Forrest Theatre  The Forrest Theatre is a live theatre venue at 1114 Walnut Street Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has a seating capacity of 1,851 and is managed by The Shubert Organization. The theatre was built in 1927 at the cost of $2 million, and was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp; it was named after the 19th century actor Edwin Forrest, who was born in Philadelphia, and owned and lived in the Edwin Forrest House. The opening performance was "The Red Robe" in 1928. A renovation of the theatre was undertaken in 1997, including redecoration and the addition of handicapped-accessible restrooms. Over the years, the Forrest Theatre has been a proving ground for various Broadway plays and musicals, serving as the location for previews and try-outs of these productions. Some of the shows that played at the Forrest prior to moving to Broadway include "The Women" (1936), "Make Mine Manhattan" (1948)," Wonderful Town" (1953), "The Music Man" (1957), "Funny Girl" (1963), "Golden Rainbow" (1967), "The Wiz" (1974), and "Chicago" (1975). Since the 2007-08 season, the Forrest Theatre has joined with the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts to offer a season of Broadway touring productions.