Richard Rodgers Theatre


The Richard Rodgers Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 226 West 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue, in New York City. The theatre was built by Irwin Chanin in 1925 and was originally called Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts, who bought the building outright in 1931 and renamed it the 46th Street Theatre. In 1945, the theatre was taken over by Robert W. Dowling. In 1960, it was purchased by the producer Lester Osterman, who sold it to producers Stephen R. Friedman and Irwin Meyer in 1978. In 1981, the Nederlander Organization purchased and renoved the venue and in 1990 renamed the house to honor the composer Richard Rodgers.
The theatre has housed 11 Tony Award-winning Best Plays and Best Musicals, more than any other theatre on Broadway.

Chanin's seating plan

The Richard Rodgers Theatre was the first to feature Chanin's 'democratic' seating plan. In most earlier Broadway theatres, patrons seated in the cheaper balcony and mezzanine sections used separate entrances from patrons who had purchased the more expensive orchestra-section seats. Instead, all patrons entered the new theatre through the same doors, and a series of steps inside the house led to the upper seating areas.

Production history

ProductionFirst PreviewOpening DateClosing DateNotes
The Greenwich Village FolliesDecember 24, 1925May 1926
Is Zat So?15 March 1926Transferred from the 39th Street Theatre in New York
Good NewsSeptember 6, 1927January 5, 1929
DuBarry Was a LadyDecember 6, 1939Transferred to the Royale Theatre in October 1940 before closing on December 12, 1940.
Dark of the MoonMarch 14, 1945December 15,1945
Finian's RainbowJanuary 10, 1947October 2, 1948
Guys and DollsNovember 24, 1950November 28, 19531951 Tony Award for Best Musical
OndineFebruary 18, 1954July 3, 1954
The Bad SeedDecember 8, 1954Transferred to the Coronet Theatre in April 1955 before closing on September 27, 1955.
Damn YankeesMay 5, 19551956 Tony Award for Best Musical. Transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in May 1957 before closing on October 12, 1957.
RedheadFebruary 5, 1959March 19, 19601959 Tony Award for Best Musical
Donnybrook!May 17, 1961May 18, 1961July 15, 1961
How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingOctober 12, 1961October 14, 1961March 6, 19651962 Tony Award for Best Musical; 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
1776March 16, 19691969 Tony Award for Best Musical. Transferred to the St. James Theatre in December 1970, where it played until April 1971. 1776 then moved to the Majestic Theatre before closing on February 13, 1972.
RaisinOctober 10, 1973October 18, 1973December 7, 19751974 Tony Award for Best Musical
ChicagoMay 12, 1975June 3, 1975August 22, 1977
The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasJune 19, 1978March 27, 1982
NineApril 22, 1982May 9, 1982February 4, 19841982 Tony Award for Best Musical
FencesMarch 17, 1987March 26, 1987June 26, 19881987 Tony Award for Best Play; 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Lost in YonkersFebruary 12, 1991February 21, 1991January 3, 19931991 Tony Award for Best Play
How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingMarch 10, 1995March 23, 1995July 14, 1996
ChicagoOctober 23, 1996November 14, 19961997 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Transferred to the Shubert Theatre in February 1997, where it played until January 2003. Chicago then moved to Ambassador Theatre, where it is still running as of 2020.
Steel PierMarch 27, 1997April 24, 1997June 28, 1997
Side ShowSeptember 19, 1997October 16, 1997January 3, 1998
FootlooseOctober 5, 1998October 22, 1998July 2, 2000
SeussicalNovember 1, 2000November 30, 2000May 20, 2001
Private LivesApril 19, 2002April 28, 2002September 1, 2002
45 Seconds From BroadwayOctober 16, 2001November 11, 2001January 13, 2002Neil Simon's final Broadway play before his death in 2018. Action revolved around the famed "Polish Tearoom" frequented by Broadway personalities and matinee ladies. The Cafe Edison itself closed in December, 2014, despite a grass-roots effort by Broadway stars & others to keep it open.
TarzanMarch 24, 2006May 10, 2006July 8, 2007
Cyrano de BergeracOctober 12, 2007November 1, 2007January 6, 2008
In The HeightsFebruary 14, 2008March 9, 2008January 9, 20112008 Tony Award for Best Musical
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad ZooMarch 11, 2011March 31, 2011July 3, 2011
The Gershwins' Porgy and BessDecember 17, 2011January 12, 2012September 23, 20122012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
Cat on a Hot Tin RoofDecember 18, 2012January 17, 2013March 30, 2013
The Rascals: Once Upon a DreamApril 15, 2013April 16, 2013May 5, 2013
Romeo and JulietAugust 24, 2013September 19, 2013December 8, 2013
If/ThenMarch 5, 2014March 30, 2014March 22, 2015
HamiltonJuly 13, 2015August 6, 20152016 Tony Award for Best Musical; 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Box office record

Hamilton achieved the box office record for the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The production grossed $3,854,874 for the week ending December 31st, 2017 with a top ticket price at $849 and 116.48% of the theatre's gross potential.