Nederlander Theatre
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The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Opened in 1921, it was designed by William Neil Smith for theatrical operator Walter C. Jordan. It has around 1,235 seats across two levels and is operated by the
Nederlander Organization The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander in Detroit, and currently based in New York City, is one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on ...
. Since 1980, it has been named for American theater impresario David Tobias Nederlander, father of theatrical producer James M. Nederlander. It is the southernmost Broadway theater in the Theater District. The facade is relatively plain and is made of brick, with a fire escape at the center of the second and third floors. The auditorium was originally designed in the early Renaissance style, which has since been modified several times. Unlike other theaters operated by the
Shubert family The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th c ...
, the interior contained little plaster decoration. The venue has hosted a variety of shows, including the plays ''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
'', '' Inherit the Wind'', and ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
''; live performances, including those by
Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...
; and the musical ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'', which is the theater's longest-running production . The modern-day Nederlander Theatre was developed as a carpenter's shop in 1920 before being converted into the National Theatre the following year. When the National opened on September 1, 1921, the Shubert family managed bookings on Jordan's behalf. The Shubert brothers bought the National in 1927 and operated it for three decades. In 1956, as part of a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit, the Shuberts sold the venue to Harry Fromkes, who died shortly thereafter. The National was acquired in 1958 by theatrical producer
Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with s ...
, who renovated the venue and renamed it after himself the next year. The Nederlander Organization and the Cooney-Marsh Organization acquired the theater in 1978, first renaming it the Trafalgar Theatre; the theater assumed its current name in 1980. Because there were few other Broadway theaters nearby, the Nederlander housed few productions in the late 20th century, becoming popular only after ''Rent'' opened.


Site

The Nederlander Theatre is on 208 West 41st Street, between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue near the southern end of
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
, in the Theater District of
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The rectangular
land lot In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the same thing) in o ...
covers , with a
frontage Frontage is the boundary between a plot of land or a building and the road onto which the plot or building fronts. Frontage may also refer to the full length of this boundary. This length is considered especially important for certain types of ...
of on 41st Street and a depth of . The Nederlander Theatre abuts a hotel and a parking garage, both of which have existed since before the theater was completed in 1921. The city block is shared with the New York Times Building to the west. Additionally, the building is near the Candler Building, Madame Tussauds New York, Empire Theatre, and
Eleven Times Square Eleven Times Square is an office and retail tower located at 640 Eighth Avenue, at the intersection with West 42nd Street, in the Times Square and West Midtown neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City. The 40-story, tower rises , making i ...
to the northwest; the
New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theater on 214 West 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the New Amsterdam was built fro ...
and
5 Times Square 5 Times Square is a 38-story office skyscraper at the southern end of Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Located on the western sidewalk of Seventh Avenue between 41st and 42nd Street, the building measure ...
to the north; and the
Times Square Tower Times Square Tower, also known as 7 Times Square, is a 48-story office skyscraper at the southern end of Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Located on the city block bounded by Broadway, 42nd Street, Seve ...
to the northeast. The Nederlander is the southernmost
Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
in the Theater District. When the theater was built, the Metropolitan Opera House and seven other theaters were to the south and east, although all of them were closed and demolished by the late 20th century. The lack of other Broadway theaters nearby, and its location at the extreme south end of the Theater District, contributed to its relative unpopularity in the late 20th century. This sharply contrasted with venues on 42nd Street, a major crosstown artery, and venues on 44th and 45th Streets, which benefited from tourist traffic around Shubert Alley.


Design

The theater was designed by William Neil Smith for Walter C. Jordan.; The theater contains a floor area of , as well as of unused
air rights Air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning, or renting, land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by others. This lega ...
.


Facade

The brick facade is relatively plain, blending in with other buildings on 41st Street. At ground level are entrances to the theater. There is an iron fire escape on the second and third floors of the facade. There are doors and windows on both levels that lead to the fire escape, and a metal canopy covers the fire escape. Above ground level, there are three arches on the facade: one to the left of the fire escape and two to the right. These archways originally contained windows at the second and third floors and are topped by keystones. A
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
with modillions runs above the top of the facade. Unlike other Broadway theaters, the Nederlander does not have a dedicated
stage door ''Stage Door'' is a 1937 RKO film directed by Gregory La Cava. Adapted from the play of the same name, it tells the story of several would-be actresses who live together in a boarding house at 158 West 58th Street in New York City. The film ...
, so all performers use the main entrance. When the theater was renamed the Billy Rose Theatre in 1959, the facade was repainted white, leading ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' magazine to describe it as "an architect's memory of New Orleans' French Quarter". During the production of the musical ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'' between 1996 and 2008, the facade was covered with fake graffiti.


