Theater Stories: FUNNY GIRL, WEST SIDE STORY, CATS and More About The Winter Garden Theatre

It is impossible to walk into a Broadway theatre, or simply just think of a Broadway theatre, without immediately connecting a memory to it. Every Broadway theatre is filled with a rich and colorful history, brimming over with stories of the stars who graced its staged, legends that were made within its walls, and the feelings we all have of looking back and thinking "I saw a Tony winning performance in that theater" or "I wish I'd seen that performance in that theater."

Whether a theater has a history that's a hundred years old or closer to forty, every Broadway theater tells a story, each one filled with fun facts you never knew!

With our new series, Theater Stories, we're bringing you tidbits you may have never heard, tales you never thought to ask about and more, giving you a better look into the history of Broadway theatres, as well as a leg-up on your next theater-trivia night.

Today's Theater Stories features the Winter Garden Theatre!

---

When was the theatre built?

The Winter Garden Theatre was originally not a theatre at all! It was built in 1896 to be the American Horse Exchange.

When did the Winter Garden Officially become a theatre?

The Shuberts leased the building in 1911. Shubert has owned the Winter Garden Theatre longer than any of its other venues. Other Shubert-run theatres include the Ambassador Theatre, the Barrymore Theatre, the Belasco Theatre, the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre and more.

What was the first show to play the Winter Garden?

The first show to be performed in the Winter Garden Theatre was Jerome Kern's musical La Belle Paree, starring Al Jolson. La Belle Paree was a musical revue which ran from March 1911 to June 1911. The show was responsible for launching Al Jolson's career. Jolson went on to star in the first 'Talkie' in history, the film The Jazz Singer. Kern was responsible for creating musical theater standards such as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", and "The Way You Look Tonight".

What other stars have performed at the Winter Garden Theatre?

The Winter Garden Theatre has a long history of icons gracing its stage! Mary Martin flew across the stage as Peter Pan in 1954, Chita Rivera played Anita in West Side Story in 1957, Barbra Streisand starred in Funny Girl at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1964, Angela Lansbury starred in Mame in 1966, and Jerry Orbach starred in 42 Street in 1980, just to name a few! Some of the theatre's other well-known productions include Mamma Mia!, Cats, Follies, and Once Upon a Mattress.

What was the most recent show to be performed in the Winter Garden Theatre?

The show most recently performed in the Winter Garden was Beetlejuice, starring Alex Brightman, Leslie Kritzer, Sophia Anne Caruso, Kerry Butler, Rob McClure Danny Rutigliano and more. Beetlejuice broke multiple box office records for the Winter Garden, and was nominated for 8 Tony Awards.

What show is headed to the Winter Garden next?

The next show planning to make the Winter Garden home is The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. The revival was originally planned for 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. It is currently set to make its way to the stage in spring of 2021.

What is the Winter Garden's longest running show?

Cats! Cats played the Winter Garden for 18 years, from 1982 to 2000, or 7,485 performances, which made it the longest-running show in history at the time. Stars who have graced the Winter Garden stage to belt out the evergreen 'Memory' as Grizabella include Betty Buckley, Laurie Beechman, Loni Ackerman, Lillias White, Liz Callaway, Linda Balgord, Leona Lewis and Mamie Parris.

How was the theatre altered to accommodate Cats?

In addition to covering the interior of the theater in black paint and turning it into an onstage Broadwayfied junkyard, to allow for Grizabella- played by Betty Buckley- to ascend into the sky, an actual hole was taken out of the ceiling so Buckley could rise up into it! There was almost a year between when Cats left the Winter Garden and Mamma Mia! moved in where the theatre was empty, being de-felined! The entire theatre had to be revamped to allow for the sparkling ABBA musical to take its place on the stage.

How is the Winter Garden connected to television?

The TV show Smash is loosely based on the novel Smash, which is also loosely based on Garson Kanin's experience directing Funny Girl on Broadway!