Shubert Theatre

The Shubert Theatre opened on the evening of December 11, 1914 with a production of 'The Belle of Bond Street.' It was designed by Albert Swazey of New York and constructed by the H.E. Murdock Construction Company for Lee, Sam, and J.J. Shubert; the brothers named the house in memory of Sam S. Shubert, who had died in a railway accident in 1905. Its location, a short rail ride from Manhattan, made it ideal as a pre-Broadway tryout venue.

Over more than a century the Shubert hosted over 600 out-of-town tryouts, more than 300 world premieres, and more than 50 American premieres — including landmark productions of 'Oklahoma!', 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' 'My Fair Lady,' and 'The Sound of Music.' That track record produced the venue's enduring nickname, 'Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits.'

The theater struggled financially in the 1970s and closed in 1976. After acquisition by the City of New Haven and a renovation, the Shubert reopened in 1983 and has operated since under the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and successor operators. It is documented by the Internet Broadway Database, BroadwayWorld, and the Yale-affiliated Walk New Haven project, and remains an active touring-Broadway and presenting venue.