Imperial Theatre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Imperial Theatre

The 45th Street entrance as seen in October 2021
Address	249 West 45th Street Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°45′33″N 73°59′14″W / 40.759190°N 73.987120°W / 40.759190; -73.987120
Owner	The Shubert Organization
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,457
Production	Water for Elephants
Construction
Opened	December 25, 1923
Years active	1923–present
Architect	Herbert J. Krapp
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 17, 1987
Reference no.	1343
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

The Imperial Theatre is a famous Broadway theater located at 249 West 45th Street in New York City. It opened its doors on December 25, 1923. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and built for the Shubert brothers, who owned many theaters.

The Imperial Theatre has 1,457 seats for its audience. It is managed by The Shubert Organization. The inside of the theater is so special that it has been named a New York City designated landmark.

Even though the main entrance is on 45th Street, the theater building itself is mostly on 46th Street. The 45th Street entrance has a narrow, three-story front made of white terracotta. The 46th Street side, made of light brown brick, was originally for carriages. Inside, the lobby leads to the main seating area. The auditorium has beautiful decorations, a large balcony, and special box seats.

The Imperial Theatre was the 50th theater built by the Shubert Organization in New York City. It was created to replace an older theater called the Lyric Theatre. Since its opening with the musical Mary Jane McKane, the Imperial has hosted many popular and long-running shows. These include famous musicals like Annie Get Your Gun, Fiddler on the Roof, Dreamgirls, Les Misérables, and Billy Elliot the Musical. It has also shown plays, with Chapter Two being the longest-running play at this theater.

About the Imperial Theatre's Location

The Imperial Theatre is found at 249 West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is in the busy Theater District, close to Times Square. The street where it is located, 45th Street, is also known as George Abbott Way. This area is very popular for theatergoers.

The theater building covers a large area, about 13,350 square feet. The part on 45th Street is narrower, while the main part of the theater, where the stage and seats are, is wider and faces 46th Street.

The Imperial Theatre shares its block with other famous theaters. These include the Richard Rodgers Theatre and the Music Box Theatre. Many other theaters are also nearby, making this a central spot for Broadway shows.

How the Imperial Theatre Was Built

The Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in 1923. It was built for the Shubert brothers, who were very important in the theater world. This was their 50th theater project in the New York metropolitan area. The O'Day Construction Company built the theater. Today, The Shubert Organization still runs the Imperial.

The Outside of the Theatre

The theater has two main sides, or "facades." The main entrance is on 45th Street. This part is a narrow, three-story building made of white terracotta. It's narrow because it was built between two other theaters. The design is simple, which was common for theaters Krapp designed after World War I.

The back of the theater faces 46th Street. This side is much wider and is made of light brown brick. It was originally used for carriages to drop off and pick up people. This side has a special brick pattern. There is also a stage door on this side, next to the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Inside the Auditorium

The inside of the Imperial Theatre, called the auditorium, has different seating areas. These include the main floor (orchestra level), a balcony, and special box seats. The auditorium is wider than it is deep. It has beautiful plaster decorations.

The Shubert Organization says the theater has 1,457 seats. Other sources give slightly different numbers, but it's always around 1,400 seats. The seats are divided into sections: 759 on the orchestra level, 283 in the front balcony, 377 in the back balcony, and 20 in the box seats. There are even 18 seats right in front of the stage in the orchestra pit. The theater's design is mostly in a style called Adam style, known for its elegant decorations.

Seating Areas and Design

Interior of the auditorium

From the 45th Street entrance, a wide hallway leads to the back of the orchestra seating. This hallway originally had light and dark tiles and marble walls. Two staircases go up from this area to the balcony. The orchestra floor slopes down towards the stage, helping everyone see better. The side walls of the orchestra section have decorative panels. Exit doors on the left wall lead to 46th Street. The seats are arranged in a fan shape to improve the sound.

The balcony is split into front and back sections by an aisle. The balcony walls have flat columns and arched sections with carved panels of dancing figures. The walls are topped with a decorative border and a molding. The front of the balcony, where lights are placed, is plain. The underside of the balcony, above the orchestra, has fancy panels.

On each side of the stage, there are three box seats on the balcony level. These boxes step down towards the stage. They used to have boxes on the orchestra level too, but those were removed. The front of the boxes are curved and decorated. Above these boxes are rectangular panels with images of winged figures holding masks, representing comedy and tragedy.

Stage and Ceiling Features

Historical view of the auditorium (1924)

The stage is framed by a flat arch called the proscenium arch. This arch is decorated with floral designs. It is about 25 feet high and almost 40 feet wide.

