The Theater at Madison Square Garden

History

When the Garden opened in 1968, the theater was known as the Felt Forum, in honor of then-president Irving Mitchell Felt. In the early 1990s, at the behest of former MSG President Bob Gutkowski, the theater was renamed the Paramount Theater after the Paramount Theatre in Times Square had been converted to an office tower. The theater received its next name, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, in the mid-1990s, after Viacom bought Paramount and sold the MSG properties. In 2007, the theater was renamed the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden through a naming rights deal with Washington Mutual. After Washington Mutual's collapse in 2009, the name reverted to The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In 2018, the theater signed a deal with Hulu to become the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. In 2023, the theater reverted to the name The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Structure

No seat is more than 177 ft from the 30 by stage. Due to its location beneath the main Madison Square Garden arena, the theater has a relatively low 20 ft ceiling at stage level. All of its seating except for boxes on the two side walls is on one level slanted back from the stage. There is an 8000 sqft lobby at the theater.

Events

It hosted Mike Tyson's fourteenth professional fight against Sammy Scaff on December 6, 1985. The theater occasionally hosts boxing matches on nights when the main arena is unavailable, or fights between promising boxers who management believe will not fill up "the big room". Notable fights include Sergio Martínez vs. Matthew Macklin in 2012, Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2017, and Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr. in 2021.

Most of the tracks for the Doors' album Absolutely Live (1970) were taken from the Felt Forum in New York City on January 17 and 18, 1970.

There were many concerts performed at the Felt Forum: in 1971, the Grateful Dead (along with the New RIders of the Purple Sage) had a run from Dec. 4th-7th.

The venue hosted Game 6 of the 1972 ABA Eastern Division Semifinals on April 10 between the New York Nets and the Virginia Squires, as the Nets could not play in their home venue at the Island Garden; the Nets lost 118–114.

On May 28, 1976, a memorial concert was held for singer-songwriter Phil Ochs. The over six-hour concert consisted of performances of Ochs's best known material by many of his peers and influences.

The theater was home to an annual staging of A Christmas Carol from 1994 to 2003. An annual staging of The Wizard of Oz played at the theater from 1997 to 1999. Notable actors in the musical included Roseanne Barr, Eartha Kitt, and Jo Anne Worley as the Wicked Witch of the West; Mickey Rooney as the Wizard, and Ken Page and Lara Teeter as the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow, respectively.

In 2001, the national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella starring Jamie-Lynn Sigler in the title role, Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother, and Paolo Montalban as Prince Christopher played at the theater.

In 2003, popular Australian children's group The Wiggles performed a record 12 sold-out shows in a row at the theater, breaking the previous record held by Bruce Springsteen.

In 2005 and 2011, Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby in the title role returned to New York City at the theater.

From 2004 to 2006 and in 2008 Theatre of MSG hosted the Jammy Award honoring improvisational music.

The 2024 North American tour of Annie played at the theater from December 4, 2024, through January 5, 2025, with Whoopi Goldberg as Miss Hannigan.

Taiwanese singer Cyndi Wang performed at the theater during her Sugar High World Tour on November 28, 2025,Furthermore, Cyndi Wang is the first Mandopop female singer to perform at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

References

References

1. (January 27, 1989). "Garden to Close The Felt Forum For Two Years".
2. (September 11, 1991). "New Paramount Theater to Give Radio City a Run for Its Music".
3. Fraser, Tim. (September 30, 2008). "WaMu Theaters name likely to change due to financial crisis".
4. "The Theater at Madison Square Garden Is Now the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden".
5. "The Theater at Madison Square Garden | Unforgettable Starts Here".
6. (November 7, 2007). "''Wintuk'' created exclusively for WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden". Cirque Du Soleil.
7. Anderson, Dave. (July 8, 1993). "Sports of The Times; The Garden Throws Its Last Punch". [[The New York Times]].
8. https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-50th-the-doors-absolutely-live
9. Ashes, Light Into. (2020-12-03). "Grateful Dead Sources: December 5, 1971: Felt Forum, NYC".
10. Grateful Dead. (1971-12-05). "Grateful Dead Live at Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden on 1971-12-05".
11. (April 11, 1971). "Squires Win, 118-114, and Eliminate Nets from A.B.A. Playoffs, 4 Games to 2". The New York Times.
12. (May 28, 1976). "The Pop Life". The New York Times.
13. Hernandez, Ernio. (November 28, 2003). "Ghosts Lead Scrooge in A Christmas Carol for Final MSG Staging, Nov. 28-Dec. 27".
14. Marks, Peter. (May 16, 1997). "Pushing the Speed Limit On the Yellow-Brick Road". The New York Times.
15. (May 6, 1998). "Mickey Rooney/Eartha Kitt Oz Opens in NY, May 6".
16. (May 5, 1999). "Worley & Rooney Bring ''Oz'' Back to MSG, May 6-16".
17. Jones, Kenneth. (May 3, 2001). "Tour of R&H's Cinderella, With Sigler, Kitt and Quinton, Lands in NYC May 3–13". Playbill.
18. Johnston, Tim. (October 30, 2006). "Fans left feeling blue by yellow Wiggle's retirement". [[The New York Times]].
19. Jones, Kenneth. (July 29, 2005). "Rigby's Peter Pan Will Land at NYC's Theater at Madison Square Garden Nov. 30-Dec. 30". Playbill.
20. Jones, Kenneth. (May 10, 2011). "Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan Will Fly Into Theater at Madison Square Garden for the Holidays". Playbill.
21. (May 8, 2008). "Trey, Mike, Page and Fish Appear Together at the Jammys".
22. (December 4, 2024). "New ''Annie'' Tour Arrives in New York City December 4 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden".