With all the different theatres in New York, you may be confused as to which ones you should make sure you visit. In other words, which are the best theatres in New York?
Of course, locals and frequent theatre-goers will have their own personal picks, but we've chosen two that we think actually fit the category of "best" theatres in New York.
Palace Theatre
The
Palace Theatre is located at 1564 Broadway. After it's completion in 1913, it became the place for vaudeville entertainment, at least for a short while. Changes in ownership as well as the demise of vaudeville led the Palace Theatre to totally change venues, becoming a movie theater.
The Palace Theatre saw a short revitalization as a live theater venue in the 1950s. This, too, faded out until 1966, when the theater underwent a major renovation and reopened once again as a live theater. Today, it is and has been home to many Broadway hits, including several of the Disney Broadway Productions.
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
The
Eugene O'Neill theatre, which opened in 1925, is one of many New York theatres that were built on what is referred to as a "Shubert-built, Krapp-designed" theatre. It's rather plain exterior hides a very elegant interior.
The theater was originally named the Forrest Theatre, to commemorate the first American to become an internationally-known actor—Edwin Forrest. 1945 saw another name change, to the Coronet. In 1959, it was decided that the theatre deserved the name Eugene O'Neill Theater to honor this great artists.
Neil Simon, the famous playwright, owned the Eugene O'Neill Theatre for a brief time, which is why so many of his shows played there. The theater has since changed ownership from Mr. Simon to another company; however, the hits just keep on coming. In addition, the theatre's interior has been designated a National Historical Landmark.