Above the proscenium arch, on the ceiling, is a special panel called a sounding board. It helps direct the sound. The rest of the ceiling is slightly curved, making the theater feel cozy. The ceiling has decorative panels and bands, with round medallions in the center of each panel. Chandeliers used to hang from these panels, and modern ones are there now, along with air conditioning vents.

History of the Imperial Theatre

In the early 1900s, Times Square became the main place for big theater shows. The Shubert brothers were a major group who built many theaters in New York City. By 1925, they controlled a large part of the theater business in the U.S. They needed a new theater for their musicals because their old one, the Lyric Theatre, was getting old.

Building and Early Shows

The Shubert brothers bought land on both 45th and 46th Streets. They hired Herbert Krapp to design the new theater in January 1923. The Imperial Theatre got its name just a few weeks before it opened in December 1923.

The musical Mary Jane McKane was the first show at the Imperial. It opened on December 25, 1923, and was a big hit, running for 151 performances. In 1924, the famous Moscow Art Theatre performed there. Another popular show was Rose-Marie, which opened in September 1924 and ran for over 500 performances.

The Imperial continued to host successful musicals. In 1926, Oh, Kay! opened, featuring music by George and Ira Gershwin. In 1928, The New Moon was a hit, running for over 500 performances. Even during the start of the Great Depression, shows like Sons o' Guns in 1929 did well.

From the 1930s to the 1950s

45th Street entrance in 2007

The 1930s brought some challenges, but the Imperial still had successful shows. Ed Wynn's The Laugh Parade in 1931 and Flying Colors in 1932 were popular. The theater hosted two plays by George S. Kaufman in 1933. The Imperial also showed musicals like Jubilee in 1935 and the ballet-themed On Your Toes in 1936.

In the late 1930s, Leave It to Me! (1938) introduced Mary Martin to Broadway, and Too Many Girls (1939) was another success. The 1940s were full of popular musicals. Louisiana Purchase (1940) ran for 444 performances. Let's Face It! (1941) ran for 547 performances. Other hits included One Touch of Venus (1943) and the Ziegfeld Follies of 1943.

The late 1940s and 1950s brought even more big hits. Annie Get Your Gun, starring Ethel Merman, opened in 1946 and ran for an amazing 1,147 performances. In 1950, Peter Pan and Call Me Madam (also with Ethel Merman) were performed.

In 1952, Wish You Were Here had a real swimming pool on stage! Silk Stockings (1955) was the last Broadway show by Cole Porter. The Most Happy Fella opened in 1956. The Imperial also hosted Jamaica (1957) starring Lena Horne, and Destry Rides Again (1959) with Andy Griffith.

From the 1960s to the 1980s

View of the exterior in 2012

The 1960s were a great time for the Imperial, with many long-running shows. Gypsy moved to the Imperial in 1960. Carnival! opened in 1961, followed by the hit musical Oliver! in 1963.

Then came one of Broadway's most famous shows: Fiddler on the Roof, which opened in 1964. It starred Zero Mostel and ran for nearly three years. After that, Cabaret moved to the Imperial in 1967.

In the 1970s, Pippin opened in 1972 and ran for over four years. The Imperial also hosted the 27th Tony Awards in 1973. Later in the 1970s, the play Chapter Two became the longest-running non-musical show at the Imperial, with 857 performances.

The 1980s were dominated by a few huge musicals. They're Playing Our Song (1979) ran for over two and a half years. Then, Dreamgirls opened in 1981 and ran for an amazing 1,522 performances over four years. The 1982 Tony Awards were held at the Imperial during Dreamgirls' run. The Mystery of Edwin Drood followed in 1985.

In the late 1980s, the Shubert Organization renovated the Imperial, giving it a fresh look with red, burgundy, and rose colors. In 1987, the inside of the Imperial Theatre was officially named a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. This means its special features are protected.

From the 1990s to Today

The 45th Street entrance in 2019, when Ain't Too Proud was playing

In late 1990, the famous musical Les Misérables moved to the Imperial and stayed for a decade. It was one of the longest-running Broadway shows ever when it closed in 2003.

Other shows in the 2000s included The Boy from Oz (2003), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005), and August: Osage County (2007).

Billy Elliot the Musical opened in November 2008 and ran for over three years. After that, the Imperial hosted shows like Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012) and a revival of Les Misérables in 2014.

In 2019, the musical Ain't Too Proud opened and set a new box office record for the Imperial Theatre, earning over $1.8 million in one week! The theater, like all Broadway theaters, closed on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Imperial Theatre reopened on October 16, 2021, with Ain't Too Proud continuing its run. In March 2023, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bad Cinderella opened. The current production, Water for Elephants, opened in March 2024.

Notable Productions

Here are some of the famous shows that have played at the Imperial Theatre, listed by when they first opened:

See also

• List of Broadway theaters
• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets