Show Finder
Music Box Theatre
Website:
www.shubertorganization.com
Address
239 W 45th Street
New York, NY 10036
Public Transport
Accessibility
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Box Office
No stairs into lobby, box office assistance available. Ticket lobby counter is 47" high. Accessible pass-through with writing shelf at 32". -
Curb Ramps
(2.5" lip) SW corner of 45th St. & Broadway; NW corner 45th St. & Broadway. -
Restroom
Unisex ADA compliant restroom available in the ticket lobby. Door 33". Stall 90" x 66". Commode 18". Grab bars -
Elevator/Escalator
None -
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. -
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. -
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.
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
