. Above the center of the third floor, on 45th Street, is a terracottacartouche containing depictions ofswags. The curved corner contains a third-floor window, topped by an oval escutcheon that is decorated with swags andfleur-de-lis. A terracottacornice and a brickparapet run above the auditorium facade.^[23][24] The parapet is stepped and contains acoping made ofsheet metal.^[24]

The stage house is six stories high. The 45th Street facade is made of buff brick, containing interspersed diamond patterns, and the side walls are faced with plain brick. The ground floor of the stage house contains a granite water table with two metal doors. The western door is double-height, allowing large sets to be transported into the theaters, while the eastern door contains signboard panels. The stage house has fivesash windows on each of the third through sixth 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 sixth story of the stage house.^[23][24]

The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony,boxes, and astage behind theproscenium arch. The auditorium's width is greater than its depth, and the space is designed with plaster decorations inrelief.^[25] According to the Shubert Organization andThe Broadway League, the theater has 1,079 seats,^[19][26] while according toPlaybill, there are 1,046 seats.^[20] The physical seats are divided into 653 seats in the orchestra, 392 on the balcony, and 24 in the boxes. There are 15 standing-only spots. The orchestra is wheelchair-accessible, but the balcony can only be reached by stairs.^[19] In the basement are restrooms and drinking fountains.^[20] The Schoenfeld and the neighboring Jacobs are two of the most desired theaters among producers because of their good sightlines from the seating areas.^[27]

The Plymouth was originally decorated in a brown, blue, and gold color scheme.^[28][29] Like Krapp's other commissions for the Shuberts, the Schoenfeld's interior was designed with decorative elements in theAdam style.^[12][30] Low-relief plasterwork was used throughout the auditorium to highlight architectural features.^[12][31] These plasterwork decorations generally depict classical figures playing instruments.^[31]

The rear or eastern end of the orchestra contains a promenade.^[25] It contains four paneledpiers supporting the balcony level. The promenade's ceiling is surrounded by a band ofmodillions andacanthus leaves. There are also rhombus-shaped panels on the promenade ceiling, which contain chandeliers suspended from medallions.^[32] Two staircases with metal railings lead from the promenade to the balcony.^[33] The orchestra level israked, sloping down toward anorchestra pit in front of the stage.^[25] The orchestra and its promenade contain walls with plasterwork panels, as well as doorways. On the south (left) and east (rear) walls, the exit doors are placed within deep reveals and are flanked by paneled pilasters, which are topped by brackets. Anentablature, a fluted frieze, and acyma recta cornice run above these doors. The entrance doors on the north (right) wall are more simple in design. On all sides, each doorway has a pediment above the cornice; it consists of a shield with console brackets on either side.^[32]

The balcony contains a promenade at its rear, with plasterwork panels on the walls. At the rear of the balcony are four paneled piers (corresponding to those at orchestra level), which are topped byCorinthian-stylecapitals.^[34] These piers support a frieze that depicts sphinxes holding swags, alternating with urns.^[33] The balcony's side walls also contain plasterwork panels, above which is an Adam-style cornice. There are doorways with pediments on the side walls, similar to those on the orchestra's south and east walls.^[25] Rhombus panels, containing medallions with light fixtures, are placed on the balcony'ssoffit and underside. There are also air-conditioning vents on the balcony's soffit. In front of the balcony are acanthus-leafarabesques, which are mostly hidden behind light boxes.^[35] There is a small technical gallery above the rear of the balcony. The front railing of the gallery contains moldings of swags.^[34]

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.^[34] At the orchestra level, there are three rectangular openings, corresponding to the locations of former boxes on that level.^[35] The front railings of the boxes contain acanthus-leaf arabesques.^[12][32] The underside of each box is decorated with a medallion containing a light fixture; this is surrounded by a molded band.^[35] Above the boxes on either side is an elliptical arch, which contains a curved pediment with acanthus-leaf arabesques on either side of a central medallion. Above the elliptical arch on either side is an archedlunette panel, which supports the ceiling'ssounding board.^[12][32]

