247 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
- Gypsy
Broadway Legend Audrea McDonald brings the iconic role of Madam Rose back to Broadway in a new revival of this classic show opening at the newly renovated Majestic Theater.
The Chanin Brothers constructed the Majestic Theatre in 1927 as part of a three-theatre facility that also included the Royale and the Theatre Masque (now the John Golden). The Majestic is a large musical house, and it supplemented the other two theatres, allowing producers to move shows based on ticket sales to the most appropriately-sized theatre. Herbert J. Krapp designed the theatre facility in what he called a “modern Spanish style.” The Majestic’s exterior above the entrance also features a stylized Palladian theme. The interior displays the usual Adam-style featured in many Shubert venues. Krapp formulated a stadium seating model for the theatre’s orchestra (decades before today’s trend for stadium seating in movie theatres). With its steep rake, the audience’s sight lines are perfect. He also thought forward in his design and created a single large balcony instead of two smaller ones. Today, second-balcony seating is less pleasing so producers are hesitant to book these venues. In 1927, the Majestic’s opening production was a revue entitled Rufus Lemaire’s Affairs. The Shuberts obtained ownership of all three theatres in 1930.
