Ethel Barrymore Theatre

Address

243 W 47th St
New York, NY 10036

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Public Transport

By Subway:
N, R, W to 49th St or the 1, 9 to 50th St, walk south to 47th St and west to the theatre. Take the C, E to 50th St, walk south to 47th St and east to the theatre.
By Bus:
M104, M10, M27, M50, M6, M7, or M42 bus.

Accessibility

Box Office

There are two steps into the theatre. Waiter service for wheelchair patrons is available. Theatre is not completely accessible.
Parking

Central Parking System, 257 West 47th St, (Broadway and 8th Ave); (212) 262-9778 225 West 49th St, 5 pm to 5 am. Port Parking Corporation, 235 West 48th St, (Broadway and 8th Ave); (212) 245-9421
Curb Ramps

NW corner of 47th St. & Broadway; NE corner of 47th St. & 8th Ave.
Restroom

Unisex in Ticket lobby. Door 32". Stall 129" x 61.5". Commode 18". Grab bars. Another restroom is located up 2 flights of stairs.
Seating

Seats 1,096.Orchestra on ground level. Lower lounge, front mezzanine and rear mezzanine reached only by stairs.
Elevator\Escalator

There are no elevators or escalators at this theatre.
Entrance

Double doors in series: 1st set (each 27.5") has one pair of automatic doors from 47th Street to ticket lobby with push button control; 2nd set (each 27", attended by ushers) to Orchestra.
Visual Assistance

Vision seats in the front of the orchestra for purchase in person or on the phone.
Folding Armrests

Eleven row-end seats with folding armrests.
Water Fountain

Ticket lobby. Spout 36".
Assisted Listening System

Infrared listening system. Reservations are not necessary. Drivers license or ID with printed address required as a deposit. Occasional sign language interpreted performances are scheduled.
Wheelchair Info

Orchestra: Seating is accessible to all parts of the Orchestra without steps. Wheelchair seating is located in the Orchestra only. Mezzanine (second level): 3 flights of stairs up 30 steps. Please note, once on the Mezzanine level there are approximately 2 steps per row. Entrance to Mezzanine is behind row E of the Front Mezzanine. Wheelchair Seating: 11 aisle seat with folding armrest, 5 wheelchair viewing seats, 4 companion seats.
Telephone

In lobby, accesible at 54" with utilitiy outlet

Theater Description

Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp and constructed by the Shuberts, it opened on December 20, 1928 with The Kingdom of God, a play selected by leading lady Ethel Barrymore. Over the next dozen years she returned to star in The Love Duel (1929), Scarlett Sister Mary (1930), The School for Scandal (1931), and An International Incident (1940).

It is the only surviving theatre of the many the Shuberts built for performers who were affiliated with them. It has been used continuously as a legitimate house, unlike many of the older theatres that have been used for a variety of purposes throughout the years.

Even without Barrymore herself, the theatre was home to many successes in the 1930s and 40s. Fred Astaire starred in Cole Porter's Gay Divorce (1932), and Noel Coward wrote, produced and staged two plays with Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne: Design for Living (1933) and Point Valaine (1935). Other notable productions include Death Takes a Holiday (1929), Clare Booth Luce's The Women (1936), Rodgers and Hart's Pal Joey (1940) starring Gene Kelly, and Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) with Jessica Tandy and Marlon Brando.

The second half of the 20th century proved even more star-studded. Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn played in The Fourposter (1951), Anthony Perkins received a Tony nomination for his role in Look Homeward, Angel (1957), Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee starred in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (1959), Lee Remick appeared in Wait Until Dark (1966), Robert Duvall starred in David Mamet's American Buffalo (1977), and August Wilson presented his Tony Award winning Best Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1988). Among other prominent shows and performers at the at the Barrymore were Peter Shaffer's Lettice & Lovage (1990), starring Maggie Smith and produced by the Shubert Organization, and Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosenzweig (1993), with a scene-stealing performance by Madeline Kahn. Kathleen Turner and Jude Law came to Broadway in Indiscretions (1995) and Dame Judi Dench starred in David Hare's Amy's View (1999).

Other productions at the Barrymore include an acclaimed revival of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing (2000); Charles Busch's comedy The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2000) starring Linda Lavin; Oscar Wilde's Salome (2003) with Al Pacino, Marissa Tomei, Dianne Wiest, and David Strathairn; the Tony Award winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company (2006); More recent productions include Exit the King (2009) starring Tony Award winner Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon, and David Mamet's Race (2009).