Inside the TheatreStep Inside Broadway’s Minskoff TheatreInside the Theatre, the photo feature series that documents Broadway’s historic playhouses, continues with the Minskoff Theatre.
Playbill’s photo series Inside the Theatre captures the dazzling architecture and unseen details of the world’s most famous theatres, taking you inside all 41 of the Broadway houses.
The Minskoff Theatre opened in 1973, designed by architects Kahn and Jacobs and named for owners Sam Minskoff and Sons. Situated in a high-rise building, the venue was innovative in its placement 35 feet above Broadway.
Disney’s iconic musical The Lion King, which recently celebrated 20 years on Broadway, currently plays at the theatre. The original musical, directed and designed by Julie Taymor, opened November 13, 1997, at the New Amsterdam Theatre before moving to the Minskoff in 2006.
The Minskoff Theatre is under the direction of the Nederlander Organization; the theatre is an ideal house for large-scale musicals, dance companies, and personal-appearance shows.
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Step Inside Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre
Step Inside Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre
Inside the Theatre, the photo feature series that documents Broadway’s historic playhouses, continues with the Minskoff Theatre.
17 PHOTOS
Named after Sam Minskoff and Sons, the owners of the 55-story high rise tower in which the theatre resides, the Minskoff Theatre opened in 1973 on the site of Broadway’s old Astor Hotel.
Minskoff Theatre box office
The modern theatre, with a very large 1621-seat capacity, was designed by the architectural firm of Kahn and Jacobs, featuring a pedestrian arcade that runs from 44th and 45th streets, a spacious grand lobby, and a spectacular view of the Great White Way from the building’s glass front.
Minskoff Theatre lobby
Designed in primarily in white and gold, Jacobs and Kahn intended to create a theatrical, three-dimensional processional route for theatregoers.
To accomplish this, theatre was designed with a series of forms, changes in ceiling heights, and spatial explosions.
Minskoff Theatre lobby
Minskoff Theatre lobby
The theatre first opened with a lavish revival of the 1919 musical Irene starring Debbie Reynolds.
Throughout its history, the Minskoff Theatre has been the home of a wide-range of theatrical experience, ranging from the sobering Clarence Darrow, to the raucous Clams on the Half Shell Revue starring Bette Midler, as well as the revival of the classic West Side Story, and more.
In addition, the theatre has been the home to performances from iconic stars including Glenn Close, Cathy Rigby, and more.
Minskoff Theatre auditorium
Minskoff Theatre auditorium
Minksoff Theatre auditorium
Minskoff Theatre auditorium
Minskoff Theatre auditorium
In 2006, Disney Theatricals moved its blockbuster The Lion King to the Minskoff Theatre, where it continues running today.
The Topdog/Underdog playwright received the 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award at a star-studded event that included Josh Groban and J. Harrison Ghee.
