Lyceum Theatre

The Lyceum Theatre is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theater in New York City. It opened November 2, 1903 — commissioned by impresario Daniel Frohman, designed by Herts & Tallant in Beaux-Arts style, and it has run legitimate stage productions without interruption ever since. The facade was designated a New York City landmark in 1974; the lobby and auditorium interior followed in 1987.

The Lyceum’s defining feature for ticket-buyers is the combination of small scale and ornate room — 922 seats spread across an orchestra (409), a first balcony (287), a second balcony (210), and 16 box seats. That’s small by Broadway standards, which means even the second-balcony seats feel closer to the stage than orchestra seats in most mid-sized houses. The ornate proscenium arch, the groin-vaulted ceiling in the lobby, and the distinctive undulating glass-and-metal marquee are the room’s other draws — a strong argument to arrive early and take in the space.

The Shubert Organization operates the theatre, and the Shubert Archives occupy the offices above the lobby.

Address: 149 W 45th Street, mid-block on a street already dense with Shubert houses (the Booth is nearby on 45th; the Majestic is a short walk south on 44th).