Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre
| Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre 1634 Broadway New York, NY 10019 Click Here For More Info On The Theatre |
Location:
The Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre is located on the east side of Broadway
between 50th and 51st Street. It is number 6 marked Winter Garden Theatre
on The Broadway Map
Background:
The Winter Garden Theatre stands on the site of what was once the American Horse Exchange. William
Vanderbuilt leased this large property to the Shuberts in 1910, and the theater officially opened the following year. The Winter Garden's opening production
was La Belle Paree starring Al Jolson, one of the most famous singers of the era. In 1928, the theater was leased by Warner Brothers
and changed to a movie house, but unlike many theaters that suffered this fate during the Depression, the Winter Garden soon regained legitimacy when, in 1933, it reopened with Hold Your Horses. In 1982, the theater
was renovated in preparation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber hit Cats. After the feline-themed musical reigned for two decades, it finally ended its record-breaking run, and the Winter Garden Theatre then closed for refurbishing. It reopened in 2001, at which point it was renamed the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre.
Design:
Architect William Albert Swasey designed the Winter Garden Theatre with lattice
work walls and a trellised ceiling to look like an outdoor roof garden. The
most talked about feature in the original design was the “runway," a bridge built over the orchestra section from the stage to the rear.
One of the rare Broadway theaters not initially built by Herbert J. Krapp, the Winter Garden did eventually get a makeover by Krapp in the 1920s when he was brought in to redesign the theater as it now is today. A huge marquee was added and the auditorium
was modernized with a lowered ceiling and one hundred new seats that replaced
the runway. The runway did make a return appearance, though, sixty years later
for the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures.
Best Seats:
The Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre has a seating capacity of approximately
1,533. This is one of the best theaters for viewing the stage because of its
semi-circular shape.
Directions:
Take the 1 or 9 subway to 50th Street. The Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre is
on Broadway between 50th and 51st Streets.
Parking:
See our discount parking guide
for parking near this theater
Miscellaneous:
The entrance to the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre is street level. Restrooms
are up one flight of stairs and there is a handicap restroom available.
Previous Shows:
Many classic long-running musicals originated in the Cadillac Winter Garden
Theatre, including West Side Story, Funny Girl, and Mame, which won a Tony
Award for Angela Lansbury.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats won seven Tony Awards and had a run of 7,485
performances. Mamma Mia, the hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, came to
the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre in 2001.
Seating Chart:
