The Royale, Majestic, and Masque (now John Golden) theaters, along with the Lincoln Hotel, were all developed by the Chanin brothers and designed by Krapp as part of a theater/hotel complex.

The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre is at 242 West 45th Street, on the south side between Eighth Avenue and Broadway, near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

It adjoins six other theaters: the Gerald Schoenfeld and Booth to the east, the Broadhurst and Shubert to the southeast, the Majestic to the south, and the Golden to the west.

[4][15][16] It was part of an entertainment complex along with the Lincoln Hotel and the Majestic and Masque theaters, which were also designed by Krapp in a Spanish style.

[25] Roman Melzer was credited for the overall design, while Willy Pogany painted murals and Joseph Dujat created plasterwork.

The outer portions of the soffit are divided into rhombus-shaped panels, which contain latticework and arabesques surrounded by acanthus-leaf and rope moldings.

The sounding board has a large decorated latticework panel in the center, which is surrounded by a molding that depicts overlapping leaves.

[35] In addition, there are two arches along the walls on either side of the vault; they contain a set of murals by Willy Pogany, entitled Lovers of Spain.

[42][45] By October 1926, the Chanins had decided to construct and operate a theatrical franchise "in New York and half a dozen other large cities in the United States".

[48][50][44] In March 1926, Krapp filed plans with the New York City Department of Buildings for the hotel and theaters, which were projected to cost $4.5 million.

[65][66] The opening of the Majestic, Masque, and Royale signified the westward extension of the traditional Broadway theater district, as well as an expansion of the Chanins' theatrical developments.

[67][68] Each of the Chanin theaters was intended for a different purpose: the 1,800-seat Majestic for "revues and light operas", the 1,200-seat Royale for "musical comedies", and the 800-seat Masque for "intimate" plays.

[25] Burns Mantle wrote for the New York Daily News that the Royale had "a handsome auditorium with a Willy Pogany interior, well proportioned stage, and the established atmosphere of a hospitable and well-run theatre".

[69][70] Piggy (renamed mid-run to I Told You So[71]) had a weak script, but comedian Sam Bernard carried the show for 79 performances.

[76] The Black revue Rang Tang also played at the Royale in 1927,[73][77] as did three Gilbert and Sullivan works: The Mikado,[78][79] Iolanthe,[80][81] and The Pirates of Penzance.

[94][95][96] In exchange, the Shuberts sold a parcel of land on the Upper West Side to the Chanins,[94][96] who bought several adjacent lots and developed the Century apartment building there.

[92] After West unsuccessfully tried to show a revival of Macbeth,[105] the Royale hosted the Chicago Shakespeare Theater for two weeks in late 1931.

[30] In July 1932, producer John Golden granted the right to lease the Royale for 21 months,[107][108] despite objections from Lee Shubert.

[114][123] The Irish group Abbey Theatre Players started hosting repertory productions in November 1934,[124][125] changing the shows every week.

[129] A representative of the Shubert family bought the rights to operate the theaters for $700,000,[130] but the Bankers Securities Corporation retained a half interest.

[135][138] The Magoro Operating Corporation, on behalf of the Shuberts, took over the Royale in October 1940 after CBS's lease ended,[139] and the theater assumed its previous name.

[139][141] The Royale subsequently hosted several productions relocated from other theaters,[140] including Flight to the West and The Corn Is Green in 1941.

[142] Some of the subsequent productions were hits with several hundred performances, including Counsellor-at-Law in 1942,[143][144] as well as Ramshackle Inn with ZaSu Pitts;[145][146] School for Brides with Roscoe Karns;[147][148] and Catherine Was Great with Mae West in 1944.

[180][185] Following a screening of the film Gigi in May 1958,[92][186][187] the Royale again hosted theatrical productions that November with La Plume de Ma Tante, which ran over 800 performances.

[180][188] In the early 1960s, the Royale hosted numerous productions including Becket in 1960,[189][190] From the Second City in 1961,[191][192] The Night of the Iguana in 1961,[183][193] and Lord Pengo in 1962.

[211][213] The Royale then hosted Duet for One with Anne Bancroft and Max von Sydow for a month,[211][214] followed by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which also ran for over a year.

[258] As part of a settlement with the United States Department of Justice in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Royale.

[261][262] Also in 2003, the Royale hosted the short-lived revivals Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and "Master Harold"...and the Boys, as well as the more successful Anna in the Tropics.

[271] This was followed in 2006 by the short-running drama Three Days of Rain[272][273] and Martin Short's biographical revue Fame Becomes Me;[274][275] the Jacobs also hosted a memorial for Lloyd Richards the same year.

[21][33] Once previously achieved the box office record for the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, grossing $1,447,598 over nine performances for the week ending December 30, 2012.