James Earl Jones Theatre

The James Earl Jones Theatre stands as a rare surviving example of the work of Thomas Lamb, a prolific architect who shaped much of the city's early twentieth-century theatrical landscape. When it opened in 1912, the building was known as the Cort Theatre, named for the impresario John Cort. While many of his peers built theaters on the west side of Broadway, Cort chose this location on the east side, leading critics of the time to declare it to be on the wrong side of the street. Despite these early doubts, the venue found immediate success with its inaugural production, which ran for over six hundred performances.