New Amsterdam Theatre facts for kids
Seen in 2011 from across 42nd Street
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| Address | 214 West 42nd Street Manhattan, New York United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°45′22″N 73°59′16″W / 40.75611°N 73.98778°W |
| Owner | Government of New York City |
| Operator | Disney Theatrical Group |
| Type | Broadway |
| Capacity | 1,702 |
| Production | Aladdin |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 26, 1903 |
| Rebuilt | 1995–1997 |
| Years active | 1903–1937, 1997–present |
| Architect | Herts & Tallant |
| Structural engineer | DeSimone Consulting Engineers |
| General contractor | George A. Fuller Construction Co. |
| Architectural style(s) | Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau |
| Designated | January 10, 1980 |
| Reference no. | 80002664 |
| Designated entity | Theater |
| Designated | October 23, 1979 |
| Reference no. | 1026 |
| Designated entity | Facade |
| Designated | October 23, 1979 |
| Reference no. | 1027 |
| Designated entity | Interior |
The New Amsterdam Theatre is a famous Broadway theater located on 42nd Street in New York City. Found in the heart of Times Square, it is one of the oldest and most beautiful theaters in the city's Theater District. Built between 1902 and 1903, it has a grand stone exterior and a stunning Art Nouveau interior filled with designs inspired by nature.
The theater is operated by Disney Theatrical Productions and can seat 1,702 people. Its entrance is part of a 10-story office building on 42nd Street, while the main auditorium is behind it. The building is so special that both its outside and inside are protected as New York City landmarks.
When it first opened, the New Amsterdam was home to the famous Ziegfeld Follies, a series of spectacular stage shows. Later, it became a movie theater for many years. By the 1980s, the building was in bad shape. In the 1990s, The Walt Disney Company leased the theater and spent millions of dollars to restore it to its original beauty. Since then, it has hosted hit Disney musicals like The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Aladdin.
Contents
Location and Design
The New Amsterdam Theatre is on West 42nd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. This area is known as the Theater District because it is filled with many famous Broadway theaters. When the New Amsterdam was built, it was one of the first theaters to open in the Times Square neighborhood, helping to make it the center of entertainment in New York City.
The theater was designed by the architects Herts & Tallant. They used a style called Beaux-Arts for the outside, which is known for its grand and formal look. For the inside, they used Art Nouveau, a style famous for its flowing lines and decorations based on flowers and plants.
The Building's Exterior
The main entrance on 42nd Street is part of a tall office wing made of gray stone. The most noticeable feature is a large, three-story arch. Originally, this arch was decorated with detailed sculptures. One group of sculptures by George Gray Barnard showed figures representing different types of drama.
Most of these original decorations were removed in 1937 to add a large marquee for showing movies. The upper stories of the office building still have many of their original decorative features, including carved panels and window frames.
A Look Inside the Theater
The inside of the New Amsterdam Theatre is famous for its beauty. It was designed to feel magical, with decorations of flowers, vines, and characters from stories. The theater was also very modern for its time, with advanced heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
Lobby and Foyers
When you enter from 42nd Street, you walk through a long lobby under the office wing. The walls are decorated with marble and twelve terracotta panels. These panels show scenes from Shakespeare's plays and operas by Richard Wagner.
The lobby leads to a beautiful entrance foyer with a large plaster relief sculpture on the wall. From there, you can enter the promenade, an open area at the back of the auditorium. The staircases leading to the balconies are made of green marble and have detailed terracotta railings with carvings of animals and plants.
Auditorium
The main auditorium is shaped like an ellipse, with curved walls and a large domed ceiling. The original colors were soft pinks, lilacs, and gold, which made the theater glow under the lights. When Disney restored the theater, they carefully recreated these decorations.
A special feature of the auditorium is its balconies. They are cantilevered, which means they are supported by the building's steel frame without any columns to block the audience's view. This was a major innovation when the theater was built. The side walls have elegant boxes where small groups can sit. These were removed when it was a movie theater but were rebuilt during the 1990s restoration.
