The theater maintains most of its original Beaux-Arts design. Its 45th Street facade has an undulating glass-and-metal marquee shielding the entrances, as well as acolonnade with three arched windows. The lobby has agroin-vaulted ceiling, murals above the entrances, and staircases to the auditorium's balcony levels. The auditorium has an ornately decoratedproscenium andboxes, but the ceiling and walls are relatively plain. An apartment above the lobby, originally used by Frohman, was converted to the headquarters of the Shubert Archives in 1986. The stage door entrance is through 152 West 46th Street, a 10-story wing designed by Herts & Tallant, which also houses the dressing rooms and some backstage facilities.
The current Lyceum replaced Frohman'searlier Lyceum onFourth Avenue, which closed in 1902. The current theater opened on November 2, 1903, with the playThe Proud Prince. Frohman's brotherCharles served as the theater's manager until dying in 1915, and Daniel Frohman subsequently partnered withDavid Belasco to show productions at the theater until 1930. Afterward, Frohman lost the theater to foreclosure in theGreat Depression, and a syndicate composed ofGeorge S. Kaufman,Max Gordon, andMoss Hart bought the theater in 1940. The Shubert Organization has operated the theater since 1950. The Lyceum was leased to theAssociation of Producing Artists (APA) andPhoenix Theatre in the late 1960s and to theNational Actors Theatre during much of the 1990s.
The Lyceum Theatre is on 149 West45th Street, betweenSeventh Avenue andSixth Avenue nearTimes Square, in theTheater District ofMidtown Manhattan inNew York City, New York, U.S.[3][4] Theland lot covers 10,125 square feet (940.6 m2), with afrontage of 85.73 feet (26.13 m) on 45th Street and a depth of 200.84 feet (61 m).[4] A wing runs northward to46th Street.[4][5] The modern theater's site covers five land lots at 149 to 157 West 45th Street, collectively measuring 88 by 100 feet (27 by 30 m), as well as a rear lot on 152 West 46th Street, measuring 16 by 100 feet (4.9 by 30.5 m).[5][6][7] These lots formerly contained houses.[6][7]
The primaryelevation of thefacade is on 45th Street and is made of limestone.[1][13][14] A promotional brochure from the theater's opening in 1903 said that the facade "recalls in its style and amplitude the best period of Roman art".[15] The street-level facade is made ofrusticated blocks of limestone.[16] Three large archways lead into the lobby;[17][18] their doors are made of painted wood and contain arched panels of glass.[19] The street level entrances are shielded by a sinuousmarquee canopy made of iron and glass.[20][21] When the theater opened, the entrance had a self-supporting canopy that could shield either five[18] or eight carriages unloading their passengers.[14][17] In 1986, the canopy was replaced with a replica that was cantilevered from the facade with metal rods. The modern canopy has moldings of pressed metal, medallions above each archway, and glass panels hanging underneath the canopy.[20] The design of the Lyceum's canopy was subsequently replicated by that of theParamount Theatre.[22][a]
Colonnade
Above the entrance, the 45th Street elevation contains acolonnade of three bays. The bays are delineated by a pair of neoclassicalfluted columns at each end, as well as two single columns in the center. Each column contains fluting, bands with foliate ornament, and ornatecapitals.[1][24][16] Within each bay is aFrench window with a three-centered arched surround.[1][16] There were also statues within each bay, which have since been removed.[25] Afrieze runs above the windows, containing six stone faces that signify both comedy and tragedy.[24] An entablature runs above the columns.[1][24] The three bays are flanked by a pair of outer pavilions that have no ornament at all.[18] The colonnade and marquee were particularly intended to attract a "more cultured audience" than similar theaters.[9]
The theater contains amansard roof above the entablature. The mansard roof contains three windows within triangularpediments, which illuminate a penthouse in the roof.[1][16][22] Abalustrade, directly on top of the entablature, encloses a balcony at the penthouse level.[1][16] There are also six oval windows above the penthouse,[1] which illuminate a former rehearsal hall.[16] The roof also had four large urns that emitted gas at night. The urns were used to draw attention to the theater, since it was on a side street north of the other theaters of the time.[24] At the theater's construction in 1903, the roof was described as being of "purple slate" with a bronze statue.[14][18] The Lyceum's roof had twowater towers, collectively capable of storing 15,000 U.S. gallons (57,000 L; 12,000 imp gal).[18]
