Hudson Theatre

The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater located at 139-141 West 44th Street, between Times Square and 6th Avenue, New York City. Currently operating as a conference center and television studio, the theater is owned by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. In December 2015, it was announced that Hudson Theatre LLC had signed a long term lease on the theater. A subsidisary of the UK-based Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the company plans to invest in a multi-million dollar refurbishment of the venue, bringing it back into full-time use as a playhouse, primarily for transfers of work from the West End of London.

History

The architectural firm of J. B. McElfatrick & Son made initial drawings for the Hudson Theatre in 1902, but the firm of Israels & Harder took the project over by 1903. When the Hudson opened, on October 19 of that year with Ethel Barrymore starring in Cousin Kate, it had a number of distinctive architectural features, including an unusually large foyer, a triple-domed ceiling, and a system of diffused lighting. Built by theatrical producer Henry B. Harris, his wife managed the theatre after his death on the RMS Titanic.