Stage 42

Stage 42 (known as the Little Shubert Theatre until July 2015) is a theatre in New York City on Theatre Row, about half a mile west of Broadway. Its address is 422 West 42nd Street, between 9th Avenue and Dyer Avenue. It was built in 2002 and has a seating capacity of 499, counting as an Off-Broadway theatre as it has fewer than 500 seats. Building history The Little Shubert was the first Off-Broadway theatre in New York built from the ground up, and the first to be owned by the Shubert Organization. Built as part of a residential tower and opened in 2002, the Little Shubert was the first new theatre built by the Shubert Organization in New York City since the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, which opened on West 47th Street in 1928. It was designed by architect Hugh Hardy. In July 2015, the Little Shubert Theatre was renamed to Stage 42. The name was changed to align with the naming conventions of the Shubert Organization's other Off-Broadway theatre complex, New World Stages, which has five venues named Stage 1 through Stage 5. Stage 42 is one of the largest Off Broadway theatres, one seat short of the 500-seat minimum that would classify a theater as "on Broadway." However, it is an expensive venue to mount shows, partly due to contracts with theatrical unions. In 2011, theater producers speculated that Stage 42 might become a Tony-eligible Broadway house by the addition of one seat to bring it to the 500 seat minimum required for Tony eligibility; this has not happened, as going to 500 seats would require negotiating new contracts with the unions, raising costs further. Design Stage 42 features an auditorium with stadium seating providing proximity to the stage. The stage itself and the orchestra pit are comparable in size to the dimensions of many Broadway theatres. There are eight wheelchair seats. There is an escalator and an elevator that can take guests from the ground floor to the level of the theater. The interior features reproductions of artwork from the Shubert Archive, with warm colors throughout. The outside of the building has a marquee with "an ornamental canopy in architectural metal and glass." Show history As the Little Shubert: Tommy Tune: White Tie and Tails, November 26, 2002 – January 5, 2003 Hank Williams: Lost Highway, March 26, 2003 – July 20, 2003 Fame on 42nd Street, October 7, 2003 – June 27, 2004 Shockheaded Peter, February 11, 2005 – May 29, 2005 Captain Louie, October 28, 2005 – November 13, 2005 My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy!, November 3, 2006 – April 29, 2007 Three Mo' Tenors, September 12, 2007 – January 27, 2008 Viagara Falls, July 5, 2010 – August 29, 2010 Dracula, December 14, 2010 – January 9, 2011 Lucky Guy, April 28, 2011 – May 29, 2011 Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience, May 19, 2012 – September 2, 2012 Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience, May 30, 2013 – September 1, 2013 Lady Day, September 19, 2013 – December 22, 2013 Under My Skin, April 5, 2014 – June 8, 2014 As Stage 42: Trip of Love, September 26, 2015 – August 7, 2016 Smokey Joe's Cafe, July 6, 2018 – November 4, 2018 Fidler Afn Dakh, February 11, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Trevor, October 25, 2021 – December 19, 2021 Kinky Boots, July 26, 2022 – November 20, 2022 Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern, April 19, 2024 – May 11, 2025 Lord Nil: 7 Deadly Sins, July 21, 2025 – August 31, 2025 Romy and Michele: The Musical, October 14, 2025 – November 30, 2025 Gotta Dance!, March 20, 2026 – June 7, 2026 References External links Shubert Organization Official Site Stage 42 New York Show Guide Stage 42 at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)