Next to the boxes is an elliptical, splayed proscenium arch. The archway contains an Adam-style band with vine motifs and medallions.^[25] The proscenium opening measures about 38 feet (12 m) tall and 40 feet (12 m) wide.^[19] A sounding board curves onto the ceiling above the proscenium arch. The sounding board has a large panel in the center, which is surrounded by a band that depicts acanthus leaves. The outer ends of the sounding board contain circular medallions, from which hang chandeliers. Behind the sounding board and the box seats, a high-relief plasterwork band runs across the ceiling and the side walls.^[32] The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is 26 feet 9 inches (8.15 m), while the depth to the front of the stage is 28 feet 3 inches (8.61 m).^[19]

The ceiling is generally flat, except at the front, where it curves down to meet the sounding board.^[25] The flat ceiling is surrounded by a molding with acanthus leaves and modillions. Running around the ceiling's perimeter is an Adam-style band withcameo panels depictingfauns and the godPan; arabesque vines; and urn-and-sphinx motifs. The center of the ceiling containslatticework panels, which encompass circular medallions with overhanging chandeliers. The rear of the ceiling, above the technical gallery, is separated into panels by moldings; some of the panels are circular and contain light fixtures.^[35]

Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 andthe Great Depression.^[36] Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift fromUnion Square andMadison Square during the first decade of the 20th century.^[37][38] From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including the Plymouth Theatre.^[39] The Plymouth was developed by the Shubert brothers ofSyracuse, New York, who expandeddownstate into New York City in the first decade of the 20th century.^[40][41] After the death ofSam S. Shubert in 1905, his brothersLee andJacob J. Shubert expanded their theatrical operations significantly.^[42][43] The brothers controlled a quarter of all plays and three-quarters of theatrical ticket sales in the U.S. by 1925.^[40][44]

The Shubert brothers had constructed the Shubert and Booth theaters as a pair in 1913, having leased the site from the Astor family.^[10] 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.^[15] Krapp filed plans for a new theater at 234 West 45th Street with theNew York City Department of Buildings in December 1916.^[45] Theatrical producerArthur Hopkins leased the theater on 45th Street from the Shuberts in July 1917.^[46][47] Hopkins, who already operated a smaller theater, had wanted to acquire another theater to increase his profits.^[13] Hopkins could name the theater as he wished, but the Shuberts' names had to appear on theatricalprograms and on the theater itself.^[48] The theater was subsequently named the Plymouth. It was the fourth theater developed by the Shuberts in New York City during 1917, as well as the nineteenth such theater overall.^[49][50] With the Plymouth's completion, the surrounding block of 45th Street had four theaters.^[50]

The Plymouth opened on October 10, 1917, with the comedyA Successful Calamity,^[28][29] which had transferred from the Booth Theatre.^[51][52] The theater's first original production,Barbara, opened the next month and was unsuccessful.^[53][54] At the end of the year,Roland Young andErnest Glendinning starred inThe Gipsy Trail, which ran for 111 performances.^[53][55] This was followed in early 1918 byAlla Nazimova's presentation ofHenrik Ibsen plays in repertory.^[53][56] Later the same year, Hopkins presented theTolstoy dramaRedemption withJohn Barrymore,^[57][58][59] and the Shakespeare tragedyHamlet was revived withWalter Hampden.^[60][61] The Plymouth hosted another Hopkins production in 1919:Sem Benelli's dramaThe Jest, featuring John Barrymore and his brotherLionel,^[57][62] which ran for 179 performances.^[63]

John Barrymore appeared at the theater yet again in 1920, with the opening ofRichard III.^[53][64] This was followed the same year by the comedyLittle Old New York,^[57][65] a hit with just over 300 performances.^[66][67] The Plymouth hosted theZoe Akins dramaDaddy's Gone A-Hunting, featuringMarjorie Rambeau andFrank Conroy, in 1921.^[68][69][70] The next year, Hopkins presentedDon Marquis'sThe Old Soak withHarry Beresford andMinnie Dupree.^[68][71][72]J. P. McEvoy's family comedyThe Potters then opened at the end of 1923,^[73][74] running for 245 performances.^[75][76] Another hit was a play Hopkins directed, the wartime dramaWhat Price Glory?, which opened in September 1924^[77][78] and had 435 performances.^[75][79] Less successful was thePhilip Barry dramaIn a Garden withLaurette Taylor andLouis Calhern, which opened the next year.^[80][81]

