Eugene O’Neill Theater, which then was known as the Forrest Theater, was planned by the Shubert Brothers as part theater, part hotel. The architect who designed it was Herbert J. Krapp, and named by the Shuberts for Edwin Forrest, the first American actor to be internationally acclaimed. Like all Shubert theaters designed by Krapp, except the Ethel Barrymore Theater, the Forrest Theater has a simple façade, with an excellent interior that is Adamesque in style.
Right below you will find tickets to events happening in the Eugene ONeill Theatre. You won’t want to miss such shows as the Book of Mormon right in front of you. The dates listed won’t be all of the dates. By using the load more button you will be taken to the full listing of events. The best seats are waiting for you to purchase so be ready.
The Forrest Theater premiered with the performance of Mayflowers, on November 24, 1925. The Depression-era had adverse effects on all theaters, and so did it on the theaters owned by the Shuberts, but they managed to hold on to the Forrest Theater. Over the years, the Forrest Theater had seen some name changes as well as changes in ownership. The theater’s name was changed to Coronet Theater in 1945, and on November 11, 1959, the then owner – Lester Osterman – changed it to Eugene O’Neill Theater. This was to honor Eugene O’Neill, the Nobel Prize-winning playwright, who had written many intense psychological dramas, such as Anna Christie, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Mourning Becomes Elektra, and The Iceman Cometh, among others.
The ownership of the theater passed into the hands of Neil Simon, the producer, who sold it to the Jujamcyn Organization in 1982. In December 1987, the interior of the theater was declared a New York City landmark.
Through The Years
The theater, which has 1,102 seats in the play configuration, and 1,065 for musicals, performed for years without producing a hit. This changed for the better when Neil Simon took over the theater and exclusively produced his plays, which included numerous comedies, at the theater.
Other playwrights, whose works were performed at the theater, were as diverse as William Shakespeare, Herman Woulk, and Mae West, among others. Other great playwrights who had their works presented at the theater included Arthur Miller, Lillian Hellman, Noel Coward, and Tennessee Williams.
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, directed by Elia Kazan in 1947 ran for more than 300 performances. The show also fetched Tony awards for Outstanding Playwright (Miller), Outstanding Director (Kazan), and Outstanding Supporting Performance (Arthur Kennedy). In 1963, She Loves Me ran for 302 performances.
The turn of the century saw The Full Monty run for 770 performances in 2000, and in 2005, the Eugene O’Neill Theater performed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – the Tony award-winning play.
The Current Show
The hilarious new musical “The Book of Mormon” opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011. This well-received Broadway musical from the creators of “South Park” is open-ended.
The Best Seats in the Eugene O’Neill Theater
There are only so many times in a year or in your life that you make it out to a live theater event. Here is your chance to get the best seats inside the Eugene O’Neill Theater. You can search through the listings only to find cheap seats. However, there will be those center-stage seats that pop up. You may pay extra for these, but they will be worth it. If you are looking for a balcony seat, consider the seats in the first few rows. The Interior seats of the outer sections are okay as well. You want the best sound quality if you can. This will give you a much better experience.
