Samuel J. Friedman Theatre New York
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Tickets
What’s On at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Broadway’s Friedman Theatre is one of the best places to catch prestige drama in New York, including revivals of classics and exciting new work by contemporary playwrights. This year, it’s also staging a fantastic tribute to one of the greatest names in musical theater, with Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. The cast of this concert extravaganza is a who’s-who of Broadway, with stars including Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga performing songs from Sondheim’s musicals. He wrote the music for Into the Woods, Company, Sweeney Todd and many more, so this is a celebration that die-hard fans and casual Broadway visitors will both love.
About the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Known for much of its life as the Biltmore, the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre has changed ownership - and purpose - a number of times. With stints as a venue for news content and a TV and radio station, the theater eventually closed following a fire in the late 1980s. In the early 2000s, it was renovated and renamed by the not-for-profit Manhattan Theatre Club, who continue to operate the venue today.
The Samuel J. Friedman’s original interior, designed by the Chanin Brothers and architect Herbert J. Krapp, had been made a New York City landmark; after 14 years of fire and water damage, its restoration sought to reconstruct some of the classic features whilst updating the venue for a modern audience. With a reduced capacity, better facilities and a bright, elegant design, the theater is now often used for dramas rather than musicals.
Notable productions over the years include Hair (1977), Top Girls (2008), Venus in Fur (2011, for which Nina Arianda won a Best Actress Tony Award) and Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning one-act play, Wit (2012). In recent years, a number of West End transfers have been staged at the Samuel J. Friedman, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson opening Constellations (2015) and Deborah Findlay reprising her role in The Children (2017).
Know Before You Go
• A limited number of lockers are available for storing extra bags
• Bars are on both levels and start serving 45 minutes before performances
• The Premier Circle Lounge is open to MTC’s Patron Program members
• An elevator serves every level of the theater
Map and Address
261 W 47th St, New York, New York, NY 10036
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is located at 261 West 47th Street, not far from the Lena Horne Theatre and Eugene O'Neill Theatre . Other popular spots such as Times Square are in the neighborhood so anyone heading into the city for a show can enjoy sightseeing or shopping - but watch how many bags you can take into the theater itself. Like many other New York venues, it enjoys a central location perfect for quick access on public transport including buses and the subway network.
