St. James Theatre

The story

The cast-iron loggia climbing St. James Theatre's facade was never decorative — it masks the fire escapes. Built in 1927 for A. L. Erlanger and designed by Warren and Wetmore in neo-Georgian style, the house at 246 West 44th Street holds up to 1,709 seats across three levels, its auditorium lined with murals and ornamental plasterwork beneath a flat ceiling with a carved sounding board. Both the facade and interior are New York City landmarks, which means the stucco, the cast stone, the box seats — all of it is protected.