Elegant show: In a quirky New York hotel, New York Broadway-style full of theatrical flair, from velvet curtains to Hamilton-inspired wallpaper

If you love musicals, at some point in your life you have to make a pilgrimage to New York to see a Broadway show. If you’re really into musicals, this might just be an ordinary expedition.

Even with Times Square’s famous half-price ticket booth, it can be an expensive affair, and the show itself can be over so quickly that you’ll leave hungry for more.

A new hotel has been put in the spotlight to address such issues and make your trip even more memorable.

“The Civilian is a hotel by theater lovers, for theater fans,” reveals James. Upstairs is the library-like Blue Room

The hotel’s name is engraved in brightly lit letters on both sides of the building, as are the city’s theaters

The Civilian – or CIVILIAN as it’s officially called in all respects – has some impressive showbiz credentials. First, it’s in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood that doesn’t really deserve its moniker these days.

The neighborhood just behind Manhattan’s theaters has a very “backstage” vibe: it’s bustling, lively, full of snack bars and various bars, surrounded by the flatter sides of the skyscrapers, all of which keep their shiny neon faces for Times Square.

If you’re a regular theatergoer in New York, this is the perfect place to grab a beer or burger before or after the show (even if you rush during intermission to avoid the exorbitant theater prices).

The hotel itself is on the same street as the Longacre Theater (where Tom Stoppard’s glamorous new play just opened) and just a block away from blockbusters like Wicked, Chicago and The Book of Mormon.

Appropriately, the hotel has a large, imposing marquee with its name etched in brightly lit letters on either side, as do the nearby theaters, as if they’re putting on a show of its own. In many ways it is.

The Civilian is a hotel by theater lovers for theater lovers. The intimate lobby glows with numerous small lights, just as you see round dressing mirrors. A row of seats has been ripped right out of the stalls of a theater (or the “orchestra,” as New Yorkers call the main section of their auditorium). The cheery, casually dressed receptionists all have the look of Broadway hopefuls themselves, though they don’t burst into song like the waiters at Stardust Restaurant (two blocks away and so much fun).

James says of the hotel’s rooms: “They are compact, like most New York hotels, but jazz hands have worked hard to give them a touch of theatrical oomph.”

Pictured to the left is James’ room, complete with a velvet decorative curtain that ties back, reminiscent of Maria Bjornson’s iconic Phantom of the Opera designs. To the right is James’ bathroom, “playfully lit by large versions of fitting room lights.”

Rooms feature pitch-black illustrations of theater facades and sets by Clint Ramos

The elevators that take you to the hotel’s 203 rooms are decorated with Paul Tazewell’s Tony Award-winning costume designs for the musical Hamilton.

Each aisle features framed black-and-white photos taken backstage at Broadway shows, from classics like Cats to the brand new Beetlejuice, which this reviewer loved on this recent trip.

Somehow it makes you feel part of the moment and part of the drama.

This spirit continues in the bedrooms. They are compact, like most New York hotels, but jazz geeks have worked hard to infuse them with a touch of theatrical oomph.

Each has an ornate velvet curtain tied in one corner, reminiscent of Maria Bjornson’s iconic Phantom of the Opera designs. Each has its own inky illustrations of theater facades and sets by Clint Ramos. Each bathroom is playfully lit by large dressing room lamps, giving you enough light to apply your own make-up.

Pictured is the bar on the first floor serving some breakfast stacks each morning and early evening drinks

Framed pictures in the bar. According to James, The Civilian is a handy retreat to use New York as a base because it’s full of fun and loving details

“While few New York hotels are cheap, it is also much more affordable than many of its peers,” says James of Civilian. The intimate lobby, pictured, is lit with numerous small lights, similar to those you see around dressing room mirrors, he reveals

An exhibition of ‘maquettes’, the immersive scale models that stage designers create for shows

All of this set dressing is charming, but luckily your essentials are also covered: air conditioning, TV, remote control blackout blinds, ample closet space and a safe under each bed, thick linen and towels, and scented toiletries.

To use showbiz jargon, the hotel is still somewhat in preview during my visit, and they are still putting the finishing touches on the downstairs Rosevale Cafe, the library-like Blue Room and the rooftop Starchild Bar . You can get a good idea of ​​what’s to come in the bar on the first floor, which serves some breakfast staples every morning and early evening drinks.

Here are more theatrical flourishes. There are more swag curtains covering a spiral staircase from the foyer.

Pictured is the spiral staircase that takes guests from the lobby to their rooms – draped in shabby curtains

And there is an exhibition of ‘maquettes’, the immersive scale models that stage designers create for shows. Here are also some of the current hits, including Moulin Rouge.

Alongside is another inspired note: the ‘Company Wall’, which features a dazzling array of artworks specially commissioned by theater professionals and fans alike, all responding to the same lyric from Stephen Sondheim’s Musical Company: ‘It’s a City of Strangers , some come to work, some to play.’

Whatever brings you to New York…work, play, or plays and musicals…the Civilian is a hands-on base-building retreat, full of fun and attention to detail.

While few New York hotels are cheap, they are also much more affordable than many of their peers.

All in all, I think of the lyrics of another Sondheim classic: “I’m just a Broadway baby learning to sing and dance, waiting for that one big chance…to be on a show.”

The Civilian may not quite be on Broadway itself, but it’s raring to go, secure in its lines and poised for a star-studded future.