The Shubert Theatre is a 1,600-seat theatre located at 247 College Street in New Haven, Connecticut. Originally opened in 1914 by The Shubert Organization, it was designed by Albert Swazey, a New York architect and built by the H.E. Murdock Construction Company. It is currently operated as a non-profit organization by CAPA (The Connecticut Association for the Performing Arts) under the aegis of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts.
The theater struggled financially in the 1970's and closed in 1976. The theater building was subsequently acquired by the City of New Haven, and the interior was restored. The Adams Hotel, which was located between the historic theater building and College Street, was demolished to build a modern lobby addition. The theatre reopened under city ownership in 1983, operated by CAPA.[2]
Notable productions
Like many theaters outside New York City, the Shubert has been used as a tryout venue. It has hosted a reported 600-plus out of town tryouts, including more than 300 world premieres and more than 50 American premieres.
Pre-Broadway engagements at the Shubert:
- 1916: Robinson Crusoe, Jr.
- 1921: Dulcy
- 1922: Seventh Heaven
- 1923: Stepping Stones
- 1925: The Vagabond King
- 1926: The Desert Song
- 1927: A Connecticut Yankee
- 1928: Street Scene
- 1930: Strike Up the Band
- 1931: The Barretts of Wimpole Street, The Wonder Bar, The Third Little Show, Of Thee I Sing
- 1932: Gay Divorce
- 1934: All the King's Horses, The Children's Hour
- 1935: Dead End
- 1936: Stage Door, Red, Hot and Blue
- 1937: Room Service
- 1938: I Married an Angel, Leave It to Me!, The Boys From Syracuse
- 1939: Stars in Your Eyes, Too Many Girls, Du Barry Was a Lady
- 1940: Louisiana Purchase, Panama Hattie
- 1941: Blithe Spirit, Best Foot Forward, Sunny River
- 1943: Oklahoma! (then titled Away We Go)
- 1944: The Cherry Orchard, Follow the Girls
- 1945: Carousel, Marinka, The Secret Room, The Girl From Nantucket, The Day Before Spring, Billion Dollar Baby, Lute Song
- 1946: St. Louis Woman, Annie Get Your Gun, Shootin' Star, Windy City, Around the World, Sweet Bye and Bye, Come On Up
- 1947: Barefoot Boy With Cheek, Allegro, A Streetcar Named Desire
- 1948: Mister Roberts,[3] My Romance, Sleepy Hollow, Love Life, As the Girls Go, Along Fifth Avenue
- 1949: South Pacific, Regina
- 1950: Texas, Li'l Darlin', Great to Be Alive, Call Me Madam, Bless You All
- 1951: The King and I, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Flahooley, Remains to Be Seen, Pal Joey; Billy Budd
- 1952: Three Wishes for Jamie, Of Thee I Sing, Shuffle Along
- 1953: Wonderful Town, Maggie, Tea and Sympathy, The Teahouse of the August Moon, Sabrina Fair, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
- 1954: By the Beautiful Sea, The Pajama Game, Hit the Trail, Plain and Fancy
- 1955: The Desperate Hours, Ankles Aweigh, Damn Yankees, No Time for Sergeants, The Vamp (then titled Delilah), Pipe Dream
- 1956: My Fair Lady, Strip For Action, Shangri-La, Long Day's Journey into Night, Bells Are Ringing, Candide
- 1957: New Girl in Town, Copper and Brass
- 1958: A Touch of the Poet, Redhead
- 1959: The Sound of Music, Fiorello!
- 1960: From A to Z, Lock Up Your Daughters, Tenderloin, Advise and Consent, Period of Adjustment, The Conquering Hero, Show Girl
- 1961: The Happiest Girl in the World, Milk and Honey
- 1962: We Take the Town, No Strings, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- 1963: She Loves Me, Barefoot in the Park, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- 1964: High Spirits, Dylan, Fade Out - Fade In, Awf'lly Nice, Royal Flush
- 1965: Do I Hear a Waltz?, The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, Flora the Red Menace, The Yearling, Wait Until Dark
- 1966: The Star-Spangled Girl
- 1967: How Now, Dow Jones
- 1968: Plaza Suite, I'm Solomon, A Mother's Kisses, Zorba
- 1969: 1776, Last of the Red Hot Lovers
- 1970: Georgy, Cry for Us All, Two By Two, The Gingerbread Lady
- 1971: The Prisoner of Second Avenue
- 1972: The Sunshine Boys
- 1974: God's Favorite
- 1976: Annie Get Your Gun, Something Old, Something New (the Shubert's last production for more than seven years)
- 1995: Jekyll & Hyde
- 1997: Proposals (the first original play to tryout at the Shubert since the reopening)
- 1999: The Civil War
- 2001: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
