Walter Kerr Theatre

Address

219 W 48th St
New York, NY 10036

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Public Transport

By Subway:
1, C, E to 50th Street

Accessibility

Box Office

Outer lobby. Counter 41".
Parking

Valet parking lots: Holiday Inn Hotel on Broadway between 48th & 49th Sts.; on 48th St. west of theater. No vans.
Curb Ramps

NW corner of 48th St. & Broadway; NE corner of 48th St. & 8th Ave., and just west of entrance.
Restroom

Accessible restroom located House Left, under the stair well. Womens: Up nineteen steps from orchestra.Mens: Up eighteen steps from orchestra.
Seating

Orchestra on ground level. Mezzanine, balcony and restrooms reached only by stairs.
Elevator\Escalator

None.
Telephone

A cellular telephone is available free of charge to patrons with disabilities.
Entrance

Double doors in series: 1st set (each 23", heavy) to outer lobby; 2nd set (each 26", heavy) into orchestra.
Visual Assistance

None.
Water Fountain

Water available from bar.
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. Theatre is not completley wheelchair accessible. There are no steps to the designated wheelchair seating locations. Wheelchair seating is in the Orchestra only.

Theater Description

Herbert J Krapp was the most prolific theater designer on broadway; he was the architect for fifteen of the remaining broadway theaters. Krapp studied at cooper union and started his career at herts & tallant, where he met the Shubert brothers.

Krapp became the Shubert brothers’ house architect and designed twelve theaters for them. He also designed six theaters for the Chanin brothers. Krapp was famous for his ability to work with low budgets and small or awkward plots of land. For example, Krapp designed a diagonal floor plan for the Ambassador Theatre to fit it into an awkward space.

He innovated the use of stadium seating, first seen in the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Krapp often used most of his budget on the interiors of his theaters. While he left the exteriors relatively bare, he used elaborate brickwork to add visual interest for a small cost. Examples of this brickwork can be seen on the exteriors of the Broadhurst and the Gerald Schoenfeld Theaters. Krapp's career as a theater designer ended with the bust of the theater boom during the Depression. He transitioned to industrial design and became a building assessor for New York City. He also continued to work with the Shuberts until 1963 as the supervisor of existing venue maintenance and renovations.

Learn more at Spotlight in Broadway