Belasco Theatre History

The Belasco Theatre, a legendary Broadway venue, has a fascinating history. The Shuberts took ownership of the theater in 1948 and continue to run it today, but it was originally opened by David Belasco in 1907 and called the Stuyvesant. Belasco soon renamed it after himself and even lived above the theater in an apartment where he kept his many souvenirs from his life in the theater. After his passing, his ghost was said to haunt the theater until a particularly racy production of “Oh, Calcutta!” - that featured nude performers - was said to drive his ghost from the premises.  Let’s dive into some of the Belasco Theatre’s most memorable productions over the years:

Early Days and David Belasco's Productions

• The theater opened in 1907 with a production of “A Grand Army Man” starring Antoinette Perry, who the Tony Awards are named after. 
• David Belasco produced, directed, and wrote many shows at the theater. Some of his most notable productions include "The Warrens of Virginia" in 1907 starring Cecil B. DeMille and Mary Pickford, "Polly with a Past" in 1917, "Lulu Belle" in 1926, and "It’s a Wise Child" in 1929 starring Humphrey Bogart.
• Belasco's last production was "Tonight or Never" in 1930.

The Group Theatre:

• The Group Theatre was a collective that included such theater greats as Luther Adler, Stella Adler, Elia Kazan, Sanford Meisner, and Howard da Silva. 
• Productions included Clifford Odet’s "Awake and Sing!" and “Waiting for Lefty” 1935, "Golden Boy" in 1937, and "Rocket to the Moon" in 1938.

Mid-20th Century Highlights

• John Barrymore made his final Broadway appearance in "My Dear Children" in 1940, Judy Holliday starred in “Kiss Them for Me” in 1945, and “The Madwoman of Chaillot” ran in 1948. 
• After a brief pause when the theater acted as a radio playhouse for NBC, the Belasco returned to producing live theater in 1953 with "The Solid Gold Cadillac" starring Josephine Hull.
• Arthur Hill, Lillian Gish, and Colleen Dewhurst starred in “All the Way Home” in 1960. 

70s and Beyond

• "Oh Calcutta!" in 1971 was said to banish David Belasco’s ghost from the theater with its risqué nude revue.
• The Belasco Theatre was transformed into a nightclub for its production of "The Rocky Horror Show" in 1975.
• The 1990s saw productions from Tony Randall’s National Actors Theatre and British productions of "Hamlet" starring Ralph Fiennes in 1995 and "A Doll’s House" starring Janet McTeer in 1997.

Recent Years

• The first revival of Stephen Sondheim’s "Follies" ran at the Belasco in 2001, Terrance McNally’s "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" ran in 2002 starring Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci, and Denzel Washington starred in “Julius Caesar” in 2005. 
• Two Tony-winning revivals ran back to back: "Awake and Sing!" in 2006 and "Journey’s End" in 2007.

• The theater hosted Tony-nominated productions like "End of the Rainbow" in 2012, "Golden Boy" in 2012, and "Twelfth Night / Richard III" starring Mark Rylance in 2013, followed by a Tony Award-winning revival of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in 2014 starring Neil Patrick Harris.
• Bryan Cranston won a Tony Award for his performance in “Network” in 2018, and Sean Hayes won a Tony for his performance in “Good Night, Oscar” in 2023.