Winter Garden Theatre Information

The Winter Garden Theatre is a popular choice for any Musical, Play or other stage performance fan. With a great schedule throughout the year, it offers many long standing shows to experience, all set within a gorgeous, breathtaking building of grand interior.

The Winter Garden Theatre is located on 1634 Broadway, within the Midtown Manhattan Theatre District. The theater is close to Times Square, another infamous location in New York City. Well known for its large productions, one of its most distinguishing features is its particularly wide stage. 

Opening in 1911, the theater was designed by American architect William Albert Swasey, who was known for his work on various theaters in New York City. 

The design of the theater went through a complete remodel in 1922. The redesign was undertaken by Herbert J. Krapp, who had made several significant contributions to structures within the Broadway theater district. 

Krapp was the one who created the well-known wide stage of the Winter Garden Theatre, making it possible for bigger and bolder productions to be held there.

Operated by The Shubert Organization, the Winter Garden Theatre has 1,600 seats. This makes it a smaller option in comparison to some of the larger venues. However, it also makes for a more intimate theater experience, which is preferred by some theatergoers. 

The theater is primarily known for its Broadway productions, with musicals the most common production staged there. 

The aforementioned wide stage makes it the perfect place for big, bombastic musicals, so it isn’t too surprising that musicals are as common as they are. Some of the most iconic musicals in the world have been performed at the venue, such as Mamma Mia!, Cats, and West Side Story. 

As you would expect with a name like Winter Garden, this venue really does live up to it, everywhere you look you will find a magical display of Faux forests, fairy lights and hanging lanterns, the décor is like a set itself and brings an atmosphere of true imagination to every production.

Some of the most notable shows have included; Mamma Mia! Rocky the Musical, Much Ado About Nothing, Peter Pan, 42nd street, School of Rock, Cats and so many more! The energy and dynamic when the actors and singers take to the stage is an unforgettable piece and will leave the crowd wanting more.

History of the Winter Garden Theatre

The Winter Garden Theatre has been at the center of entertainment in New York City since it opened in 1911. Designed with Italian Renaissance elements in mind, the theater was always intended to be a place for revues and musicals. 

Originally, the building was considered to be too far north of the established Broadway district at that time. However, the design of the building – which was originally an American horse exchange – attracted Jacob J Shubert, one of the brothers of the notable Shubert family.  

The Shubert family had success with their established theater houses in upstate New York, but they wanted to expand their operations, which led to the creation of the Winter Garden Theatre. 

The first production the theater put on was La Belle Paree. Two more musical revues – Vera Violetta and Revue of Revues – followed. La Belle Paree was also the debut of Al Jolson, who would go on to become one of the most famous and highest-paid stars in the United States in the 1920s.

In 1922, the Winter Garden Theatre was temporarily closed for a major renovation. More revues were performed when the theater reopened in January 1923. However, in 1928, the theater was taken over by Warner Bros. 

This takeover lasted until 1933, when the company ended its lease. From 1928 to 1933, the theater became a cinema, or a “movie house”. 

This wasn’t uncommon for theaters during this period. As this was the era of the Great Depression, many theaters turned to showing motion pictures to increase revenue and keep the business afloat. 

During the 50s and 60s, Broadway musicals had a revival, and the Winter Garden Theatre became known for being a particularly premier venue for musicals and major productions in New York City.