The stage door entrance is through the wing on 152 West 46th Street.[26] Herts & Tallant designed the 46th Street wing with ten[24] or eleven stories.[27] The wing has autilitarian design and contains vestiges of a slit that carried backdrops between the stage and the upper-story studios.[24]
Frohman had offices on the upper portion of the main 45th Street structure, while the rear annex on 46th Street contained auxiliary facilities such as storage and dressing rooms.[28][27] The color scheme of the interior was compared in contemporary media to autumn foliage, with a range of hues from "deep yellow to warm red and brown".[28][29][30] From the outset, the auditorium was designed to use electric lighting exclusively. A switchboard controlled the stage lighting, which could be controlled to be as bright as natural illumination. The theater was also mechanically advanced for its time, with heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, as well as a fireproof structural frame.[18] The air-intake system consisted of blowers that drew air from the chimneys and passed the air through a porcelain duct, a set of silk filters, and water sprayers.[18][31] The auditorium floor had "mushrooms" for air intake and outflow.[18] The heating and ventilation system could change the auditorium's air every six minutes.[30]
Eastward view of the lobby, with auditorium doors at left
The entrance lobby is a rectangular space, with elliptical arches on the north and south walls.[32] The space measures 65 feet (20 m) long.[18] The lobby floor is made of marble from Maryland, which was designed to resemble Athenian marble.[29][30] The floor is made of marble mosaic tiles.[19][21] The center of the floor has a panel with the theater's motif, a decorative letter "L" with foliate ornament around it.[19] The walls contain a marbledado wrapping around the lobby, as well aspiers topped by capitals withacanthus leaves. There are foliate moldings around each of the elliptical arches.[33] The walls also have lightingsconces. The lobby's ceiling consists of agroin vault with a moldedegg-and-dart border and decorativerosettes in the vault's ribs. There is a dome at the middle of the ceiling, with an egg-and-dart border, a hangingchandelier, andcove lights.[19]
The south doors lead to the street, while the north doors lead to the auditorium.[19] Above the north and south walls are three small canvas murals[5] byJames Wall Finn.[21][30] The murals depict female figures on either side of portraits ofSarah Siddons andDavid Garrick.[19][22][28][30] Above the center door on the north wall is asegmentally-arched pediment, supported onconsole brackets flanking the doorway; these pediments contain the "L" motif.[19]
To the west and east are curving stairs leading up to the first balcony level.[16][18][32] The staircases are covered in marble but are actually made of steel.[16] The outer walls of the staircases contain marble dados, as well as bronze railings attached to them. The inside edges of the staircases have bronze balustrades with cast-iron and wrought-iron decorations, as well asnewel posts containing nude figures.[19] The east wall also has ticket windows.[32] Another stair to the west leads down to the smoking room.[18] At the balcony level was a foyer and smoking rooms.[16]
The auditorium has an orchestra level,boxes, two balconies, and astage behind theproscenium arch. The auditorium's width is greater than its depth, and the space is designed with plaster decorations in highrelief.[34] The Lyceum's auditorium generally has plain plaster walls, and much of the decoration is concentrated on the proscenium and boxes. The juxtaposition of plain walls and ornamented openings was intended to draw the audience's attention toward the stage.[21] The auditorium took up about one-third of the entire theater building.[31]
The auditorium has 922 seats,[35] making the Lyceum one of the smaller Broadway theaters.[36][37][b] These are divided into 409 seats in the orchestra, 287 on the first balcony, and 210 on the second balcony, as well as 16 box seats.[35] As designed, the seats were upholstered in dark yellow leather, which has since been replaced.[30] Each seat measured 22 inches (560 mm) wide, larger than in comparable theaters.[18][28][40] The backs of different rows of seats were spaced 38 inches (970 mm) apart.[18][40] The large width of the auditorium compensated for the relatively small number of rows.[28]
