Hudson Theatre, West 44th Street NYC

The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built from 1902 to 1903. The theater has 970 seats across three levels. Both its exterior and interior were designated New York City landmarks in 1987, and the theater is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hudson was built for Henry B. Harris, one of the top Broadway producers at the time, who originally operated the theater. The exterior was designed by J. B. McElfatrick & Son, while Israels & Harder oversaw the completion of the interior. The main entrance is through a four-story wing on 44th Street, while the auditorium is housed in the rear along 45th Street. The first story of the 44th Street wing contains an entrance vestibule, lobby and the other stories contained offices. The auditorium consists of a ground-level orchestra and two overhanging balconies, with boxes at the first balcony level. The lobbies and auditorium are ornately decorated in the Beaux-Arts Classical style.

The Hudson Theater opened on October 19, 1903, Cousin Kate, with Ethel Barrymore. CBS leased the theater in 1934 to use the stage as a studio for radio broadcasts. In 1937, Sam H. Grisman took over the theater and reopened as a Broadway venue, with a production of An Enemy of the People. NBC purchased the Hudson Theatre in 1950 and the theater became a television studio for NBC. At that time, several Broadway theaters had been converted to TV studios due to a lack of studio space in New York City.

Since 1965 the theater has had several owners and has been operated as a burlesque house, legitimate theater (during the 1967-68 season) and movie house. In 1981, the theater was renamed the Savoy, and converted to a dinner theater featuring live performers including James Taylor, Peter Allen, and Miles Davis.

The Hudson Theatre reopened as a Broadway theater in 2017 and is operated by ATG Entertainment. The building is owned by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.