The arch around the stage, called the proscenium, is huge and beautifully decorated. It features a large mural with figures representing poetry, truth, and love. The stage itself was one of the largest ever built at the time and had advanced machinery, including platforms that could be raised and lowered.
The Roof Theater
One of the most unusual features of the New Amsterdam was a second, smaller theater on the roof called the Aerial Gardens. It was a fully enclosed theater that could be used all year. When producer Florenz Ziegfeld brought his Follies to the New Amsterdam, he turned the roof theater into a glamorous nightclub.
Later, the roof theater was used as a radio and television studio. Today, the space has been converted into offices for Disney Theatrical Productions.
History of the Theater
The history of the New Amsterdam Theatre is as dramatic as the shows that have played on its stage. From its glamorous beginning to its decline and magical rebirth, the theater has been a landmark of Times Square for over a century.
A Grand Opening
The theater was built by producers Marcus Klaw and Abraham L. Erlanger, who were leaders in the American theater world. They wanted to create the most beautiful theater in New York. The New Amsterdam opened on October 26, 1903, with a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
In its early years, the theater hosted many popular comedies and musicals, including The Merry Widow in 1907. Its advanced stage and beautiful design made it a favorite spot for big productions.
The Ziegfeld Follies Era
From 1913 to 1927, the New Amsterdam became the home of the Ziegfeld Follies. These were incredibly popular and lavish variety shows created by Florenz Ziegfeld. The Follies featured beautiful costumes, spectacular sets, and famous performers like Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, and W. C. Fields.
Ziegfeld also ran a more exclusive show on the roof called the Midnight Frolic. The Follies made the New Amsterdam one of the most famous theaters in the world.
Becoming a Movie Theater
After the Follies era ended and the Great Depression began, the theater struggled. Like many Broadway houses, it was eventually converted into a movie theater in 1937. The grand interior was altered, the beautiful entrance sculptures were removed, and a movie marquee was added.
For nearly 50 years, the New Amsterdam showed movies. Over time, both the theater and the Times Square area around it fell into disrepair. By the early 1980s, the theater was closed and falling apart. The roof leaked, plaster was falling from the ceiling, and the beautiful decorations were covered in dust.
Disney's Magical Restoration
In the early 1990s, The Walt Disney Company was looking for a home for its new stage shows. After a tour of the crumbling New Amsterdam, Disney's chairman, Michael Eisner, agreed to take on the massive project of restoring it.
The restoration was led by Walt Disney Imagineering and the architectural firm Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. It was a huge effort. Artists and craftspeople worked to repair or recreate the theater's plasterwork, murals, wood carvings, and other decorations. They used old photographs and original plans to bring the theater back to its 1903 glory.
The project was a great success. The restored New Amsterdam Theatre officially reopened on April 2, 1997. Its revival helped spark the renewal of the entire 42nd Street and Times Square area.
The New Amsterdam Today
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Since its reopening, the New Amsterdam has been home to some of Broadway's biggest hits. It started with the world premiere of Disney's The Lion King in 1997, which became a global sensation. The show played at the theater until 2006.
It was followed by Mary Poppins, which ran from 2006 to 2013. Since 2014, the theater has been home to the hit musical Aladdin. As of 2025, Aladdin continues to delight audiences with its magical story and spectacular production. The New Amsterdam Theatre stands today as a symbol of Broadway's history and a testament to the magic of live theater.
Notable Productions
Here are some of the famous shows that have played at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
| Opening year | Name | Refs. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
| 1906 | Forty-five Minutes from Broadway | |
| 1907 | The Merry Widow | |
| 1911 | The Pink Lady | |
| 1913–1927 | Ziegfeld Follies | |
| 1914 | Watch Your Step | |
| 1920 | Sally | |
| 1925 | Sunny | |
| 1928 | Rosalie | |
| 1928 | Whoopee! | |
| 1931 | The Band Wagon | |
| 1933 | Roberta | |
| 1937 | Othello | |
| 1997 | King David | |
| 1997 | The Lion King | |
| 2006 | Mary Poppins | |
| 2014 | Aladdin |
See also
In Spanish: Teatro New Amsterdam para niños