The Jest was revived in early 1926,^[82] but without the Barrymore brothers in the starring roles, it lasted for only 78 performances.^[83][84] Afterward,Winthrop Ames staged a revival ofGilbert and Sullivan operettas at the Plymouth Theatre.^[85][86] Both of Ames's shows were hits:^[87]Iolanthe opened in April 1926 and ran for 255 performances,^[88] whileThe Pirates of Penzance opened that December for a 128-performance run.^[89] In 1927, Hopkins renewed his lease on the theater for ten years, paying $60,000 a year and giving one-fourth of his profits to the Shuberts.^[90] The same year, Hopkins and George Manker Watters's playBurlesque opened withHal Skelly andBarbara Stanwyck;^[91][92] it lasted for 372 performances.^[83][93] Hopkins also directed the next show,Sophie Treadwell'sMachinal, which opened in 1928 and featuredZita Johann andClark Gable.^[83][94][95] The same year, the theater hosted Philip Barry's playHoliday, featuring Hope Williams.^[91][96][97]

In 1930, the Plymouth Theatre hosted theDonald Ogden Stewart's playRebound, in which Stewart co-starred with Hope Williams.^{[98][99][100]}Elmer Rice's playCounsellor at Law opened the next year withPaul Muni;^{[98][101][102]} after a hiatus in mid-1932,^[103] the production returned for the rest of that year.^[101][104]Clare Kummer's comedyHer Master's Voice then opened in 1933, featuringLaura Hope Crews andRoland Young.^{[98][105][106]} Meanwhile, the theater had gone into receivership in March 1933,^[107] though the receiver then deeded the theater to the Plymouth Theatre Corporation.^[108][109] During 1934, the Plymouth hostedDark Victory withTallulah Bankhead^{[91][110][111]} andAccent on Youth withConstance Cummings.^{[91][112][113]} The next year, the theater hostedSidney Howard's adaptation of theHumphrey Cobb novelPaths of Glory.^[114][115] This was followed the same year by a theatrical version ofPride and Prejudice, which transferred from the Music Box^[116][117] for a six-month run at the Plymouth.^[118][119]

The theater hosted long-lasting productions in the late 1930s^[120] and was hosting shows continuously through the next decade.^[121] Among those wasRobert E. Sherwood's version ofJacques Deval'sTovarich, featuringMarta Abba andJohn Halliday,^[122] which opened in October 1936 and ran until the next August.^[123][124]Rachel Crothers's playSusan and God then opened in October 1937, withGertrude Lawrence,^[122][125] and lasted until the next June.^[126][127] Sherwood'sPulitzer Prize-winning playAbe Lincoln in Illinois opened in 1938 and starredRaymond Massey;^[122][128] it ran for one year.^[129][130] This was followed byMargin for Error in late 1939,^[131][132] which relocated to another theater the next year.^[133][134] In 1940, the theater hostedWilliam Saroyan's comedyLove's Old Sweet Song, withJessie Royce Landis andWalter Huston,^[135][136] but it closed after a month.^[137] The comedySeparate Rooms, withAlan Dinehart,Glenda Farrell, andLyle Talbot, moved to the Plymouth the same year^[138][139] to complete its 612-performance Broadway run.^[139][140] The dramaGuest in the House ran for 153 performances in the first half of 1942.^[141][142] It was followed that year byThornton Wilder'sThe Skin of Our Teeth with Tallulah Bankhead,^[122][143] which ran for 355 performances.^[144][145]