The rear (south) end of the orchestra contains a shallow promenade, which has wood-paneled walls, arched "L" motifs, and cartouches.[41] The orchestra has araked floor and painted wood paneling on the side walls. Above the paneling are ornamented pediments with foliate and egg-and-dart decorations.[41] The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible via the main doors, but the balcony levels can only be accessed by steps.[42] Unusually for theaters of the time, the balconies are cantilevered from the structural framework, which obviated the need for columns that blocked audience views.[15][43][30] The balcony levels have paneled wooden dados on both the side and rear walls; the first balcony has blind openings and cartouches. The balconies have foliate bands on their undersides, with light fixtures underneath. In front of the balconies are leaf moldings topped by brackets and foliate decoration.[41] All three levels have sconces on the side walls.[44]
On either side of the stage is a wall section with one box at the first balcony level.[19] Each wall section consists ofIonic-style fluted and banded columns, which support an elliptical arch. The boxes themselves are supported on large brackets, which in turn rest above piers with foliate capitals. In front of each box is a curved railing with leaf moldings. There is a cartouche with an "L" motif atop the boxes' arches, and aswag shaped like a leaf is suspended from the cartouche.[41]
The proscenium arch measures 33 feet 0 inches (10.06 m) high and 31 feet 8 inches (9.65 m) wide.[35][c] The proscenium arch consists of a wide, molded band with foliate and egg-and-dart decorations. Above the center of the arch is a console bracket with swags, above which is a broken pediment, as well as a pair of swag-filled console brackets on either side of the pediment.[41] The broken pediment has a figure ofPallas Athene, which is flanked by female representations of drama and music.[28][41][45] These figures were also carved by J. W. Finn.[28]
The stage measures 37 feet (11 m) deep and 89 feet (27 m) wide. The depth of the stage could be increased by up to 40 feet (12 m).[17][18][28][46] The stage contains a lift that could descend to 30 feet (9.1 m) below the auditorium.[18][28] The lift, no longer operational, divided the stage into several sections. It could be used not only to raise and lower scenery, but also to create sets withterrain elements, such as cliffs, terraces, and rivers.[46] The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is 29 feet 6 inches (8.99 m), while the depth to the front of the stage is 31 feet 0 inches (9.45 m).[35]
Thecoved ceiling is distinguished by console brackets with swags, and there are decorations of bellflowers within the cove. The ceiling is divided into ribs, containing bands with fruits and flowers. The center of the ceiling contains a rectangular panel with modillions around it, as well as floral cartouches and latticework inside. Around this panel are circular "L" motifs.Guilloche moldings hang over the second balcony.[44] The ceiling lacked a chandelier, as the designers thought it would be distracting to the performers and audience. Instead, there are recessed light fixtures in the ceiling.[21][30]
Daniel Frohman's "penthouse", comprising his office and apartment, was on the south side of the theater building, facing 45th Street.[47] It was not part of his original plans but became his primary residence; he also had another residence in New York City.[47][31] They were accessed by a stair and elevator from the lobby. Frohman's offices contained Chippendale furniture as well as a reproduction of playwright David Garrick's library.[16][18][28] The adjacent rooms contained stenographers' offices and other rooms.[18][28] A small window from his dining room's northern wall[47] allowed Frohman to look at the performances in the auditorium.[13][16][28] The window measured 18 inches (460 mm) wide and was above the second balcony level.[24] During the mid-1920s,The New York Times described Frohman's office as, "in a manner, the headquarters of the theatrical profession in the city".[48] The office contained portraits of numerous oil paintings, drawings, photographs, and lithographs of show personalities.[49] Frohman's office also had a phone line for contacting the stage manager directly.[16]
