Hudson Theatre

Hudson Theatre

44th Street facade as seen in 2022
Address	141 West 44th Street Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°45′25″N 73°59′05″W / 40.75694°N 73.98472°W / 40.75694; -73.98472
Owner	Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
Operator	Ambassador Theatre Group
Type	Broadway
Capacity	970
Production	Merrily We Roll Along
Construction
Opened	October 19, 1903
Reopened	February 8, 2017
Years active	1903–1934, 1937–1949, 1960–1968, 2017–present
Architect	J.B. McElfatrick & Son; Israels & Harder
Website
www.thehudsonbroadway.com
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	November 15, 2016[1]
Reference no.	16000780
Designated entity	Theater
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 17, 1987[2]
Reference no.	1340[2]
Designated entity	Facade
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 17, 1987[3]
Reference no.	1341[3]
Designated entity	Lobbies and auditorium interior

The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built from 1902 to 1903. The exterior was designed by J. B. McElfatrick & Son, while Israels & Harder oversaw the completion of the interior. The theater has 970 seats across three levels. Both its exterior and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and the theater is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hudson Theatre's massing consists of two primary rectangular sections, both of which are clad in tan brick with Flemish bond. The main entrance is through a four-story wing on 44th Street, while the auditorium is housed in the rear along 45th Street. The first story of the 44th Street wing contains an entrance vestibule, ticket lobby, and main lobby, while the other stories contained offices. The auditorium consists of a ground-level orchestra and two overhanging balconies, with boxes at the first balcony level. The lobbies and auditorium are ornately decorated in the Beaux-Arts Classical style, while the backstage facilities are more simply decorated. The theater is flanked by the two wings of the Millennium Times Square New York hotel, of which it is part.

The Hudson was originally operated by Henry B. Harris, who died in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. His widow, Renee Harris, continued to operate the Hudson until the Great Depression. It then served as a network radio studio for CBS from 1934 to 1937 and as an NBC television studio from 1949 to 1960. The Hudson operated intermittently as a Broadway theater until the 1960s and subsequently served as an adult film theater, a movie theater, and the Savoy nightclub. The Millennium Times Square New York hotel was built around the theater during the late 1980s, and the Hudson Theatre was converted into the hotel's event space. The Hudson Theatre reopened as a Broadway theater in 2017 and is operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group; the building is owned by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.