In 1943, the Plymouth hosted theDodie Smith playLovers and Friends with Raymond Massey andKatharine Cornell,^[146][147] which ran for five months.^[148] This was followed by a transfer of the comedyChicken Every Sunday fromHenry Miller's Theatre in 1944.^{[146][149][150]} The next year,Spencer Tracy starred inThe Rugged Path at the theater for 81 performances.^[151][152] In 1946, the theater hosted the musicalLute Song withMary Martin,Yul Brynner, andNancy Davis,^{[153][154][155]} as well as a revival ofNoël Coward'sPresent Laughter featuringClifton Webb.^{[153][156][157]} Bankhead reappeared at the theater in 1947 for an adaptation of the French playThe Eagle Has Two Heads,^[153][158] which lasted for 29 performances.^[159][160] This was followed in 1948 byJoy to the World, featuringAlfred Drake andMarsha Hunt.^[151][161] The same year, Bankhead andDonald Cook appeared in another Coward play,Private Lives,^[162] which ran for 248 performances.^[163][164]

Arthur Hopkins continued to operate the Plymouth Theatre until he died in 1950, after which the Shuberts took over.^[13]Samuel Taylor's playHappy Time, produced byRodgers and Hammerstein, opened the same year withClaude Dauphin,Eva Gabor, andKurt Kasznar;^[165][166] it lasted 614 performances.^[167][168] Subsequently,Don Juan In Hell opened at the Plymouth in April 1952, featuringCharles Boyer,Cedric Hardwicke,Charles Laughton, andAgnes Moorehead.^{[167][169][170]} Later that year, theFrederick Knott dramaDial "M" for Murder opened withMaurice Evans andGusti Huber,^[165][171] staying for 552 performances.^[167][172] Next wasHerman Wouk's playThe Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, withHenry Fonda,John Hodiak, andLloyd Nolan;^[173][174] it opened in 1954 and had 405 performances.^[175] The following year, the Plymouth hosted the revue3 for Tonight withGower andMarge Champion,Harry Belafonte, andHiram Sherman,^[176][177] The comedyJanus also opened in 1955, withMargaret Sullavan andClaude Dauphin.^[178][179] The Plymouth hosted a revival ofGeorge Bernard Shaw's comedyThe Apple Cart in 1956, with Evans andSigne Hasso.^{[180][181][182]}

In 1957, the theater stagedArnold Schulman's playA Hole in the Head,^{[180][183][184]} as well asPeter Ustinov's comedyRomanoff and Juliet.^[185][186] Afterward, the comedyThe Marriage-Go-Round withCharles Boyer,Claudette Colbert,Julie Newmar, andEdmon Ryan opened at the theater in 1958;^[187][188] it ran for two years.^[180][189] The musicalIrma La Douce opened at the Plymouth in 1960, featuringElizabeth Seal andKeith Michell.^[190][191] The theater next hosted thePaddy Chayefsky playGideon in 1961, withFredric March,^[192][193] andTchin-Tchin in 1962 withAnthony Quinn andMargaret Leighton.^[194][195] In 1963, the Plymouth was home to a short run ofLillian Hellman's playMy Mother, My Father and Me,^[196][197] as well as a more successful adaptation ofArnold Wesker'sWest End playChips with Everything.^[198][199] The playDylan opened at the theater in 1964, withAlec Guinness andKate Reid.^[200][201] It was followed that year byWilliam Hanley's first Broadway play,^[202]Slow Dance on the Killing Ground.^[196]

TheNeil Simon comedyThe Odd Couple premiered at the Plymouth withWalter Matthau andArt Carney in 1965,^[187][203] staying for over a year before it transferred.^[204][205] Simon's next show at the theater,The Star-Spangled Girl withRichard Benjamin,Anthony Perkins, andConnie Stevens, opened at the end of 1966,^[187][206] running until August 1967.^[207]Edward Albee's playEverything in the Garden followed in 1967.^[208][209] Simon's next hit at the Plymouth wasPlaza Suite, which opened in 1968 withMaureen Stapleton andGeorge C. Scott;^[187][210] it had 1,097 performances over the next two years.^[211][212] Simon's dramaThe Gingerbread Lady premiered in late 1970, featuring Stapleton,^[187][213] and ran for 193 performances.^[214][215]

