samuel-j-friedman-theatre

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, formerly the Biltmore Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 261 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S.

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is on 261 West 47th Street, on the north sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Broadway, near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. The trapezoidal land lot covers 8,800 ft2 (820 m2), with a frontage of 75 ft (23 m) on 47th Street and a depth of 126 ft (38 m). The Friedman shares the block with the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Longacre Theatre, and Morgan Stanley Building to the east. Other nearby buildings include the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and Walter Kerr Theatre to the north; Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan to the northeast; the Hotel Edison and Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to the southeast; the Lena Horne (formerly Brooks Atkinson) Theatre and Paramount Hotel to the south; and the off-Broadway 47th Street Theatre to the west. The Friedman Theatre's site had previously contained three five-story apartment buildings.

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, originally the Biltmore Theatre, was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the neo-Renaissance style and was constructed in 1925 for the Chanin brothers. Since 2008, the theater has been named for Samuel J. Friedman (1912–1974), a press agent; his children made a large donation to the theater through the Dr. Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman Foundation. The Friedman is operated by the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), a nonprofit theater company. The theater's modern configuration dates to an early-2000s renovation by Polshek Partnership.

The facade is designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style with low-relief classical ornamentation. It is made of glazed white brick with white terracotta decorations. The first story of the facade is symmetrically arranged and is faced with rusticated terracotta blocks. The center of the first story contains the main entrance to the theater, with glass-and-metal doors connecting with the box office lobby. Sign boards are placed on either side of the main entrance, and a frieze runs above the first story. A metal marquee, installed during the theater's 2000s renovation, hangs above the entrance. The marquee contains the letters "Samuel J. Friedman Theatre", which were installed when the theater was renamed in 2008. There are enclosed alleys on either side of the theater. The facade's upper stories are divided into three vertical bays, separated by four fluted terracotta pilasters with composite-style capitals. The central bay contains four windows at the second story, while the outer stories each contain one window. All of the second-story windows are six-over-six double hung windows, placed within terracotta surrounds. Above these windows, there are rectangular brick panels at the third and fourth stories, with terracotta floral decorations at each corner. A lighted sign with the theater's name is placed in front of the central bay's panel. The outer bays are topped by short, rectangular terracotta panels, which contain cartouches with molded wreaths. Similar rectangular terracotta panels are placed above the center bay. These are surrounded by bands of stretcher brick. The pilasters support an entablature near the top of the facade. The entablature contains a frieze with molded rosettes above each pilaster, interspersed with wave moldings above the bays. The frieze is topped by a cornice with modillions and dentils. Above the cornice, the center bay has a brick parapet while the other bays have blind balustrades. During the theater's 2000s renovation, the roof was rebuilt with a steel frame, and HVAC and electrical systems were placed on the roof slab.

The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony, and a stage behind the proscenium arch; there are false boxes flanking the stage. In contrast to Krapp's earlier works, the auditorium is shaped like a horseshoe in plan and is oriented on a slightly diagonal axis relative to its site. The space is designed with plaster decorations in relief. The Friedman is one of the smaller Broadway theaters. The Broadway League cites the theater as having a capacity of 650 seats, while Playbill cites 637 seats. The first two rows of the orchestra can be removed to provide as few as 600 seats for small productions. Prior to a renovation in 2001, the theater had 948 seats. The entire theater is wheelchair-accessible via an elevator at the rear of the auditorium. Because MTC did not want the auditorium's sound to be amplified, the auditorium has carpets only in the aisles, and the seats have hard backs. On average, the new seats are 20 to 22 in (510 to 560 mm) wide and have 32 in (810 mm) of legroom. The Friedman and Rodgers were the Chanins' only two Broadway theaters that Krapp designed in the Adam style. His other four theaters for the family (the Brooks Atkinson, Majestic, John Golden, and Bernard B. Jacobs) were designed in a Spanish style. Since its renovation, the interior has been decorated in a cream and brown color scheme, with red and blue highlights.

Available at this venue:

• Wheelchair-accessible entrance

Accessibility information supplied by Google Maps. Please contact the venue directly to confirm details for your visit.