Lyceum Theatre

The Lyceum Theatre on West 45th Street, opened on 2 November 1903 with William Gillette in J. M. Barrie's The Admirable Crichton, is the oldest continuously operating Broadway theatre in New York. Designed by Herts & Tallant — the same architectural firm that would later create the New Amsterdam Theatre — the Lyceum is considered a Beaux-Arts masterpiece and was the first Broadway theatre to be granted New York City landmark status in 1974. It was built by the influential producer Daniel Frohman, who incorporated a residential apartment for himself into the upper floors; a hidden window overlooking the stage allowed him to watch performances from his living quarters. The limestone façade with six Corinthian columns and the larger-than-life sculpture "Lyric Drama" on the pediment is among the most distinctive theatre frontages on Times Square. The 922-seat auditorium across three levels is graced by painted wall murals by artist James Wall Finn and a richly decorated ceiling. The intimate size and unusually deep stage make the Lyceum to this day a preferred venue for plays — musicals are rarely staged here. Across the decades, the Lyceum has hosted legendary actors: Ethel Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn (Broadway debut 1951 in Gigi), Liev Schreiber, Mark Rylance, and James Earl Jones. Several Tony Award-winning productions have premiered here, including The Inheritance (2019) and Oh, Hello on Broadway (2016). The house belongs to the Shubert Organization, which has managed most historic Broadway theatres since 1950.