The American Theater Hall of Fame in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the

Uris Theatre The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Opened in 1972, it is operated ...

(then under construction, now the Gershwin).

James M. Nederlander James M. Nederlander (March 31, 1922 – July 25, 2016) was an American theatrical producer who served as chairman of the Nederlander Organization, one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States.

and Gerard Oestreicher, who leased the theater, donated the space for the Hall of Fame; Arnold Weissberger was another founder. Blackwell noted that the names of the first honorees would "be embossed in bronze-gold lettering on the theater's entrance walls flanking its grand staircase and escalator." The first group of inductees was announced in October 1972. Eligible inductees come from disciplines including actors, playwrights, songwriters, designers, directors, and producers who have had a career in American theater for at least twenty-five years and at least five major production credits on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. Selections are made each year by voting members of the Theater Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA). Induction takes place at a ceremony at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City, where the plaques containing the names of the inductees are hung. Since 1998, full accounts of the annual induction ceremonies, with quotes from both inductees and their presenters, have appeared in the '' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. An index to these articles is on the ATCA website. An annual Theater Hall of Fame Fellowship Luncheon has been held annually since 2004 to salute a member "who continues to work on Broadway and also presents grants to emerging theatre artists."Gans, Andrew
"Bernadette Peters, Bebe Neuwirth, Stephen Schwartz Will Salute Joel Grey at Theater Hall of Fame Luncheon"
, '' Playbill'', May 29, 2012

Inductees

Original members

The following is a list of the original members of the Hall of Fame. For other members, see the full list at the Hall of Fame official website. * George Abbott * Judith Anderson *

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

* Pearl Bailey *

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...

* Ethel Barrymore * John Barrymore * Lionel Barrymore *

Norman Bel Geddes Norman Bel Geddes (born Norman Melancton Geddes; April 27, 1893 – May 8, 1958) was an American theatrical and industrial designer. Early life Bel Geddes was born Norman Melancton Geddes in Adrian, Michigan and was raised in New Philadelp ...

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

* Leonard Bernstein * Edwin Booth * Katharine Cornell * Noël Coward * Lynn Fontanne * Eva Le Gallienne *

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

* Ira Gershwin * Lillian Gish * Oscar Hammerstein II *

Moss Hart Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director. Early years Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...

* Helen Hayes *

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

* Alfred Lunt *

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

* George Jean Nathan * Eugene O'Neill * Richard Rodgers * Laurette Taylor * Tennessee Williams

Founders Award

An annual ''Theater Hall of Fame Founders Award'', established in 1993 in honor of the 3 founders, recognizes an individual's outstanding contribution to the theatre.Willis, John
"The Theater Hall of Fame Founders Award"
'Theater World 2001-2002, Volume 58'', Hal Leonard Corporation, 2004, , p. 210 Recipients: *1993 James Nederlander *1994 Kitty Carlisle Hart *1995

Harvey Sabinson Harvey Sabinson (Queens, New York, October 24, 1924 – Sarasota, Florida, April 19, 2020) was an American theatrical press agent and the executive director of the Broadway League. Sabinson graduated from Townsend Harris High School in Queens and ...

*1996 Henry Hewes *1997 Otis L. Guernsey Jr. *1998 Edward Colton *1999 (No award) *2000 Gerard Oestreicher *2000 Arnold Weissberger *2001 Tom Dillon *2002 (No award) *2003 Price Berkley *2004 (No award) *2005

Donald Seawell Donald Ray Seawell (August 1, 1912 – September 30, 2015) was an American cultural and civic leader, born in Jonesboro, North Carolina. He was the founder of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

*2007 Roy A. Somlyo *2008 Shirley Herz

Notes

External links

Official web siteJanuary 2008 inducteesOctober 2008 inducteesJanuary 2011 inducteesOctober 2012 inducteesMay 2015 inducteesNovember 2015 inducteesSeptember 2016 inductees
{{coord, 40.7622, -73.98450, type:landmark_region:US-NY_dim:300, display=title Broadway theatre

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

Entertainment halls of fame Awards established in 1972 1972 establishments in New York City American theater awards