Ethel Barrymore Theatre (Broadway)

This beautiful theatre was built by the Messrs. Shubert in honor of the beloved Ethel Barrymore and opened on December 20, 1928, with the actress starring in "The Kingdom of God." After that the star appeared here in "The Love Duel," " Scarlet Sister Mary," " The School for Scandal" and "An International Incident."

Still owned by the Shubert Organization, the theatre’s recent tenants have been The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; the revival of The Real Thing; Putting It Together; Amy’s View; Electra; The Life; An Ideal Husband; Indiscretions; The Sisters Rosensweig; and a revival of A Streetcar Named Desire with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. Before that: Mule Bone; Lettice & Lovage (Maggie Smith, Margaret Tyzack—both Tony Award winners); Neil Simon’s Rumors; The Secret Rapture; Mikhail Baryshnikov in Metamorphosis; August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; Ron Silver, Marlo Thomas, Joanna Gleason and Olympia Dukakis in Social Security; David Rabe’s Hurlyburly; the musical Baby; Zoe Caldwell in Lillian; Jessica Tandy (Tony Award), Hume Cronyn and Keith Carradine in Foxfire; the musical Is There Life After High School?; Katharine Hepburn and Dorothy Loudon in The West Side Waltz; Gilda Radner in Lunch Hour; Anthony Perkins and Mia Farrow in Romantic Comedy; I Love My Wife, the Cy Coleman/Michael Stewart musical; Robert Duvall in David Mamet’s American Buffalo; Tom Stoppard’s Travesties; Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn and Anne Baxter in Noël Coward in Two Keys; a season by the New Phoenix Repertory Company; Rex Harrison in Pirandello’s Emperor Henry IV; Ingrid Bergman in Captain Brassbound’s Conversion; two Melvin Van Peeble’s plays, Ain’t Supposed To Die a Natural Death and Don’t Play Us Cheap; Alec McCowen in The Philanthropist; and Conduct Unbecoming.

Productions in the 1960's included a hit revival of "The Front Page" with Robert Ryan and Bert Convy; Geraldine Page, Lynn Redgrave and Michael Crawford in Peter Shaffer's "Black Comedy;" Lee Remick and Robert Duvall in "Wait Until Dark;" James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner;"Orson Welles's production of "Moby Dick "starring Rod Steiger; Henry Fonda in "Critic's Choice" and again with Olivia de Havilland in "A Gift of Time;" Michael Redgrave and Sandy Dennis in "The Complaisant Lover."

During the 1950's the hits included: Menotti's "The Consul; " Rex Harrison and Lili Palmer in "Bell, Book and Candle;" Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in "The Fourposter; " Deborah Kerr and John Kerr in "Tea and Sympathy;" "The Chalk Garden;" "A Raisin in the Sun;" and "The Desperate Hours."

Hits of the 1940's: Rodgers and Hart's sexy "Pal Joey" with Gene Kelly, Vivienne Segal, June Havoc and Van Johnson; Katharine Cornell, Judith Anderson, Ruth Gordon in "The Three Sisters;" Gertrude Lawrence and Raymond Massey in "Pygmalion;" and Elia Kazan's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," starring Jessica Tandy and Marlon Brando.

In the 1930's Fred Astaire made his last Broadway appearance here in Cole Porter's "Gay Divorce;" Katharine Cornell and Laurence Olivier amused in "No Time for Comedy;" " The Women" lasted for 657 performances; Paul Muni scored in "Key Largo;" and Walter Huston appeared in "Knickerbocker Holiday."

Theatre Information:
243 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
US

Box Office: Tele-charge (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250
www.telecharge.com

Public Transportation:
SUBWAY: Take the N,R,W to 49th Street or the 1,9 to 50th Street, walk South to 47th Street and West to the theatre; Take the C,E to 50th Street, walk South to 47th Street and East to the theatre.

Handicap Access:
ACCESS INTO THEATRE: Theatre is not completely wheelchair accessible. There are no steps into theatre from the sidewalk. Please be advised that where there are steps either into or within the theatre, we are unable to provide assistance. ORCHESTRA LOCATION: Seating is accessible to all parts of the Orchestra without steps. There are no steps to the designated wheelchair seating location. MEZZANINE LOCATION: Located on the 2nd level, up 3 flights of stairs (30 steps). Please Note: on the Mezzanine level, there are approximately 2 steps per row. Entrance to Mezzanine is behind row E of the Front Mezzanine. RESTROOM: There is one (unisex) wheelchair accessible restroom located on the main level. Additional restrooms (not wheelchair accessible) are located down 2 flights of stairs (20 steps).

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