Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre was born as part of an ambitious 1927 project by the Chanin brothers, who built a three-theater complex to maximize efficiency. By owning the large Majestic, the mid-sized Royale, and the small Masque theaters simultaneously, the developers could move a production to whichever venue best matched its current ticket sales. The Royale, as it was then known, was designed in a modern Spanish style, complete with ornate arches and groin-vaulted ceilings. To finish the interiors, the brothers hired Roman Melzer, an architect who once worked for the last Russian Czar, who commissioned Hungarian artist Willy Pogany to paint murals titled Lovers of Spain that still adorn the walls today.