Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre opened in 1927 as the Royale Theatre, the third in the trio of houses Herbert Krapp designed for the Chanin brothers on West 45th Street — alongside the Majestic and the Theatre Masque (now the John Golden). Roman Melzer styled the interior with Willy Pogany’s Spanish Lovers murals on the auditorium walls, both of which survive in good condition. The venue was renamed in 2005 to honor Bernard B. Jacobs, the long-time president of the Shubert Organization.

At 1,080 seats, the Jacobs is the smallest of the three Chanin/Krapp siblings on the block but still a comfortable mid-sized house for a musical or a major play. The orchestra is wider than the Golden’s, with a single mezzanine that extends meaningfully forward — meaning the rear orchestra under the overhang loses sight lines to high upstage staging. Front mezzanine rows A and B are widely considered some of the strongest value seats in the Shubert portfolio.

The Jacobs is a Shubert Organization venue and shares the West 45th Street block with the Booth, the Music Box, and the Golden — the cluster makes it easy to walk the four stage doors in sequence on a single visit.