Show Finder
Lucille Lortel Theatre
Email: gforbes@lortel.org
Website:
www.lortel.org
Address
121 Christopher St
New York, NY 10012
Public Transport
Accessibility
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Box Office
Lobby. Counter 44". -
Parking
Apple West at 332 West 11th St. -
Passenger Loading Zone
Front. Curb 6". -
Restroom
Unisex: The theatre provides a special-access restroom on the first floor for patrons with handicaps or disabilities. Patrons must see the House Manager for access. -
Seating
Seats 299-varies -
Elevator/Escalator
Elevator: None. Stair lift over steps to 2nd floor. Box office has key. -
Telephone
None -
Entrance
Ramp entrance to the first floor of the theatre is accessible for wheelchairs and motorized chairs. Patrons must see the House Manager for access. -
Water Fountain
A water fountain is located on the Mezzanine level. -
Assisted Listening System
The theatre is equipped with the Infrared Listening System designed by Sennheiser and used in most Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Listening devices are provided at no charge. Identification (driver's license, major credit card, passport, etc.) is required as a deposit. -
Wheelchair Info
Wheelchair seating available.
Theater Description
The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse located at 121 Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior is largely unchanged to this day.In the early 1950s, the site was converted to an off-Broadway theater as Theater de Lys, opening on June 9, 1953 with a production of Maya, a play by Simon Gantillon starring Kay Medford, Vivian Matalon, and Susan Strasberg. It closed after seven performances. The phenomenon was "The Threepenny Opera," which opened March 10, 1954, with a cast that included Bea Arthur, John Astin, Lotte Leyna, Leon Lishner, Scott Merrill, Gerald Price, Charlotte Rae and Jo Sullivan. Because of an incoming booking, it was forced to close after 96 performances. Re-opening Sept. 20, 1955, with largely the same cast, "The Threepenny Opera" this time played until Dec. 17, 1961, a then record-setting run for a musical in New York City.
In 1955, financier Louis Schweitzer acquired the building as an anniversary present for his wife, actress-producer Lucille Lortel. In 1981, the year of her 81st birthday, the theatre was renamed in her honor. After Lortel's death, the theatre was left to the Lucille Lortel Foundation.