Auditorium

The Nederlander Theatre has an orchestra level and one balcony. The theater was built with 1,200 seats. According to the Broadway League, the theater has 1,235 seats; meanwhile, ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's p ...
'' gives a figure of 1,168 seats. Only the orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible; the other seating levels can only be reached by steps. The restrooms are at the first balcony level. The balcony is raked, sloping downward toward the stage. In contrast to other theaters, the underside of the balcony slopes upward, increasing visibility at the rear of the orchestra. The orchestra level slopes down toward a orchestra pit in front of the stage. To improve acoustics, the floor of the orchestra pit contained shards of glass, which were then laid atop a concrete slab. Originally, the auditorium was designed in the early Renaissance style. Unlike other theaters operated by the
Shubert family The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th c ...
, the interior contained little plaster decoration. The interior was made of concrete, which was decorated to resemble burnished Italian walnut panels decorated with gold. The fake woodwork was decorated with "lyric and epic subjects", which protruded slightly from the walnut panels. The walls and balustrades were grained to give the impression of woodwork. Actual carved wood was used for
lintels A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of ...
and sills. There were 18 multicolored lights on the auditorium's ceiling, and a crystal chandelier was suspended from the center of the ceiling. At the rear of the auditorium was a
projector A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer typ ...
. The
proscenium arch A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
at the front of the auditorium is tall. The arch contained a few classical details, and its keystone was originally decorated with the letter "N". The arch was initially flanked by one tier of boxes in a streamlined style. The stage itself is wide, with a height of from the floor to the overhead gridiron. When
Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with s ...
renovated the theater in 1959, he made a variety of changes, including repainting the auditorium red, white, and gold. The auditorium's light boxes were originally flanked by plaster cornucopias, but Rose largely replaced them with curlicues. In addition, the original lighting fixtures were replaced with 1950s-style chandeliers; the central chandelier was surrounded by four smaller chandeliers. The arch's keystone was replaced with an "R" keystone after Rose renovated the theater. Rose added a second tier of Moorish-style boxes purely for decorative effect. The carpet was redesigned in 1996 and again in 2008. Most of the original decoration was restored in 2008, when Rose's second tier of boxes was redesigned in a streamlined style. The south wall of the auditorium contained emergency-exit doors to an alleyway, which was converted into a smoking lounge in 1959. Performers used this alleyway during intermissions if they did not want to interact with members of the public. The
backstage Backstage most commonly refers to backstage (theatre), also in motion picture and television production. Backstage may also refer to: Film and television * ''Back Stage'' (1969 film), a silent film starring Oliver Hardy * ''Back Stage'' (1942 fil ...
area contained
dressing rooms A changing-room, locker-room, (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context) or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...
with bathrooms and windows, which local media described at the time as "the last word in utility and luxury". The theater had been built as a fireproof structure with skylights, water tanks, and hoses. The theater's offices were on the second floor, directly under the balcony, and were accessed from 41st Street. During the 1959 renovation, Rose added a visitors' lounge for performers, and he replaced the roof and water tanks.


History


Development and early years

The Nederlander Theatre was constructed in 1920 as a carpenter's shop; plans filed with the New York City government called for a "3 sty on-fireproofbrick Carpenter's shop and storage, club rooms, shower, partmentsand tennis court". It is one of a few Broadway theaters not constructed specifically to host Broadway shows. In 1921, Walter C. Jordan acquired the building and spent $950,000 to convert it into a theater. The stage house, mezzanine, proscenium, fire escape, and other theatrical equipment was built at a cost of $175,000. Work was nearly completed by May 1921. The venue was originally supposed to be known as the Times Square Theatre, but this name was already being used by another structure at 217 West 42nd Street. As such, Jordan renamed the structure the National Theatre at the end of July 1921, shortly after booking ''Swords'' ( