golden-theatre

The John Golden Theatre, formerly the Theatre Masque and Masque Theater, is a Broadway theater at 252 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1927, the Golden Theatre was designed by Herbert J.

The John Golden Theatre is on 252 West 45th Street, on the south sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Seventh Avenue, near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. The rectangular land lot covers 6,400 square feet (590 m2), with a frontage of 62.33 feet (19.00 m) on 44th Street and a depth of 109.67 feet (33 m). The Golden Theatre shares the city block with the Row NYC Hotel to the west. It adjoins six other theaters: the Bernard B. Jacobs, Gerald Schoenfeld, and Booth to the east; the Broadhurst and Shubert to the southeast; and the Majestic to the south. Other nearby structures include the Music Box Theatre and Imperial Theatre to the north; the New York Marriott Marquis to the northeast; One Astor Plaza to the east; and Sardi's restaurant, the Hayes Theater, and the St. James Theatre one block south. The Golden is part of the largest concentration of Broadway theaters on a single block. The adjoining block of 45th Street is also known as George Abbott Way, and foot traffic on the street increases box-office totals for the theaters there. The Majestic, Masque (Golden), and Royale (Bernard B. Jacobs) theaters and the Lincoln Hotel (Row NYC Hotel) had all been developed concurrently. The site of all four buildings had previously occupied by twenty brownstone residences. The site was part of the Astor family estate from 1803 to 1922, when it was sold to Henry Claman. The plots collectively measured 200 feet (61 m) wide along Eighth Avenue, 240 feet (73 m) along 44th Street, and 250 feet (76 m) along 45th Street.

The Golden Theatre, originally the Theatre Masque, was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Spanish style and was constructed from 1926 to 1927 for the Chanin brothers. The theater is named after producer John Golden (1874–1955). It was part of an entertainment complex along with the Lincoln Hotel and the Majestic and Royale theaters, which were also designed by Krapp in a Spanish style. The Masque was designed to be the smallest theater in that complex, with about 800 seats. The Chanin Realty and Construction Company constructed all four structures. The Golden is operated by the Shubert Organization.

The Golden Theatre's facade is symmetrically arranged. The ground floor is clad in rusticated blocks of terracotta above a granite water table. At ground level, the auditorium entrance includes four pairs of glass and aluminum doors. There is a modern bronze-framed sign board to the left, or east, of the doors. In addition, there are two display boxes on either side of the doors, with volutes on one of the boxes and stylized lions on the other box on either side. A plaque memorializing the theater's namesake is placed beside the doors. The entrance is topped by a marquee. A terracotta cornice and a band course run above the ground floor. The stage door is to the right, or east, of the main facade and is shared with the Majestic and Bernard B. Jacobs theaters. The upper stories contain gold-colored, bonded Roman brick. The brick facade was designed to relate to the adjacent theaters and hotel. The center of the facade has a set of three arches spanning the second and third stories. The arches have molded Della Robbia foliate decoration, placed on terracotta piers that contain Corinthian-style capitals. On the second story, there are metal-framed casement windows with multiple panes, above which is a horizontal rope molding. The arches do not have windows on the third story. A similar, wider arcade exists on the neighboring Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

A sign with the theater's name is placed in front of the center arch. Toward the top of the facade, there are terracotta medallions depicting fictional beasts and foliate decorations. The parapet of the facade contains a terracotta balustrade. Above the center portion of the facade is a loggia, which in turn is placed on a balustrade and console brackets. The loggia has six single columns with decorative capitals, which support a cornice with modillions, as well as a Spanish-tile hip roof. The Golden's loggia complements a similar one on the stage-house wing of the Bernard B. Jacobs.

Available at this venue:

• Wheelchair-accessible entrance
• Wheelchair-accessible toilet

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