The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of
theatres based in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. It was founded by the three
Shubert brothers —
Lee,
Sam, and
Jacob J. Shubert — in the late 19th century. They steadily expanded, owning many theaters in New York and across the United States. Since then it has gone through changes of ownership, but it is still a major theater chain.
History
The Shubert Organization was founded by the
Shubert brothers,
Sam S. Shubert,
Lee Shubert, and
Jacob J. Shubert of
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...
– colloquially and collectively known as "The Shuberts" – in the late 19th century in upstate
New York, entering into
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
productions in 1900. The organization produced a large number of shows and began acquiring theaters. Sam Shubert died in 1905; by 1916 the two remaining brothers had become powerful theater moguls with a nationwide presence.
In 1907, the Shuberts tried to enter vaudeville with the United States Amusement Co. In the spring of 1920 they made another attempt, establishing the Shubert Advanced Vaudeville with Lee Shubert as President and playing two shows per day in Boston, Dayton, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia and in September 1921 opening in New York.
In April 1922, the Shuberts teamed with
Isidore Herk and E. Thomas Beatty formed the Affiliated Theatres Corporation, which would book shows for the chain. Faced with fierce competition from the
B. F. Keith Circuit, the Shuberts closed their vaudeville operation in February 1923.
By 1929, the Shubert Theatre chain included
Broadway's most important venues, the
Winter Garden, the
Sam S. Shubert, and the
Imperial theaters, and owned, managed, operated, or booked nearly a thousand theaters nationwide. The company continued to produce stage productions in New York until the 1940s, returning to producing Broadway productions in the 1970s after a hiatus.
The company was reorganized in 1973, and as of 2016 owned or operated seventeen Broadway theaters in New York City, two
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
theaters —
Stage 42 and
New World Stages — and the
Forrest Theatre in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
It leases Boston's
Shubert Theatre to the
Citi Performing Arts Center.
The organization's Shubert Ticketing division, which includes the Telecharge service, handles tickets for 70 theaters.
Several former Shubert-owned theaters across the United States are still referred to by the Shubert name. One of the most famous is the
New Haven Shubert, the second theater ever built by the Shubert Organization. Until the 1970s, major Broadway producers often premiered shows there before opening in New York. It was immortalized in many mid-20th century films, such as ''
All About Eve
''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story (and subsequent 1949 radio drama) "The Wisdom of E ...
''.
Another important regional theater was the Shubert in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, located within the Majestic Building at 22 West Monroe Street. Originally known as the Majestic Theatre, the Shubert Organization purchased it in 1945 and rechristened it the "Sam Shubert Theatre". The Shuberts sold the theatre to the
Nederlander Organization
The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander in Detroit, and currently based in New York City, is one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on ...
in 1991 and is now known as the
CIBC Theatre
CIBC Theatre is a performing arts theater located at 18 West Monroe Street in the Chicago Loop, Loop area of downtown Chicago. It is operated by Broadway In Chicago, part of the Nederlander Organization. Opened in 1906 as the ''Majestic Theatre' ...
.
In 2016, it sold its longtime headquarters at 1700 Broadway to Ruben Cos for $280 million.
Theatres
Broadway
*
Ambassador Theatre
*
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...
*
Belasco Theatre
*
Booth Theatre
*
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the thea ...
*
Broadway Theatre
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...
*
John Golden Theatre
*
Imperial Theatre
*
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
*
James Earl Jones Theatre
*
Longacre Theatre
*
Lyceum Theatre
*
Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to:
Australia
* Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished
*Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed by ...
*
Music Box Theatre
The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1921, the Music Box ...
*
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, formerly the Plymouth Theatre, is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 236 West 45th Street (Manhattan), 45th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, ...
*
Shubert Theatre
*
Winter Garden Theatre
Off-Broadway
*
Stage 42
*
New World Stages
Regional
*
Forrest Theatre (Philadelphia)
*
Shubert Theatre (Boston)
Former theatres
Broadway
* Avon Theatre
*
Adelphi Theatre (1944–1970)
*
Bijou Theatre
*
Casino Theatre (from 1903)
*
Central Theatre (1918–1988)
*
Century Theatre
**Century Theatre Roof
*
Comedy Theatre (1909–1931)
*
Cosmopolitan Theatre
*
Maxine Elliott Theatre
Maxine Elliott's Theatre was originally a Broadway theatre at 109 West 39th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1908, it was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of the Chicago-based firm Marshall and Fox, ...
(1906–1956)
*
Forrest Theatre (1925–1945)
*
44th Street Theatre (1912–1945)
**Nora Bayes Theatre (on roof)
*
49th Street Theatre
*
46th Street Theatre (1935–1945)
*
Sam H. Harris Theatre
*
Herald Square Theatre (1900–?)
*
Hippodrome Theatre (1906-1915)
*
Jolson's 59th Street Theatre
*
Lyric Theatre (1903–?)
