The Neil Simon Theatre (New York City, New York)

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6-story Neo-Georgian theater completed in 1927. Designed by Herbert J. Krapp, it opened as the Alvin Theatre, as an amalgam of the names of producers ALex Aarons and VINton Freedley. Due to the Great Depression, Aarons and Freedley lost control of their venue in 1932. For a period, CBS used it as a radio studio. The original Broadway production of Annie opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin. In 1977, the Nederlander Organization purchased the structure and renamed it in honor of American playwright Neil Simon on June 29, 1983.

As of 2011, the record for its longest running show is held by the musical Hairspray, which opened August 15, 2002 and ran for 2,642 performances before closing on January 4, 2009. A revival production of Ragtime began on October 23, 2009, but due to poor ticket sales, Ragtime closed on January 10, 2010 after 28 previews and 65 regular performances. The theater has a capacity of 1,362.

The facade is clad in red brick with white terra-cotta trim, asymmetrically divided into two interlocking sections. To the east is the 5-story auditorium section, while the 6-story stage section is to the west, and the upper floors of both areas contain offices and those above the stage, dressing rooms. The entire facade is linked by a rusticated base of glazed terra-cotta, now painted black, simulating marble blocks. In the stage section the base is punctuated by recessed stage doors and other service doors. A row of bronze-and-glass doors open into the ticket lobby and the inner lobby in the auditorium section. This latter section also has a modern marquee with signs at the ends. A set of metal exit doors in a recessed opening is at the easternmost section of the facade. The base is surmounted by a continuous white terra-cotta frieze adorned with vertical striations and panels.

The facade above the base if of red brick in English garden wall bond with contrasting terra-cotta trim. The auditorium section is divided into two sections by terra-cotta blocks which are keyed to the brickwork. The major portion is three bays wide. 2-story arched openings with keystones and impost blocks have multi-paned windows below fanlights. Above are three windows framed in terra-cotta and surmounted by broken scrolled pediments with urns and carried on brackets. A terra-cotta band course sets off the gables upper floor with three windows framed in terra-cotta and a terra-cotta oculus in the apex of the gable framed with laurel wreaths and floral forms. To the left of the major portion, the other section, flanked by flat fluted pilasters set on the blocks, has a 2-story recessed seashell niche with keystone and imposts blocks containing an urn at the 2nd floor and two terra-cotta framed window openings at the 4th floor. Rising from these windows is a terra-cotta pediment set on an entablature with a balustraded brick and terra-cotta parapet above a dentiled cornice rising behind. Single-pane windows have been installed in the central windows of the office floors of the auditorium section.

The stage section is also divided into sections by terra-cotta blocks keyed to the brickwork. The portion at the east is handled like the eastern section of the stage portion, with flat, fluted pilasters set on the blocks, niche, urn, and pediment. Thus this section helps to frame the major portion of the auditorium section and acts as the interlocking piece of the entire facade. An additional brick-faced floor with terra-cotta detail rises above this section. To the right is the major portion of the stage section subdivided into three sections by terra-cotta blocks. This portion has regularly spaced window openings with terra-cotta lintels. Panels adorn the wall of the middle section. A terra-cotta cornice sets off the 6th floor with a paneled base that rises to a balustraded parapet. A small 1-story tower with arched openings and balustraded parapet rises above the section closest to the pedimented section. A tall, vertical, black metal sign with "SIMON" in white lettering is placed on the westernmost portion of the facade.

www.neilsimontheatre.com/