History and architecture
The Barrymore Theater survives today as one of the historic theater interiors that symbolize American theater for both New York and the nation. Built at the end of the 1920s, the Barrymore was among the numerous theaters constructed by the Shubert Organization, to the designs of Herbert J. Krapp, that typified the development of the Times Square/Broadway theater district.
Founded by the three brothers Sam S., Lee and J.J. Shubert, the Shubert organization was the dominant shaper of New York's theater district. Beginning as producers, the brothers expanded into the building of theaters as well, and eventually helped cover the blocks east and west of Broadway in Midtown with legitimate stage theaters.
Herbert J. Krapp, who designed almost all the Shuberts' post-World War I theaters, was the most prolific architect of the Broadway theater district. Having worked in the offices of Herts & Tallant, premier theater designers of the pre-war period, Krapp went on to design theaters for the two major builders of the post-war era, the Shubert and Chanin organizations.
The Barrymore represents a typical and important aspect of the nation's theatrical history. Latest, among those surviving, of the theaters constructed for the Shuberts in the Broadway district, it was built in honor of, and named for, the Shuberts' star performer, Ethel Barrymore. Beyond its historical importance, the Barrymore's facade is an exceptionally handsome design.
For half a century the Barrymore Theater has served as home to countless numbers of the plays through which the Broadway theater has come to personify American theater. As such, it continues to help define the Broadway theater district, the largest and most famous concentration of legitimate stage theaters in the world.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.