Frohman's offices were subsequently converted into the Shubert Archive, which contains the Shubert Organization's theatrical collection.[12][50][51] The archive was organized in 1976 and opened at the Lyceum in 1986.[51][52] Initially, it contained four million items from the Shuberts' history between 1900 and World War II, including 2,000 costume designs, 8,000 blueprints, and 12,000 manuscripts.[53] There is also some space inside the mansard roof.[22] Originally, this space included a large rehearsal room with its own stage, directly above the main auditorium.[18][31] The room measured 80 feet (24 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide,[18] and it had a miniature stage.[31] In the basement were storage rooms, where sets originally could be swapped onto the movable stage.[31]
The 46th Street annex housed the scene-painting studio, a carpenter shop, a costume department, and storage spaces,[13][17][27] along with dressing rooms.[31][43] The scene-painting studio faced the street, with natural light coming from the north, and could be used to paint up to four backdrops at a time.[18][27][28] This room measured 35 feet (11 m) tall and 100 feet (30 m) deep, with a full-height glass wall facing north and slots in the floors.[27] The carpentry shop could accommodate 25 workers. The costume department was housed in a separate room that could fit 50 seamstresses and a varying number of cutters.[18][28] The storage spaces included a full storage warehouse as well as rooms to store scenery.[28] According to contemporary media, the dressing rooms could fit 200 people.[18][27][28] Each dressing room had a bathroom,[27] and there were large rooms forsupernumerary actors as well.[18][28] The old scenery rooms have also become part of the Shubert Archive and contain artifacts such aslibrettos,orchestrations, and cash books.[24]
Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 andthe Great Depression.[54] Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift fromUnion Square andMadison Square during the first decade of the 20th century.[55][56] These venues were developed following the construction of theEmpire Theatre on 41st Street in 1893 andHammerstein's Olympia in 1895.[57] The Lyceum,Hudson, andNew Amsterdam, which all opened in 1903, were among the first theaters to make this shift;[58] the Lyceum is one of the oldest surviving Broadway theaters.[59] From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built aroundBroadway in Midtown Manhattan, including the current Lyceum.[60]
1903New-York Tribune cover showing the development of some theaters in New York City, including the Lyceum (top right)
Daniel Frohman had operated anearlier Lyceum Theatre onFourth Avenue, near Madison Square, which had been built in 1885 bySteele MacKaye.[61][62]Metropolitan Life acquired the old Lyceum in 1902 to make way for theMetropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower,[63][64] and Frohman sought to develop a new venue further north.[64] In February 1902, shortly after the old Lyceum was acquired, Frohman announced he had purchased six lots on 45th and 46th Streets near Times Square. He planned to build a 900-seat theater on the site after the leases on the lots expired.[6][7] Frohman chose the site specifically because it was on a less crowded side street while also being close to the then-under-constructionNew York City Subway.[65] The auditorium would be on 45th Street, while a narrow wing with mechanical equipment and dressing rooms would be placed on 46th Street.[5][7] The site cost Frohman $110,000, and he expected to spend another $230,000 on the new Lyceum Theatre.[5]
Frohman hired Herts & Tallant to design the new theater, while theFuller Construction Company was hired as the general contractor.[66] The old Lyceum ultimately closed on March 22, 1902.[67] Work on the new theater began on April 1, a week after the old Lyceum was closed.[68] Thecornerstone was laid on October 16, 1902.[57][69][70] Frohman, who considered 13 to be alucky number,[71] placed thirteen of the old Lyceum's bricks into the new theater.[68][70] By then, the basement and cellar were largely complete and the theater was to be completed early the following year.[69]
