The Theater Center

The Theater Center (known as The Snapple Theater Center until 2016) is an off-Broadway theater on 50th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It has two stages.^[1]

The Theater Center

The Theater Center when it was still named The Snapple Theater Center
Address	210 West 50th Street New York City United States
Owner	Catherine Russell
Type	Off-Broadway
Capacity	Jerry Orbach: 199 Anne L. Bernstein: 199
Production	Perfect Crime. The Office! A Musical Parody
Opened	May 22, 2006
Website
www.thetheatercenter.com

History

The complex was built by actress and producer Catherine Russell in partnership with Snapple, marking Off-Broadway's first such corporate sponsorship.^[2] It opened as the Snapple Theater Center on May 22, 2006, with Wendy Kaufman, "the Snapple Lady," ceremonially lighting the marquee.^[3] Long-running play Perfect Crime (starring Russell) transferred to the Theater Center upon the facility's opening, and a revival of The Fantasticks was mounted that summer.^[4]

In 2007, the space in which The Fantasticks was performed was named in honor of actor Jerry Orbach, who starred as El Gallo in that show's original production in 1960.^[5] The Fantasticks closed in June 2017.^[6][7]

In 2012, the other space was named for producer Anne L. Bernstein.^[8]

In May 2016, the theater dropped "Snapple" from its name and became "The Theater Center".^[9][10]

Various other productions came to the Jerry Orbach thereafter. In April 2021, Perfect Crime was the first live stage production in New York City to receive approval from Actors' Equity to resume performances after theatres were shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[11] In January, 2022, thieves stole copper pipes from the building, disabling the plumbing and heating and necessitating the cancellation of twelve performances of Perfect Crime.^[12] As of 2024^[update], Perfect Crime continues its run in the space.^[13]

Facilities

It is a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) state of the art entertainment center consisting of two theaters with a total seating capacity of 398, rehearsal studios, contemporary lobbies, WiFi, two bars with cabaret-style seating and two merchandise stands. There are two stages, the Anne L. Bernstein Theater and the Jerry Orbach Theater.^[14][15]