Even in the 1970s, the Plymouth continued to host successes.^[216] TheJean Kerr playFinishing Touches opened in February 1973, featuringBarbara Bel Geddes andJames Woods,^[217][218] and ran for 164 performances over the next five months.^[219][220] Later that year,Peter Cook andDudley Moore collaborated on the revueGood Evening.^[221][222] The theater then hostedPeter Shaffer's West End playEquus in 1974,^[221][223] which ran for the next two years before transferring.^[224] Another West End play came to the Plymouth in 1977,Simon Gray'sOtherwise Engaged featuringTom Courtenay;^[221][225] it ran for ten months.^[226] TheElizabeth Swados musicalRunaways relocated fromThe Public Theater to the Plymouth in May 1978,^[227][228] with 274 performances on Broadway.^[217][229] Next, theFats Waller revueAin't Misbehavin' relocated from theLongacre to the Plymouth in 1979, staying for two years.^[230][231]

In 1981, the Plymouth Theatre hosted the playPiaf withJane Lapotaire,^[230][232] which ran for four months.^[233] Later that year, catwalks were installed within the theater to accommodate theRoyal Shakespeare Company's production ofThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,^[234] which ran for three months.^[235][236] The play was unusual not only for its high ticket price of $100 but also for the eight-hour duration of each performance.^[234][237] The next year, theCircle in the Square Theatre presentedUgo Betti'sThe Queen and the Rebels withColleen Dewhurst.^[238][239] The New York Shakespeare Festival presentedDavid Hare's playPlenty in 1984, withKate Nelligan andEdward Herrmann,^{[240][241][242]} followed the same year by a revival of theGeorge S. Kaufman andMoss Hart playYou Can't Take It With You.^{[238][243][244]} In 1984, the Plymouth hosted the playThe Real Thing byTom Stoppard, featuringChristine Baranski,Glenn Close, andJeremy Irons;^[240][245] it ran for 566 performances over the next year and a half.^[246][247]Lily Tomlin appeared in a solo show the next year,The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.^[248][249]

TheNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting the Plymouth as a landmark in 1982,^[250] with discussions continuing over the next several years.^[251] The LPC designated the Plymouth's facade and interior as landmarks on December 15, 1987.^[252][253] This was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters.^[254] TheNew York City Board of Estimate ratified the designations in March 1988.^[255] The Shuberts, theNederlanders, andJujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Plymouth, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified.^[256] The lawsuit was escalated to theNew York Supreme Court and theSupreme Court of the United States, but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992.^[257]

The Plymouth hosted the George Bernard Shaw playPygmalion in 1987, withAmanda Plummer andPeter O'Toole.^[258][259] It was followed the same year byLanford Wilson's playBurn This, featuringJohn Malkovich andJoan Allen,^[260][261] which ran for 437 performances over the next year.^[262][263] Next,Wendy Wasserstein'sThe Heidi Chronicles moved to the Plymouth from the off-BroadwayPlaywrights Horizons theater in March 1989,^[264] staying for a year and a half.^[265] The Plymouth hosted a short run ofThe Big Love withTracey Ullman in 1991,^[266][267] followed the same year by theBrian Friel dramaDancing at Lughnasa,^[268] the latter of which had 421 performances.^[269] Theflamenco dance specialGypsy Passion was hosted at the Plymouth in late 1992, following an engagement atTown Hall.^[270][271] The next year, the theater hostedThe Song of Jacob Zulu^[272][273] and a short run ofWonderful Tennessee.^[274] TheStephen Sondheim musicalPassion opened at the Plymouth in 1994,^[275][276] followed byBrian Friel'sTranslations in 1995^[277][278] and theLincoln Center Theater's revival of Edward Albee'sA Delicate Balance in 1996.^[279][280] The theater's last show of the 20th century was the musicalJekyll & Hyde, which opened in April 1997^[281][282] and ran for 1,543 performances through the beginning of 2001.^[283]