The theater was supposed to open in September 1903[14] but encountered so many delays that the inaugural play,The Proud Prince, could only be scheduled at the Lyceum for two weeks.[72] Daniel Frohman, his brotherCharles Frohman, andWilliam Harris formed the New Lyceum Theatre Company and divided ownership of the Lyceum equally. Instead of distributing stock, the company issued six promissory notes of $118,328 each, which could not be collected for as long as each partner lived.[73]
The new Lyceum Theatre (also formally capitalized as the New Lyceum Theatre[26][36]) opened on November 2, 1903, withThe Proud Prince.[74][75][76]E. H. Sothern, who starred inThe Proud Prince, had also appeared in the first production that Frohman had shown at the old Lyceum.[77] At the theater's opening, an architectural publication praised the theater's design as "being intended for a high-class dramatic performance before a refined and cultured audience".[47][17] Conversely, because of its relatively remote location, theNew-York Tribune said that there were "many who refused to believe that a theater so far up town would be successful".[78] Charles Frohman was the theater's first manager.[11] From its inception, the new Lyceum was intended as a venue for "drawing-room comedies".[68][14]
Three weeks after the theater's opening,[79][80]The Admirable Crichton premiered at the new Lyceum.[76] The playThe Other Girl andGranny appeared at the Lyceum in 1904, as didMrs. Leffingwell's Boots andA Doll's House in 1905.[77] The most successful production in the Lyceum's initial years was the dramaThe Lion and the Mouse,[11] which opened in 1905 and ran for 686 performances.[81][82] Daniel Frohman's wifeMargaret Illington appeared at some productions in the Lyceum.[76] beginning withMrs. Leffingwell's Boots[77] andThe Thief (1907).[13][83] Frohman would gesture through the window from his office to signify when Illington was overacting.[84] Actresses such asEthel Barrymore,Billie Burke,Ina Claire, andLenore Ulric also performed at the Lyceum in its early years.[85] Burke starred or co-starred in some plays during the Lyceum's first decade, includingLove Watches in 1908,[86][87]Mrs. Dot[88][89] andSuzanne in 1910,[88][90] andThe Runaway in 1911.[91][92] The Lyceum also hosted the U.S. premiere of the French silent filmThe Loves of Queen Elizabeth, featuringSarah Bernhardt, in 1912.[77][93] Barrymore, meanwhile, was featured inOur Mrs. McChesney (1915).[94][95]
Charles Frohman died in May 1915 during thesinking of theRMSLusitania,[96] and his company, which had an ownership stake in the Lyceum, was subsequently acquired byParamount Pictures.[97]David Belasco announced in March 1916 that he would become one of the managers of the Lyceum Theatre. Contemporary media said the move was borne out of sentimental considerations, as Belasco had frequently collaborated with Charles Frohman.[98][99] Among the major productions at the Lyceum in the late 1910s wereTiger Rose (1917), featuring Lenore Ulric;[94][100]Daddies (1918), featuringJeanne Eagels andGeorge Abbott;[77][101] andThe Gold Diggers (1919), featuring Ina Claire.[94][102] These shows all had several hundred performances, includingThe Gold Diggers, which had 720 performances.[77] In addition, the theater held events such as a charity dinner for the Actors' National Memorial Fund in 1919.[103] Frohman administered the Actors' Fund from his office.[48]
In the late 1920s, the Lyceum hosted productions such as the comedyFanny (1926) withFanny Brice[118][119] andElmer the Great (1928) withWalter Huston.[120] The decade ended with the 1929 romanceBerkeley Square, which had over 200 performances.[121][122] Frohman and Belasco's partnership ended when Belasco died in May 1931 after a long illness.[123] The lease on the theater was set to expire later that year, and Frohman planned to rent the Lyceum as an independent playhouse. By then, Frohman was no longer an active producer.[124]
The Lyceum Theatre suffered in general because of theGreat Depression,[125] and most shows generally closed after a small number of performances.[114] Among the longer productions wasPayment Deferred (1931), which had 70 performances,[126][127] as well asSailor, Beware! (1933), which had 500 performances.[128][129] In 1934, the theater hostedOde to Liberty, featuring Ina Claire.[128][130] TheBowery Savings Bank moved to foreclose on a mortgage loan on the theater in mid-1935.[97][131] Later that year, the Lyceum was leased for one year to Julius Stone for a presentation ofSquaring the Circle.[132] The next year, Frohman leased most of the theater, except for his own offices, to Spencer D. Bettelheim of the Lyco Company for five years.[133][134] Contemporary newspapers said the lease to Bettelheim was "a sentimental gesture", since Bettelheim's father was Frohman's old friend.[133][135] Bettelheim then announced a renovation of the interior, including new seats.[136]
