Eugene O'Neill Theatre
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Eugene O'Neill Theatre 230 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 Click Here For More Info On The Theatre |
Location
The Eugene O'Neill is located on the south side of 49th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. It is number 8 on The Broadway Map.
Parking
See our discount parking guide for parking near this theater
Background
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre is named for one of America's most cherished playwrights, the man who wrote such classics as Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh, Desire Under the Elms, and Long Day's Journey Into Night. However, when it opened in 1925, this theater was called the Forrest Theatre, after famed 19th century stage actor Edwin Forrest. Originally built by the Shuberts, the theater came under new ownership 20 years later and received not only a major renovation but also a new name: the Coronet. As the Coronet, it hosted a number of successful productions, including Arthur Miller's breakout work, All My Sons. The last Coronet production was a revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Great God Brown, and then, in November of 1959, the theater was re-named in honor of the playwright. The Eugene O'Neill Theatre's debut production was A Loss of Roses, by another great dramatist, William Inge. Continuing its assocation with writing legends, the theater was purchased by Neil Simon in the '60s and many of his hit plays, such as Last of the Red Hot Lovers, California Suite, Chapter Two, and even a revival of his musical Little Me, played here. Jujamcyn bought the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in 1982.
Design
Architect Herbert J. Krapp designed the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, and with a seating capacity of approximately 1,100, it is a good mid-sized theater, especially suitable for larger plays or more modest musicals. Though the interior is very nice, the Eugene O'Neill's fascade is non-descript, dull and mud-colored. The restrooms are, thankfully, quite large.
Directions
By Subway, take the A/C/E to 50th Street, walk south on Eight Avenue and then turn left onto 49th Street. Or take the 1/2/3/9 to 50th Street, walk south on Broadway and then make a right onto 49th Street.
Best Seats
The extreme right and left sides at the very front of the orchestra
will sometimes have only a partial view, depending upon the production. The seats in the front to mid orchestra are ideal.
Previous Shows
In its early years, the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (then known as the Forrest) housed some successful transfers such as Bird in Hand and Tobacco Road, the latter of which played there for over six years. As the Coronet, the theater hosted All My Sons, Angel in the Wings, Small Wonder, The Browning Version, The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker, All Summer Long, Quadrille, The Bad Seed, and A View from the Bridge. Since being named the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, it has presented a number of notable plays and musicals, including A Thousand Clowns, She Loves Me, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, God's Favorite, Yentl, California Suite, I Ought to Be in Pictures, Moose Murders, Big River, M. Butterfly, Five Guys Named Moe, the smash revival of Grease!, The Full Monty, and Caroline, or Change.
Seating Chart:
