The Ed Sullivan Theater: Hammerstein's Gothic Memorial, CBS Studio 50 and the Late Show Years

The Ed Sullivan Theater marquee reading Late Show at dusk on Broadway in Manhattan

The Ed Sullivan Theater marquee at dusk, with a Late Show sign. Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, from the Library of Congress collection, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

What is the Ed Sullivan Theater?

The Ed Sullivan Theater, at 1697 Broadway between West 53rd and West 54th Streets, opened as Hammerstein's Theatre on November 30, 1927 and became one of television's best-known studios. It is a Gothic-style theater set inside a 13-story brick building, according to edsullivan.com, and its first-floor interior is a New York City landmark. The architect was Herbert J. Krapp. Arthur Hammerstein built it, according to both the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and the Internet Broadway Database (IBDB), as a memorial to his father, the impresario Oscar Hammerstein I, who had pioneered Times Square as a theater district.

The address is written two ways. IBDB and the LPC's landmark designation use 1697 or 1697-1699 Broadway. They are the same building.

Why does a Broadway theater look like a cathedral?

Hammerstein's was meant as a monument, and the LPC says it was designed that way. The LPC's 1988 designation report calls its interior "unique among New York's theaters" because Krapp used a Gothic style, chosen "better to convey its memorial purpose." The report describes the Hammerstein as a neo-Gothic theater housed in a tall office building, and says it was one of only three Krapp theaters designed for independent interests, along with the Alvin (now the Neil Simon) and the Waldorf, which was demolished. His other theaters were mostly for the Shubert and Chanin companies.

The New York Times described the interior in 1993 as an "extravaganza of Gothic resembling a cathedral, with towering arches, vaulted ceilings, marble floors, illuminated stained-glass panels depicting Hammerstein operas and a pipe organ in a retractable orchestra pit." The Times also reported that a silk top hat and a hand-rolled cigar belonging to Oscar Hammerstein were sealed in the cornerstone. The Historic Districts Council (HDC) adds that the interior includes leaded glass light fixtures and polychromatic ceramic tile, which makes it unusual among Broadway theaters.

The upper brick facade of the building housing the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in Manhattan, November 2021

The brick facade of the 13-story building above the Ed Sullivan Theater, November 2021. Photograph by Epicgenius, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0.

What happened to it after it opened?

It did not stay a Broadway house for long. IBDB says that fewer than four years after it opened, Arthur Hammerstein, struggling in the Depression, had to forfeit the theater. edsullivan.com dates the loss to 1931. IBDB lists the house as the Manhattan Theatre from September 8, 1931, then as Billy Rose's Music Hall from 1933, reopened on June 21, 1934, and then as the Manhattan Theatre again, reopened on February 14, 1936. IBDB says it became a popular nightclub in the 1930s. The Times describes a casino-style nightclub, with gangsters like Lucky Luciano, who needed outlets for liquor they had earlier bootlegged, joining forces with Billy Rose, for whom the theater was renamed in 1934.

Then CBS arrived. IBDB says that in fall 1936 CBS signed a long-term lease and converted the space into a radio, then television studio. edsullivan.com says CBS secured its contract in 1935, so the sources differ by about a year. The Times lists "The Fred Allen Show" and "Major Bowes's Amateur Hour" among the radio-era programs. The LPC says CBS converted the theater for television in 1949, and edsullivan.com says 1950, when it became CBS-TV Studio 50. The LPC adds that camera runways were installed in 1949 for Ed Sullivan's show, "Toast of the Town," which had debuted the year before, and that the doorway was enlarged and the stage and control booths rebuilt.

The Ed Sullivan Theater marquee for the Late Show with David Letterman on Broadway in Manhattan, 2007

The Ed Sullivan Theater marquee during the Late Show with David Letterman, 2007. Photograph by Andreas Praefcke, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 3.0.

Why is it named for Ed Sullivan?

Sullivan hosted a Sunday variety show on CBS, and the theater was where it was broadcast. edsullivan.com says Sullivan, who had been hosting "Toast of the Town" from CBS's Maxine Elliott Theater, moved into Studio 50 in 1953, and that the studio was renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater on December 10, 1967 to mark the show's twentieth year. The Times says Sullivan hosted from 1948 to 1971, while edsullivan.com says the show ran 23 years. The LPC says Sullivan's policy of innovative programming won him the theater's dedication and distinguished the house as "the first theater in the history of entertainment to be named after a television personality."

