Music Box Theatre Tours

Opened in 1921, the Music Box Theatre was built by theatrical producer Sam H. Harris and composer Irving Berlin to house Berlin’s musical revue The Music Box Revue. Designed by architect Charles Howard Crane, the elegant and intimate theater has always been a legitimate theater house and regularly hosts musicals, comedies, and plays.
 
The Basics
One of the smaller theaters on Broadway, the Music Box Theatre has a seating capacity of 1,025, with box seats that are unusually large and round. Built in the style of a neo-Grecian country manor, the exterior is made out of limestone, while the interior is filled with elegant niches and murals. A plaque and wall exhibit in the lobby commemorate the theater’s history.
 
Visitors will need to purchase tickets to a performance to fully experience the theater, but they can admire this gem from the outside during a tour of Times Square or the Theater District.
 
Things to Know Before You Go

• Children under the age of 4 are not allowed inside the theater.
• Cell phones, cameras, recording devices, and other electronic devices cannot be used during performances.
• There are no escalators or elevators in the theater.
• Assistive devices for the hard of hearing and visually impaired are available.
• The theater is not fully wheelchair-accessible, but there are designated areas for wheelchair users.

 
How to Get There
The Music Box Theatre is located on West 45th Street, between 8th Avenue and Broadway. The closest subway stations are 42 Street–Port Authority (A, C, E), 49th Street (N, R, W), and 47th–50th Streets Rockefeller Center (B, D, F, M).
 
When to Get There
The theater’s box office hours vary by show but are typically midmorning until evening Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sunday. It’s best to arrive early, as there may be lines for the box office or concessions. Latecomers will be seated at the theater’s discretion.
 
Becoming a Shubert Theater
Although the Music Box Theatre was not one of the many theaters built by the Shubert brothers, the Shuberts started acquiring shares of the venue from Harris starting in the 1920s. After Harris’s death, his widow sold half the shares to Berlin and half to the Shuberts. In 2007, the Shubert Organization acquired the remaining shares, becoming the sole owner of the theater.