Neil Simon Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Neil Simon Theater, formerly known as the Alvin Theater, is a Broadway theatre located at 250 West 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York City which has produced many notable musicals and plays. As of 2005, it seats about 1,328 people and is currently owned by the Nederlander Organization.
The building was completed in 1927, having been designed by noted theater architect Herbert J. Krapp. The theater was built for theater producers Alex Aarons and Vinton Freedly, hence its original name ("Al-Vin"). Its first production was George and Ira Gershwin's Funny Face starring Fred and Adele Astaire, which opened on November 22, 1927.
Aarons and Freedly lost control of their venue in 1932 due to the Great Depression, but it continued to be used by CBS as a radio studio when there was no running production.
In 1975, the Shubert Organization purchased the theater and on June 29, 1983 renamed it the Neil Simon Theater in honor of Neil Simon, the celebrated American playwright. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1985.
[edit] Notable world premieres
Among shows that have opened at the Neil Simon over the years are:
- Girl Crazy, 1930 starring Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers
- Anything Goes, 1934 starring Ethel Merman
- Porgy and Bess, 1935
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1962
- Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, 1967
- Company, 1970
- Annie, 1977
[edit] External links
- Broadway Theatre Guide with full show details for the Neil Simon Theatre
- Brief history of the Neil Simon Theater from JimsDeli.com
- Information from NYTix.com
- Article about an expansion of the Neil Simon from Playbill
- Neil Simon Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
