Situated just off Times Square in New York on 44th Street, between Millennium Broadway Hotel and The Premier Hotel, the Hudson Theatre originally opened on October 19, 1903 with a production of Cousin Kate starring Ethel Barrymore. Built by Henry B. Harris, a famous Broadway producer of that period, the Hudson Theatre is one of New York City’s oldest Broadway showplaces.
The 100-foot long lobby was the largest ever seen on Broadway at that time. Among the stars that have graced the Hudson’s stage are Douglas Fairbanks, William Holden, Helen Hayes, Edward G. Robinson and Dorothy Gish. Barbara Stanwyck and Judith Anderson both made their debuts on its stage.
On September 27, 1956 the first nationwide broadcast of “The Tonight Show” starring Steve Allen originated from the Hudson Theatre. It was granted landmark status for both its internal and external features in 1987. The Hudson Theatre reopened as a Broadway theater on February 11, 2017.
