Curious about a theater that began as the Erlanger Theatre? That’s the St. James Theatre. It stands at 246 West 44th Street. This Midtown Manhattan spot has a rich history.
Originally, A. L. Erlanger planned the theater. He was part of the Theater Syndicate. Conflicts delayed construction until 1926. The original plan was for a 1200-seat theater. The final result was a 1600-seat theater. Warren and Wetmore designed it. Surprisingly, they lacked prior theater experience.
The St. James Theatre opened in 1927. The inaugural show was The Merry Malones. It enjoyed 192 performances. Erlanger died in 1930. His estate ran the theater until 1932.
Lodewick Vroom bought the Erlanger Theatre. He renamed it the St. James Theatre. This honored London’s St. James Theatre. Vroom operated it from 1932 to 1941. Shows included Walk a Little Faster and May Wine.
The Shubert Organization took over in 1941. They ran the St. James Theatre until the 1950s. An antitrust suit forced them to sell. In 1956, a group of individuals bought it for $1.75 million. Oklahoma! premiered here in 1943. The King and I also premiered here in 1951.
The buyers formed the Jujamcyn Corporation. It became Jujamcyn Theaters. This is now the third-biggest Broadway theater owner. The St. James Theatre continued hosting notable shows. Barnum and My One and Only played in the 1980s. The Secret Garden and The Who’s Tommy followed in the 1990s.
The Producers is a highlight of the 2000s. Its popularity led to a will-call system. This combatted ticket scalpers. The Producers ran for 2502 performances. Other shows included American Idiot and Something Rotten.
In the late 2010s, the St. James Theatre expanded its stage. This happened after buying the alley next to the Hayes Theatre. The Frozen musical debuted in 2018. It broke box office records. It grossed over $2.6 million in one week. COVID-19 closed it in 2020 after 825 performances.
The St. James Theatre reopened with Springsteen on Broadway in 2021. The facade and auditorium interior are city landmarks. The theater has up to 1709 seats. Its design features neo-Georgian style. The St. James Theatre remains a Broadway treasure.