The Times says American audiences first saw the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Jackie Gleason and Rudolf Nureyev on its stage. edsullivan.com dates the Beatles appearance to February 9, 1964. CBS News New York dates Elvis Presley's first appearance to September 1956, with a return about six weeks later. The same site says the studio also hosted "The Honeymooners," "The Merv Griffin Show," "To Tell the Truth," "What's My Line" and "Password" in the 1960s, and "Kate and Allie" from 1984 to 1989.

The Ed Sullivan Theater marquee for the Late Show with David Letterman on Broadway in Manhattan, June 2009

The marquee for the Late Show with David Letterman, June 2009. Photograph by Rob Young, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0.

When did it become a landmark?

The LPC held a public hearing on June 14 and 15, 1982 and designated the first-floor interior on January 5, 1988, as LP-1381. The report says eighty witnesses spoke in favor of designation and four spoke against, and that the owner was among the opponents. The designation covers the interior spaces named in the report: the vestibules, lobbies, auditorium, stage area, staircases and the balcony floor interior. The report designates the interior only, with the land beneath it. The Times, reporting in 1993, said the LPC called the theater one of the nation's historic theaters and an elegant Gothic-inspired setting that had survived almost intact despite many alterations.

How many seats does it have?

It depends on the date. IBDB lists approximately 1,205 seats, and the Times called it a 1,200-seat theater in 1993. Curbed, in 2026, says Hammerstein's Theatre seated 1,500, while the Ed Sullivan holds about 400. edsullivan.com says that when CBS bought the theater in 1993 it redesigned the space to hold a 400-seat audience. The LPC report notes that the theater was altered over the years.

How did Letterman and Colbert fit in?

CBS's lease expired in 1981, and Reeves Entertainment took the theater over, according to edsullivan.com. The Times says that after that it was leased mostly for theater and television productions. In 1993 CBS bought it so David Letterman could stay in New York. edsullivan.com says Letterman left NBC to join CBS and that CBS paid $4 million and redesigned the space. The Times reported the purchase on February 22, 1993. Paul McCartney played on the theater's roof on July 15, 2009, which edsullivan.com describes as more than 45 years after the Beatles' show.

Stephen Colbert took over "The Late Show" in 2015, according to CBS News New York. Curbed says the stained-glass windows were restored and reinstalled in 2015 when his show moved in. CBS announced in July 2025 that it would end the show, and the final episode aired on Thursday, May 21, 2026, according to CBS News and the Los Angeles Times. Variety reported that Paul McCartney appeared in the finale.

What is happening to the Ed Sullivan Theater now?

Nothing public has been announced. Curbed reported on September 3, 2026 that the theater is "dark" in the theatrical sense, meaning nobody is performing there, and quoted a CBS representative saying "There are no current plans to sell the Ed Sullivan Theater." Curbed noted that the lobby and auditorium are landmarked, and that the building is part of a 13-story office building. It also reported speculation, which it labeled as such, that the theater could return to Broadway use. CBS News New York and the New York Business Journal both reported that its future was uncertain as the show ended, and CBS News New York said Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS, declined to comment on the theater's future.

Where can you eat or drink at the Ed Sullivan Theater?

None of the sources this article read lists a restaurant, bar or concession inside the Ed Sullivan Theater, and the building is a television studio, not a public venue. The theater's own site, edsullivan.com, describes the theater's history and says nothing about visitor dining. Because the theater is not presenting a public show right now, this article cannot confirm any food or drink service, and it does not list nearby restaurants.

Who owns the Ed Sullivan Theater today?

CBS does. CBS bought the theater in 1993, according to edsullivan.com, the Times and CBS News New York. The city's building-permit records on BuildNYC list the owner of record as CBS, and the legal-information site LegalClarity says CBS Broadcasting Inc. owns it and that Paramount sits above CBS since the Skydance merger. Curbed reported in September 2026 that a CBS representative said there are no current plans to sell. Ownership could change, so check current property records if it matters.

Sources

Visiting the Ed Sullivan Theater

Address: 1697 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, between West 53rd and West 54th Streets (edsullivan.com).
Public access: the Late Show ended on May 21, 2026, and this article found no official source listing public tours, a box office or opening hours, so check CBS or Paramount before planning a visit.
From the sidewalk: the marquee and brick facade face Broadway and can be seen from the street.

Checked against edsullivan.com theater page and Curbed. Confirm hours and ticket rules there.