Al Hirschfeld Theatre

Capacity: 1,424

Open date: 11 November 1924

Official address: 302 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036, United States

Originally designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh, the Al Hirschfeld Theater was opened in November 1924 as the Martin Beck Theater. It was built to be one of the most lavish of its time, with a seating capacity of 1,200 and dressing space for up to 200 performers.

In 2003, it was renamed after Al Hirschfeld, an iconic American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars. A year later, Jujamcyn Theaters bought it over, and the organization has owned and managed it ever since. Yet, the venue has been located at 302 West 45th Street since 1924.

The renaming was meant to celebrate the Broadway illustrator’s 100th birthday. However, Hirschfeld did not live to see it come to fruition, as he passed on just a few months earlier, unaware that he would receive the honor. It was generally quite the gesture, making him the first visual artist to have a Broadway theatre named in his memory.

A Broadway chokepoint

In recent decades, the Al Hirschfeld Theatre has seen remarkable success. From The Sound of Music in the 1990s to Wonderful Town in the 2000s, it has been the home to many of the most stellar productions in Broadway history. In the 2010s, it hosted a small number of shows, and there is evidence of how successful they have been.

Case in point, Kinky Boots, a musical by Harvey Fierstein, ran for 2,507 performances between 2013 and 2019. Later on, Moulin Rouge took the stage and ran up until 2022. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was a break from March 2020 to September 2021, but Rouge has since resumed.

Today, Al Hirschfeld Theatre stands testament to the power of the performing arts and is a monument of sorts to the visionaries and trailblazers who helped shape its history. Its gleaming marquee and echoing halls beckon theatregoers from far and near who want to experience its legacy.

Events at Al Hirschfeld Theatre

Capitalizing on its location in the heart of New York City’s theatre district, the venue hosts diverse events catering to an even more extensive stretch of interests and tastes. Fundamentally popular for its contributions to Broadway spectacles, Al Hirschfeld has showcased some of American theatre history’s most groundbreaking shows.

Besides Broadway shows and musicals, the theatre occasionally hosts special events like one-night-only concerts and benefit shows, which feature star-studded performers and present avenues for audiences to experience theatre in newer, exciting ways.

Moulin Rouge—The Musical is still running from March until June 2024. On Wednesday, March 14th, the venue will host the Half-Day Hell's Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Stroll. It will be back on March 27th and April 3rd.

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How to Get to Al Hirschfeld Theatre

The most convenient way to reach the theatre is New York City's extensive public transit system. Easily accessible via subway, the theatre has several nearby stations: N, Q, R, and W lines at 49th Street Station, 1 line at 50th Street Station, C, E lines at 50th Street Station, and B, D lines at 7th Avenue Station.

Several bus routes also serve the Theater District. For example, the M50 bus travels crosstown along 49th and 50th Streets, and the M20 bus travels northbound along Seventh Avenue and southbound along Eighth Avenue, passing through the Theater District and stopping near the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

But if you're staying around Times Square or Midtown Manhattan, the theatre may be within walking distance.

On another hand, if you are driving, which can be challenging in Manhattan, parking garages are available in the vicinity of the venue. However, brace for potentially high parking fees and limited availability, especially during peak theatre hours.