Playbill’s photo series Inside the Theatre captures the dazzling architecture and unseen details of the world’s most famous theatres, taking you inside all 41 Broadway houses.
The present-day Broadway Theatre opened in 1924 as a movie theatre and vaudeville house known as B.S. Moss's Colony Theatre. In 1930, the venue became a legitimate house named the Broadway Theatre. Because of its large stage and seating capacity, the Broadway Theatre has remained a popular home for musicals, notably Funny Girl, the original Cabaret and Evita, and the first three years of the long-running Les Misérables.
Flip through photos of the theatre below:
Broadway Theatre marquee
Broadway Theatre box office
Broadway Theatre lobby
Broadway Theatre lobby
Broadway Theatre lobby
Broadway Theatre lobby
Designed by architect Eugene DeRosa, the house had one of the largest seating capacities (1,765) of any theatre on Broadway, thus making it ideal, in later years, for the staging and performing of musical comedies.
By 1930, Moss realized that the “talkies” were killing vaudeville, and he converted his house to a legitimate theatre called the Broadway, making it at least the fifth New York playhouse to bear that name, others dating back to the nineteenth century in various locations in Manhattan.
As a newly legitimate theatre, the Broadway opened on December 8, 1930 with Cole Porter’s glittering musical, The New Yorkers
Throughout its history, the Broadway theatre has seen performances from theatre legends including Ethel Merman, Vivien Leigh, Robert Goulet, and more.
In addition, the theatre has ushered in the Broadway debuts of iconic shows including Evita, Gypsy, Miss Saigon, and more.
Broadway Theatre auditorium
Broadway Theatre auditorium
Broadway Theatre auditorium
Broadway Theatre auditorium
Broadway Theatre lounge
Broadway Theatre lounge
Rocktopia at the Broadway Theatre