The Plymouth's first new production of the 2000s was a revival of theBetty Comden,Adolph Green, andJule Styne musicalBells Are Ringing, which opened in April 2001 withFaith Prince;^[284][285] it ran for two months.^[286][287] This was followed the same year byThou Shalt Not,^[288][289] which ran for three months.^[290] The playThe Graduate, which opened in April 2002 and was based onthe film of the same name,^[291][292] ran for nearly a year.^[293] Next to be staged was a revival ofEugene O'Neill's playLong Day's Journey into Night^[294][295] as well as the musicalTaboo in 2003.^[296][297] 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 Plymouth.^[298][299] TheStephen Belber dramaMatch was shown at the Plymouth during early 2004.^[300][301]

In September 2004, the Shubert Organization's board of directors voted to rename the Plymouth for then-current presidentGerald Schoenfeld, as well as the neighboring Royale for its longtime presidentBernard B. Jacobs.^[302][303] The two theaters were officially renamed with a marquee replacement ceremony on May 9, 2005.^[304][305] While Schoenfeld appeared to be proud of the renaming,^[304] the renaming was controversial among producers and theatrical fans, despite the longstanding tradition of renaming Broadway houses after their producers.^[303][306] The musicalBrooklyn, which had opened in October 2004 before the renaming was finalized,^{[307][308][a]} had 284 performances.^[309] The first two shows at the renamed theater were not successful;^[288][26]Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life opened in late 2005 and ran for two months,^[310] whileThe Caine Mutiny Court-Martial flopped after two weeks in May 2006.^[311] Conversely, the musicalA Chorus Line opened in October 2006,^[312][313] running for almost two years.^[314] This was followed byAll My Sons in 2008,^[315][316] as well asImpressionism^[317][318] andA Steady Rain in 2009.^[319][320]

In the early 2010s, the Schoenfeld hosted a mixture of musicals and plays, which generally ran only a few months. The short runs were required because of the shortage of available Broadway theaters.^[27] They includedA Behanding in Spokane andA Life in the Theatre in 2010;The Motherfucker with the Hat andBonnie & Clyde in 2011;The Best Man andGlengarry Glen Ross in 2012; andOrphans in 2013.^[20][26] Subsequently, the Schoenfeld was renovated in 2014.^[27] The Schoenfeld continued to host short runs of plays and musicals into the mid-2010s, withThe Bridges of Madison County andIt's Only a Play in 2014;The Audience andChina Doll in 2015; andAmerican Psycho in 2016.^[20][26] The playThe Humans relocated from theHelen Hayes Theatre to the Schoenfeld in 2016,^[321] a relatively rare move that was required because the Hayes was being renovated.^[322]The Humans had to close at the beginning of 2017 to make way for the musicalCome from Away,^[323] which opened in March 2017.^[324][325]Come From Away continued at the Schoenfeld for four years^[324] until the theaterclosed on March 12, 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.^[326] The Schoenfeld reopened on September 21, 2021, withCome From Away,^[327] which closed in October 2022 as the theater's longest-running show.^[328] This was followed the same month byTake Me Out, which had transferred from the Hayes Theater.^[329][330]Life of Pi opened at the theater in March 2023,^[331][332] running for four months.^[333] This was followed in 2024 by the musicalThe Notebook,^[334] running for nine months.^[335] Afterward, the musicalBuena Vista Social Club opened there in March 2025.^[336]

Productions are listed by the year of their first performance.^[20][26]

The limited engagement dramaA Steady Rain achieved the box office record for the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The production grossed $1,292,210 over eight performances for the week ending December 6, 2009.^[406] This record was surpassed by the 2014 productionIt's Only a Play, which grossed $1,455,818 over eight performances for the week ending January 4, 2015.^[407][408] The current record for the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre was set by the 2017 musicalCome From Away. The production grossed $1,834,218 over nine performances for the week ending December 31, 2017.^[409][410]

• List of Broadway theaters
• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets