Theater Stories: SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, HEAD OVER HEELS, PLAZA SUITE & More About The Hudson 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.

When was the Hudson Theatre built?

The Hudson Theatre was built in 1903, and opened with a production of Cousin Kate starring Ethel Barrymore. The venue has not continually operated as a legitimate theatre; it was used as a CBS Radio studio between theater productions during the 1930s and 1940s, and was used as a television studio in the 1950s for shows including The Price Is Right and The Tonight Show which remained in the space until 1959. The theatre returned to its use as a legitimate theatre in the 60s, operated as an adult film house during the 70s, and became the Savoy rock club in 1980. Millennium & Copthorne Hotels bought the hotel and the Hudson in 1995. The theatre's surrounding lot was turned into a the Macklowe Hotel, and the theatre was used as a conference center for the hotel, in addition to hosting stand-up comedy shows. Ambassador Theatre Group assumed management of the hotel in 2015, and it re-opened as a legitimate theatre in 2017 with a revival of Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford.

What stars and shows have graced the stage of the Hudson Theatre?

Shows to have been performed at the Hudson Theatre include: Arsenic and Old Lace (1941, transfer from Fulton the Theatre ) starring Jean Adair, John Alexander and more; Detective Story (1949) starring Lydia Clarke, Ralph Bellamy, Maureen Stapleton and more; Toys in the Attic (1960) starring Jason Robards, Jr., Maureen Stapleton and more; Sunday in the Park With George (2017) starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford;

1984 (2017) starring Tom Sturridge, Reed Birney, Michael Potts, Carl Hendrick Louis, Nick Mills, Wayne Duvall, Cara Seymour, and Olivia Wilde; The Parisian Woman (2017) starring Uma Thurman, Marton Csokas, Josh Lucas, Blair Brown, and Phillipa Soo; Head Over Heels (2018) starring Jeremy Kushnier, Rachel York, Bonnie Milligan, Alexandra Socha, Tom Alan Robbins, Tom Alan Robbins, Andrew Durand, and Peppermint;

Burn This (2019) starring Adam Driver, Keri Russell, David Furr and Brandon Uranowitz;

(Adam Driver and Keri Russell in Burn This, 2018)

Sea Wall/A Life (2019) starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge; American Utopia (2019) starring David Byrne, and more!

What show most recently played at the theatre?

The show that most recently opened at the Hudson Theatre was David Byrne's American Utopia. American Utopia played a limited run at the theatre from October 20, 2019 to February 16, 2020. American Utopia began as an album that David Byrne released on Nonesuch Records in March 2018. The recording was his first to reach number 1 on the Album Chart and was also his first to reach the Top Five on the Billboard 200 chart. David Byrne's American Utopia featured David Byrne with Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan and Bobby Wooten III. David Byrne's American Utopia will return to Broadway in the fall of 2021 at a theatre to be announced. Performances will begin on Friday, September 17, 2021. Spike Lee's filmed version of David Byrne's American Utopia premiered on HBO this past October!

What show was set to open at the theatre next?

The show that was set to open at the Hudson Theatre next was Plaza Suite, which was scheduled to begin previews March 13, 2020 with an official opening night set for April 13, 2020. The show was unable to begin its run due to the ongoing pandemic. Two-time Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick and two-time Emmy Award winner Sarah Jessica Parker were to lead the cast. Plaza Suite was set to mark the first time Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker shared a Broadway stage since the 1995 revival of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The most recent announcement regarding the show was that it was suspended through May 30, 2021. Further information about the show's reopening has yet to be announced.

(Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in Plaza Suite)