New Amsterdam Theatre - NY, NY - Live Stage Theaters on Waymarking.com

New Amsterdam Theatre is a narrow three bay wide, 10 story high building that was built in 1903, making it the oldest active theater in the New York Theater District. Above the marquee is an elaborate two story high arch now mostly obscured by a large vertical neon sign topped by a clock. The seventh and ninth floors have highly decorated windows. The tenth floor rises above the middle bay.

The building has an Art Nouveau style auditorium seating 1702 persons on three levels. The theater is operated under a 99 year lease by Disney Theatrical Productions and features such Disney musicals as Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mary Poppins.

A bronze plaque in the lobby describes this New York City Landmark:

DESIGNED BY THE NOTED THEATER ARCHITECTS, HERTS & TALLANT, FOR PRODUCERS KLAW & ERLANGER, THE NEW AMSTERDAM OPENED ON OCTOBER 26, 1903, WITH A PRODUCTION OF SHAKESPEARE'S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. THE THEATER HAS ONE OF THE FINEST ART NOUVEAU INTERIORS IN THE UNITED STATES. AS ONE OF NEW YORK CITY'S BEST MUSICAL COMEDY HOUSES, THE NEW AMSTERDAM SHOWCASED MANY TALENTED STARS AND WAS HOME TO THE ZIEGFIELD FOLLIES FROM 1913 THROUGH 1927. THE THEATER, CONVERTED TO A MOVIE HOUSE IN 1937, CLOSED IN 1985. THE NEW AMSTERDAM WAS LISTED ON the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES IN 1980. FOLLOWING ACQUISITION BY THE 42ND ST. DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, INC. AND THE NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE NEW AMSTERDAM WAS RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL SPLENDOR BY THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, WHO JOINTLY FUNDED THE PROJECT WITH THE EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. THE THEATER REOPENED IN 1997.