Unspecified/General

Hidden largely below ground behind a preserved historic façade, the Stephen Sondheim Theatre is one of Broadway's more unusual playhouses, a modern auditorium of about 1,055 seats tucked into the base of a Midtown skyscraper. It blends a landmarked exterior from the early twentieth century with a sleek, contemporary interior, and bears the name of one of the most revered figures in American musical theatre. The theatre began life in 1918 as Henry Miller's Theatre, named for the actor-manager who built it, and for decades it operated as a conventional Broadway house, with stints as a music venue and nightclub along the way. When the Bank of America Tower rose on the site in the 2000s, the original neo-Georgian street front was carefully retained and restored while an entirely new theatre was constructed mostly underground beneath it. Reopened in 2009 and renamed in 2010 in honour of the composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday, the venue is managed today by a leading non-profit theatre company. Its modern construction earned it a strong reputation for sightlines and comfort, and it was among the first Broadway theatres built to high environmental standards. The house has since become a reliable home for long-running hits, hosting a string of popular musicals that have drawn full houses for extended runs. For audiences the Sondheim offers a comfortable, modern Broadway experience behind a piece of preserved history, with most seats close to the stage across two levels. Tickets are sold through the resident production, performances run several times a week with matinees, and its location just off Times Square keeps it within an easy walk of the district's restaurants, hotels and transit connections. Among the productions that have filled the house since its rebuild are several long-running musicals that turned the theatre into a fixture of the season. Its underground construction, unusual for Broadway, means the auditorium is reached by descending from the historic lobby, and the modern design has won praise for its sightlines and acoustics, giving even the upper-level seats a clear and close view of the stage below.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 124 West 43rd Street, New York City, NY, United States

Capacity: 1055

Opening Date: 01/04/1918