History and architecture
The Martin Beck Theater survives today as one of the historic theaters that symbolize American theater for both New York and the nation. It was built in 1923-24 by Martin Beck, a West Coast producer who had formerly been president of the Orpheum Circuit. After building the Palace, the legendary New York vaudeville showcase, and being forced out of its management, Beck determined to build another New York theater for himself, and spent the rest of his life running it.
Wanting to build as extraordinary a theater as possible, Beck brought architect G. Albert Lansburgh to New York from his native San Francisco, where Lansburgh had been the Orpheum Circuit's chief architect. A designer primarily of movie palaces, Lansburgh created for Beck a fantastic Moorish- inspired theater, among the most lavishly decorated in the Broadway area. The only Broadway theater built west of Eighth Avenue, the Beck inspired no other theaters to follow, but has survived its location in grand style.
The Martin Beck represents a special and important aspect of the nation's theatrical history. Beyond its historical importance, its facade is an unusual Moorish design, unlike any other Broadway theater. It stands as a reminder of the career of the great producer Martin Beck, whose name it still bears, and as G. Albert Lansburgh's only major New York theater.
For half a century the Martin Beck 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.