3. The Hudson Theatre, 1903
The Hudson Theatre is among the oldest Broadway theaters in the city, opening in 1903. It was built by Henry B. Harris who later tragically died in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. Its first production was “Cousin Kate” and it is currently home to the play “Burn This.” At the time of its construction, the theatre had a 100-foot-long lobby and a backlit stained glass ceiling made by Tiffany. The interior of the theater also features classical plaster ornamentation and concealed lighting effects.
Though it currently operates as a theater as it was originally intended, the building has served several purposes over the years. In the 1930s and 40s, the Hudson was a CBS radio studio in between productions. From 1953-1959 the building was home to “The Tonight Show” with host Steve Allen and later Jack Paar. In 1974 the theater reopened as a movie cinema for adult films. Finally, in 2015, the building was converted back into a Broadway theater, opening in 2017 with a revival production of Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George.” The theater was granted landmark status in 1987.