Palace Theatre

The Palace Theatre opened in 1913 as the flagship of the Keith-Albee vaudeville circuit, and playing the Palace was for decades the top of the American variety-house pyramid. After vaudeville collapsed, the theatre survived through film exhibition, concert bookings, and legitimate Broadway runs. Nederlander Organization has operated it (in partnership with Stewart F. Lane) through most of its modern Broadway life.

The Palace’s headline recent story is architectural: as part of the TSX Broadway development completed in 2024, the entire auditorium was lifted 30 feet on hydraulic posts to make room for ground-floor retail below. The renovation ran roughly 2018–2024, cost about $80 million, and reduced the seating capacity from a historical 1,743 to a post-renovation 1,648. The result reads as a fully modernized house inside a preserved landmark shell — the plasterwork and gilded proscenium are restored originals; the mechanical systems, sightlines, and lobby flow are new.

For ticket-buyers, the post-renovation Palace behaves like a mid-large Broadway house: orchestra and mezzanine only, no third-tier balcony, comfortable rake, and clean sightlines throughout. Aisle seats matter less here than in older houses because the mezzanine overhang is well-set; centre orchestra and front mezzanine are the two premium tiers most productions price highest. The Palace’s cavernous historical footprint and its perch above 47th Street make load-in for effect-heavy productions (like its current tenant, The Lost Boys) easier than at most Broadway venues.

Address: 1564 Broadway at 47th Street, north edge of Times Square.