*
Madison Square Theatre
*
Majestic Theatre (Columbus Circle)
*
Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center is a building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street, it houses Manhattan Center Studios, the location of two recording studios; its Grand Ballroom; and the Hammerstein Ballro ...
(1911–1922)
*
Morosco Theatre
The Morosco Theatre was a Broadway theatre near Times Square in New York City from 1917 to 1982. It housed many notable productions and its demolition, along with four adjacent theaters, was controversial.
History
Located at 217 West 45th Stre ...
*
National Theatre (?-1956)
*
New Century Theatre
* Princess Theatre (29th St) (1902–1907)
*
Ritz Theatre (1921–1956)
*
St. James Theatre (1941–1957)
* Waldorf Theatre
(Fiftieth Street, East of Broadway)
Subway Circuit
*
Bronx Opera House, Bronx
*
Grand Opera House, Brooklyn
* Riviera Theatre, Manhattan
* Shubert Majestic Theatre, Brooklyn
* Teller's Shubert Theatre, Brooklyn
Regional
* Harmanus Bleecker Hall (Albany)
* Capitol Theatre (Albany)
*
Auditorium Theatre (Baltimore)
*
Boston Opera House (Boston)
*
Colonial Theatre (Boston) (?-1957)
*
Columbia Theatre (Boston) (1903–1904)
*
Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to:
Australia
* Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished
*Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed by ...
(Boston) (1903–1956)
*
Plymouth Theatre (Boston) (1927–1957)
*
Wilbur Theatre
The Wilbur Theatre is a historic performing arts theater at 244–250 Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts. The Wilbur Theatre originally opened in 1914, but underwent renovations in 2008. The Wilbur Theatre sits in the heart of Boston's hist ...
(Boston)
* Teck Theatre (Buffalo)
*
Blackstone Theatre (Chicago) (1948–1989)
* Erlanger Theatre (Chicago)
*
Garrick Theater (Chicago) (1903–?)
* Great Northern Theatre (Chicago)
* Olympic Theatre (Chicago)
* Princess Theatre (Chicago)
*
Grand Opera House (Chicago)
*
Shubert Theatre (Chicago) (1945–1991)
* Cox Theatre (Cincinnati)
* Shubert Theatre (Cincinnati)
* Colonial Theatre (Cleveland)
*
Hanna Theatre
The Hanna Theatre is a theater (structure), theater at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland, downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is one of the original five venues built in the district, opening on March 28, 1921. The Hanna Theatre r ...
(Cleveland)
* Cass Theatre (Detroit) (1926–1962)
* Garrick Theatre (Detroit)
* Shubert-Lafayette Theatre (Detroit) (1925–1957)
*
Parsons Theatre (Hartford)
*
Murat Theatre (Indianapolis)
* Shubert Theatre (Kansas City)
*
Shubert's Missouri Theatre (Kansas City)
*
Shubert Theatre (Los Angeles) (1972–2002)
* Shubert Theatre (Newark)
*
Shubert Theatre (New Haven) (1914–1941)
* Adelphi Theatre (Philadelphia)
*
Chestnut Street Opera House (Philadelphia)
* Locust Theatre (Philadelphia) (?-1956)
* Lyric Theatre (Philadelphia)
*
Shubert Theatre (
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
) (1918–1957)
*
Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia) (1941–1969)
* Providence Opera House (Providence)
*
Shubert Theater (Saint Paul) (1910–1933)
* Alvin Theatre (Pittsburgh)
* Duquesne Theatre (Pittsburgh)
* Pitt Theatre (Pittsburgh)
* Baker Theatre (Rochester) (1899–?)
* Cook Opera House (Rochester) (1898–1899)
*
Curran Theatre (San Francisco)
* Garrick Theatre (St. Louis)
* Shubert Theatre (St. Louis)
*
Bastable Theatre (Syracuse) (1897–?)
* Grand Opera House (Syracuse)
*
Wieting Opera House (Syracuse)
* Town Hall Theatre (Toledo) (1945–1953)
*
Royal Alexandra Theatre (Toronto)
* Rand Opera House (Troy, New York)
* Majestic Theatre (Utica)
*
Belasco Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
*
Poli
DNA polymerase iota is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''POLI'' gene. It is found in higher eukaryotes, and is believed to have arisen from a gene duplication from Pol η. Pol ι, is a Y family polymerase that is involved in transl ...
's Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
* Shubert Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
* Shubert-Garrick Theater (Washington, D.C.)
*
National Theatre (Washington, D.C.) (1980–2012)
* Playhouse Theatre (Wilmington, Delaware)
London
*
Waldorf Theatre (1905–1909)
See also
*
Shubert family
The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of Broadway theatre, Broadway theaters in New York City's Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District, as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States. Through the The Shubert Org ...
References
Notes
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Official websiteShubert Foundation website
Shubert Theatre Organization materials, 1977–1997
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, in the Lincoln Center complex on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. Situated between the Metropolitan O ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shubert Organization, The
Theatre-owning companies
American theatre managers and producers
Entertainment companies based in New York City
Mass media companies based in New York City
Special Tony Award recipients
Broadway theatre