Broadway History: The Lunt Fontanne Theatre
The Lunt Fontanne Theatre opened on January 10, 1910, and was originally named the Globe Theatre to honor Shakespeare's famous playhouse in London. Charles Dillingham, a legendary American producer, had the theatre built. Dillingham was an extremely lavish man and wanted the theatre to be a representation of himself. He hired the architects Carrere and Hastings to create what most consider to be one of the most amazing theaters architecturally on Broadway. The architects got creative with this project and built in cooling and heating vents under each seat. My favorite fun fact about this theatre is that it is the only theatre in the history of Broadway to be built with a retractable roof. Insane right!? Theater historians have never found any evidence that the roof was ever opened, and during its restoration, the opening was sealed shut, but I still love knowing that it's there.
Anyways, the Globe was a thriving theatre until the Great Depression hit the United States. Dillingham was hit so hard by the financial crisis his career ended and the beautiful theatre was forced to close in 1931. The Globe Theatre then served as a movie house for nearly thirty years.
Fortunately, in 1957, the theatre was rebuilt. When it reopened in May 1958, the theatre was renamed the Lunt Fontanne. The significance of the new name is my favorite part of this entire story. The theatre was renamed after what many consider to be the most legendary Broadway couple of the 20th century: Alfred Davis Lunt Jr., and his lovely wife, Lynn Fontanne. Lunt was a successful American stage director and leading Broadway star. Fontanne was a British-born but American-based actress for forty years. The couple re-opened the newly-named theatre together by starring in the Broadway show The Visit. It was their last Broadway appearance.
The Lunt Fontanne went under a major renovation in 1999, and the restoration team made sure to honor the building’s history in the process. It is the modern and elegant theatre currently housing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Since the theatre opened in 1910, 38 different productions have graced its stage, including Motown, Titanic, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Adams Family. In an interview I found with Alan Mencken, Mencken said the choice of theatre is important for a Broadway show. The audience experience, for a show like Beauty and the Beast, from the moment they walked in the front doors, would not have been as magical in a theatre with contemporary decoration. I honestly had never thought about it before, but he is absolutely right.
FUN FACTS:
The theatre is located at 205 W 46th Street.
It is owned by the Nederlander Organization.
The theatre's capacity is 1,509.
The Sound of Music opened at the Lunt Fontanne in 1959 and was Rodger and Hammerstein's last collaboration.
The Lunt Fontanne is a NYC Designated Manhattan Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
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// Dress: Endless Rose //
