Take a look at the theater on your left, characterized by its wide brick facade, a rectangular glass entranceway, and a prominent overhanging metal marquee stretching out over the sidewalk. This is Stage forty-two. If you check your screen, you can see what it looked like back in twenty twelve when it was still called the Little Shubert Theatre.
Built in two thousand and two as part of the residential tower soaring above it, this spot is quietly groundbreaking. It was actually the first Off-Broadway theater in New York built entirely from the ground up. It was also the Shubert Organization's first brand new theater in the city since nineteen twenty-eight.
But here is where the theater world gets fascinating. Stage forty-two has exactly four hundred and ninety-nine seats. Why not round up to a nice, even five hundred? Because in New York theater, the second you hit five hundred seats, you officially become a Broadway house. That means new union contracts and a massive spike in production costs. Even at four hundred and ninety-nine, it is already an expensive venue because the stage and orchestra pit are just as massive as the Broadway big leagues. Back in twenty eleven, producers actually played with the idea of bolting down just one extra chair to make the theater eligible for the Tony Awards. The math did not work out, so that magical five-hundredth seat never happened.
Instead, it has stayed true to its Off-Broadway roots, hosting everything from Fame on forty-second Street to Kinky Boots. It is a big space with an intimate soul. Take your time admiring the marquee, and whenever you are ready, just keep strolling to our next stop.
