2. The Lyceum Theatre, 1903
The Lyceum Theatre is Broadway’s oldest and most historic theater. It opened in 1903 with its first show, “The Admirable Crichton,” and is still in operation today, currently running the show “Be More Chill.” The Lyceum was built by theatrical producer David Frohman and his brother Charles. David lived in an apartment above the auditorium. The penthouse apartment had a small view of the stage from which Frohman would wave a white handkerchief to signal to his wife, Margaret Illington, that she was overacting. The theater was designed in a Beaux-Arts style as many Broadway theaters of its era were. The design features a gray limestone facade, fluted columns, large French windows, a mansard roof, and a wide frieze engraved with theatrical masks.
The theater has been owned by the Schubert organization since 1954 and was the first Broadway theatre to be granted landmark status in 1974. The Lyceum Theatre is one of the few Broadway theaters to operate under its original name. Other notable productions to premiere at the Lyceum include “Liza with a Z” (1972), “Steel Magnolias” (2005), and “Oh, Hello” (2017).