Broadway Theatre Question

[greatwhiteway72]

The Booth, Gerald Schoenfeld, Bernard B. Jacobs, John Golden, Shubert, Broadhurst, and Majestic Theaters are all situated close together between West 45th St and West 44th Street. I'm wondering: is there anything underground that connects all of these theatres? Maybe a common area or a system of hallways? I was just curious because of their close proximity.

[dramamama611]

No.



What purpose would that even HAVE???

[ghostlight2]

All of them, no. Some of them, yes.

Also, some of them have connections at the fly floor level.

[greatwhiteway72]

Do you know which ones?

[ghostlight2]

Yes, but I'll refrain from giving specifics.

[greatwhiteway72]

i've just always been curious because they're so close together. I think i remember a clip from "Show Business: The Road To Broadway", where they showed some of it but i may be mistaken.

[ghostlight2]

Satisfying your general curiosity by letting you know such passages do exist is one thing. Giving out details as to where the connections are might be proprietary information. I don't know, so I'm erring on the side of caution.

I have heard that some of the connections have to do with old-fashioned methods of cooling the theaters. I don't know if that's true.

[greatwhiteway72]

that's very interesting. I'm fascinated by the architecture of all the various theaters. Thank you ghostlight2. I understand the discretion.

[TheatreKid3]

It's no secret that the "true" stage doors for the Majestic, Jacobs and Golden Theatres are in a common area/ally way that exits onto 45th Street - so that information can be given. So, to answer your question, the Majestic, Jacobs and Golden are connected through the ally way they share. In fact, people sitting on the far right of the orchestra in the Jacobs while seeing ONCE often complain that they can hear music from PHANTOM in the Majestic.

[greatwhiteway72]

^oh wow. that must be really annoying. i figured that they were connected somehow. i didn't know that these theaters shared a stage door. after the shows are done, are the patrons from all three theaters outside the stage door? that must be confusing...

[ghostlight2]

They have their own separate (but close) stage doors that all open into the same alley - which leads to 45th st, which is where the patrons wait after the show. The Booth, the Schoenfeld and the Broadhurst also share common alley.

But it is also possible to go from some of these theaters to others without going outside at all.

[ClapYo'Hands]

What a fascinating thread!

[JBroadway]

I saw Once and Seminar on consecutive days, so I was waiting in the same place. Seminar was only 90 minutes, so everyone waiting for that cast was gone by the time Once was over. I don't know how it usually works though. You'd think there would be some confusion though for certain shows. Like, has anyone done the stage door for Once and seen Phantom cast members go by?

[AEA AGMA SM]

How many actors from Phantom actually use the Majestic's stage door though? Every time I've gone to visit friends in the show it seems most of the cast, and crew and musicians for that matter, just exit from the entrance from stage left into the house and out those doors there on house right that exit right onto 44th.

[TheatreKid3]

Cast members usually don't exit through the "real" stage doors for these theatres to come out and sign, take pictures etc. The Majestic and Jacobs I know (not sure about the Golden) have doors that exit directly from the theatres onto the street. These doors are where the casts for ONCE and PHANTOM sign for patrons. They don't usually use the doors in the alley to exit from as these are difficult to find for patrons wanting to "stage door."

[Fosse76]

The Schoenfeld and Broadhurst are the only theatres that are actually connected without having to go outside. They share a boiler and are connected through a passage that can be accessed in the lower lobby.

As for the stage doors of the Majestic, Jacobs and Golden...the crew and actors don't use the stage door because it's easier and more convenient to leave through those doors...it has nothing to do with stage dooring. Though the crew abbreviated actors at the Golden do e,it out the alley, as do some crew and actors from those other theaters.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Studio 54 and the Ed Sullivan Theatre have an underground passage that connects them, but it has been closed off by cinderblocks, I know for sure at the Ed Sullivan end, not sure if you can still get into the tunnel at the Studio 54 end.

[greatwhiteway72]

^Wow. That's neat. Does anyone know if there are any more cool passageways between Broadway theatres?