Music Box Theatre

Website: www.shubertorganization.com

Address

239 W 45th Street
New York, NY 10036

View on map

Public Transport

By Subway:
Take the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, R, Q, W, A, C or E to 42nd Street. Theatre is three blocks north and half a block west.
By Bus:
The M7, M20, and M104 each stop in close proximity to the theatre.

Accessibility

Box Office

No stairs into lobby, box office assistance available. Ticket Lobby Counter is 47" high. Accessible pass-through with writing shelf at 32".
Parking

Valet parking lot: North side of Street between Broadway & 8th Ave. Vans enter on 46th St. Valet parking garage: East of Shubert Alley, on south side of 45th St. between Broadway & 8th Ave. No vans.
Curb Ramps

(2.5" lip) SW corner of 45th St. & Broadway; NW corner 45th St. & Broadway.
Restroom

Unisex: Ticket Lobby. ADA compliant. Door 33". Stall 90" x 66". Commode 18". Grab bars.
Seating

Orchestra on ground level, step up to the last two rows. Lower lounge and mezzanine reached only by stairs.
Elevator\Escalator

There are no elevators or escalators at this theatre.
Telephone

Ticket Lobby. Coin slot 46". Cord 29". With TTY, electric outlet and shelf.
Entrance

Double doors in series: 1st set (each 29") has one pair of automatic doors from 45th Street to Ticket Lobby with push-button control; 2nd set (each 32", attended by ushers) to rear Orchestra.
Visual Assistance

Vision seats in the front of the orchestra available for purchase online, in person, or over the phone. Audio Description is also available through the GalaPro app. More information can be found here: https://www.galapro.com/
Water Fountain

Ticket lobby. Spout 36" and 43".
Assisted Listening System

Reservations are not necessary. Drivers license or ID with printed address required as a deposit. Please call: (212) 582-7678 to reserve in advance. Closed Captioning is also available through the GalaPro app. For more information on GalaPro, check here: https://www.galapro.com/
Wheelchair Info

Wheelchair seating available in the Orchestra section only. Theatre is not completely wheelchair accessible.
Folding Armrests

Mobility seats with folding armrests plus companion seat available for purchase online, in person, or over the phone
Translation

Subtitled language translations available in Spanish for $5 on the GalaPro app. For more information, go to https://www.galapro.com/

Theater Description

The once most aptly named theater on Broadway, the intimate Music Box was designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed by composer Irving Berlin and producer Sam H. Harris specifically to house Berlin's famed Music Box Revues. It opened in 1921 and hosted a new musical production every year until 1925, when it presented its first play, Cradle Snatchers, starring Humphrey Bogart. The following year, Chicago, the Maurine Dallas Watkins play that served as the basis for the hit musical, opened here. It housed a string of hits for the playwriting team of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, from their first collaboration Once in a Lifetime to their hit play The Man Who Came to Dinner. Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin also presented shows here.

In the 1950s, playwright William Inge found a home at the Music Box, where he had success with Picnic, Bus Stop, and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs.

One of the smaller Broadway houses, with a seating capacity of 860, the theater was co-owned by Berlin's estate and the Shubert Organization until the latter assumed full ownership in 2007. Be sure to look in the lobby for the plaque and wall commemorating the theater's rich history.

Watch a video about the Music Box Theatre at Spotlightonbroadway.com