Long-running productions during the late 1930s includedPre-Honeymoon (1936) withJessie Royce Landis;[137][138]St. Helena (1936) withMaurice Evans;[139][140] andHaving Wonderful Time (1937) withJohn Garfield andKatherine Locke.[137][141] The theater was less financially stable after the Lyco Company dissolved in 1938.[49] By March 1939, the Bowery Savings Bank was foreclosing on the Lyceum,[49][142] which was in danger of demolition.[143] After Stanley Howe, a friend of Frohman's and an aide to mayorFiorello La Guardia, intervened,[49] the bank promised that Frohman could stay in his apartment for the rest of his life.[49][144] The Lyceum was leased to Victor Payne-Jennings that April, on the condition that Frohman be allowed to keep his residence.[145][146] The Bowery Savings Bank acquired the theater at a foreclosure auction in December 1939 for $100,000.[147] Shortly afterward, Samuel Briskman leased the theater[148] and used it to showWhen We Are Married.[137][149]
In May 1940, the Bowery Savings Bank announced it would sell the Lyceum to a syndicate that included playwrightGeorge S. Kaufman, producerMax Gordon, and playwrightMoss Hart for $250,000.[150][151] Frohman was to be allowed to live in the apartment above the theater for $1 per year,[150][152] though Frohman died in December 1940, less than a year afterward.[153] Among the syndicate's first works at the Lyceum wasGeorge Washington Slept Here in 1940,[128][154] as well asThe Beautiful People[155][156] andJunior Miss in 1941.[128][157] This was followed byThe Doughgirls, which had 671 performances,[158][159] andThe Late George Apley, which had 384 performances.[158][160] The Lyceum then hostedBorn Yesterday, which opened in 1946 and was the theater's longest-running production with 1,642 performances.[137][161]Born Yesterday was transferred out of the Lyceum mid-run in 1948[162] and was followed by "a half-dozen flops".[163]
The Gordon syndicate agreed to sell the Lyceum to Harry Gould in April 1949 for $400,000, after having previously failed to sell the theater to Gould at twice that price.[164][d] The sale was not finalized until that December, when the price had increased to $450,000.[163][165] The first major production in the 1950s was the originalThe Country Girl, which opened in 1950.[166][167]Melvyn Douglas then appeared in two successful comedies:Glad Tidings in 1951 andTime Out for Ginger in 1952.[168]
There were few successful productions at the Lyceum during the 1970s, amid a decline in the Broadway theatrical industry.[192] Among the longer runs in this era were the 1970 playBorstal Boy and the 1976 playYour Arms Too Short to Box with God.[193] Phoenix also hosted some of its works at the Lyceum.[194] During the early 1970s, Daniel Frohman's niece-in-law petitioned theNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to protect the Lyceum as a city landmark.[195] The LPC designated the theater's facade, but not its interior,[196] as an official city landmark in 1974, requiring the LPC to review and approve all proposed modifications to the facade.[197]Gerald Schoenfeld of the Shubert Organization had opposed the landmark status, believing the small theater to be a liability.[198] A landmark plaque was installed on the facade in 1978.[199][200] Major productions during the late 1970s includedCold Storage in 1977andWings in 1979.[201]
The Lyceum hosted a revival ofMorning's at Seven in 1980.[202][203] The theater then hosted productions such as"Master Harold"...and the Boys (1982),[204][205]The Man Who Had Three Arms (1983),[201][206] a set of monologues by comedianWhoopi Goldberg in 1984,[201][207] andAs Is (1985).[208][209] The LPC gave the Shuberts permission to replace the facade marquee in 1986 after the original marquee began to fall apart.[20] According to Schoenfeld, the Shuberts had to pay $350,000 to replace the marquee due to the commission's demands, though the highest bid was only about $150,000 and the theater was often unoccupied.[210] The Shubert Archive also opened in 1986.[52] In the dozen years after 1987, the Lyceum was idle for about 70 percent of the time.[211] To increase the occupancy of the Lyceum and other little-used Broadway theaters, theLeague of American Theaters and Producers negotiated with Broadway unions and guilds during the late 1980s.[212] Among the shows of the late 1980s were the 1986 puppet showA Little Like Magic,[181][213] as well asSafe Sex (1987)[192][214] andOur Town (1988).[208][209] During the 1980s, the Shuberts renovated the Lyceum as part of a restoration program for their Broadway theaters.[215]
