History of the Ed Sullivan theater

[Kevin M.]

Via THR

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/ed-sullivan-theater-colbert-history-future-1236340387/

Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Stan S]

THR skipped the renovation that CBS did for Colbert, which exposed more of the original elements of the theater. 

Also, I thought Colbert’s audience size was about 400. It never seemed like 1200 people were in there but I’ve only been in the orchestra section. 

-Stan

[Dave Sikula]

I think the full capacity is 1,200, but the back of the balcony has been blocked off since Dave's days. There are only a few rows up there -- and not enough seats. Last time I was there, I had a folding chair.

--Dave Sikula

[David Bruggeman]

The wiki page for the Ed, citing articles dated September 2015 from the NY Times and New Jersey Monthly, says the seating for Colbert's Late Show is 370.  The page also lists the capacity of the building as 457, but I'm sure that's accounting for the folks onstage and backstage and complies with the relevant rules from the fire marshal or similar official.

The page also says that the orchestra level was originally raked (angled for better views), but then leveled in later renovations.  Even with smaller seats back in the day, I'm having a hard time seeing how 1200 seats would have fit.  But I'm not in the event business.

If the Ed gets converted back into a theatrical space, they'll need to add at least 130 seats to be an official 'Broadway' theater, even being on Broadway.  The 500 seat rule wasn't in place when the Ed (then the Hammerstein) was a stage theater, but I suspect it had something closer to 1200 seats then anyway.

David