 | The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 220 West 48th Street in midtown Manhattan. Designed by architect Henry B. Herts, it was named for Longacre Square, the original name for Times Square. The French neo-classical building was constructed by impresario Harry Frazee, better remembered as the owner of the Boston Red Sox who, needing money for his theatrical ventures, sold Babe Ruth's contract to the New York Yankees. A curse allegedly lingers on the theater as a result, and superstitious producers avoid it for fear they'll be backing a flop, as noted by William Golden in his seminal book The Season. Despite the rumor, a large number of performers who have appeared on stage here have taken home a Tony Award for their efforts. |
| The Longacre's first show was a production of the William Hurlbut-Frances Whitehouse comedy Are You a Crook?, which opened on May 1, 1913. With the exception of its use as a television studio in the mid-1940s to early 1950s, the theatre has operated as a legitimate Broadway venue. Notable productions since 1966 1966: Mark Twain Tonight | |
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