Unspecified/General

An intimate and richly decorated Broadway house on West 48th Street, the Walter Kerr Theatre is admired for the Spanish-inspired elegance of its interior and its long association with acclaimed dramas and musicals. Seating fewer than a thousand, it is among the smaller Broadway theatres, a quality that lends its productions a sense of closeness between performer and audience. The theatre opened in 1921 as the Ritz Theatre, designed by a prolific theatre architect for the same family of developers responsible for several neighbouring playhouses. Its ornate auditorium, with a vaulted ceiling and detailing evoking a Spanish courtyard, set it apart, though it passed through difficult years as a radio and television studio before being restored to legitimate theatre. In 1990 it was renamed in honour of Walter Kerr, the influential drama critic, and under the management of a major theatrical organisation it has since hosted a string of celebrated productions. Its stage has been home to award-winning plays and musicals, including a recent long-running hit that won widespread acclaim, and its size has made it a favoured home for more intimate, character-driven work. A designated landmark, the theatre stands among the dense concentration of playhouses that define the surrounding blocks. For audiences the Walter Kerr offers a close, atmospheric Broadway experience within a beautifully restored interior, with most seats near the stage. Tickets are sold through the resident production, performances run several times a week with matinees, and its location in the heart of the Theater District keeps it within easy reach of the restaurants, hotels and transit lines around Times Square. Its richly detailed interior, evoking a Spanish courtyard with a vaulted ceiling and ornamental plasterwork, is among the most beautiful of the Broadway houses, and the theatre's modest size lends performances an unusual intimacy. The stage has launched and sustained a string of award-winning dramas and musicals, and its restoration from years as a broadcast studio is often cited as a success story in the preservation of the district's historic playhouses.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 219 West 48th Street, New York City, NY, United States

Capacity: 975

Opening Date: 01/01/1921