After the Lyceum's facade was successfully designated as a landmark, the LPC started considering a similar protection for the interior in 1982,[216] with discussions continuing over the next several years.[217] The Lyceum was designated as an interior landmark on December 8, 1987.[218][219] This was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters.[220] TheNew York City Board of Estimate ratified the designations in March 1988.[221] The Shuberts, theNederlanders, andJujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Lyceum's interior,[e] on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified.[222] The lawsuit was escalated to theNew York Supreme Court and theSupreme Court of the United States, but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992.[223]
During the late 1980s, the Shubert Organization had leased 124,000 square feet (11,500 m2) of the site's unusedair development rights.[229] German firmBertelsmann used the air rights to increase the height of the adjacent skyscraper at 1540 Broadway,[230] paying $600,000 a year.[231] The Shuberts had to maintain the Lyceum as a legitimate theater as part of the agreement concerning the theater's air rights. Bertelsmann had an option to buy the theater,[198][232] raising concerns that the archives in the theater would have to be relocated.[233] In 1999, there was a dispute over whetherSpirit of Broadway, a theatrical museum with a 60-minute play targeted at tourists, should be produced at the Lyceum. Bertelsmann supportedSpirit of Broadway, but Schoenfeld said it did not fall under the criteria for legitimate shows.[198][232]Spirit of Broadway was ultimately determined to be legitimate.[234]
A Strange Loop opened at the Lyceum in April 2022[245][246] and ran until January 2023.[247] This was followed in May 2023 by the playGrey House, which ran for two months.[248][249] The playMy Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) was expected to open at the Lyceum in March 2024 for a three-month run,[250][251] but it was postponed to the 2024–2025 season with new dates and a new theater.[252] Subsequently, the off-Broadway playOh, Mary! transferred to the Lyceum in July 2024.[253][254]
Macbeth previously set the Lyceum Theatre's box-office record with a gross of US$584,033 over seven performances in 2008.[379]Be More Chill beat the seven-performance box-office record in 2019, grossing US$738,384, whileOh, Hello set an eight-performance record of US$804,513 during the week ending January 22, 2017.[379]A Strange Loop broke the eight-performance record during its final week in January 2023, grossing US$955,590.[380][381] The playOh, Mary! broke the box office record several times.[382] As of 2025[update],Oh, Mary! held the eight-performance and overall records for the theater, grossing US$1,354,840.50 for the week ending June 13, 2025;[383] it is the first production at the theater to gross more than one million dollars in a single week.[384]
^The Paramount Theatre's original marquee was removed after the theater closed in 1967, but a replica marquee was erected at the same site in 2001.[23]
^This has also been cited as 891 seats[38] or 950 seats.[39]
^The proscenium arch was historically cited as measuring 30 feet (9.1 m) high and either 30 feet[18] or 35 feet (11 m) wide.[17][28]
^Botto & Mitchell 2002, p. 22 says the sale took place in 1945, but contemporary media contradict this.
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^abcde"Frohman Keeps Lyceum Home; Benign Bank Won't Foreclose".New York Herald Tribune. April 1, 1939. p. 1.ProQuest1255011793.
^Renner, Pamela (December 31, 2000). "Shuberts at 100: Archives Offer Chance to Look Back at History".Variety. Vol. 381, no. 5. pp. 58–62.ProQuest1876014.
^abWynne, Peter (June 1, 1986)."Celebrating the Shuberts".The Record. p. 122.Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. RetrievedNovember 5, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
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^"Lyceum's Final Curtain: Speeches, Verse and a Big Crowd Mark the Famous Theatre's Last Night".New-York Tribune. March 23, 1902. p. 4.ProQuest571077583.
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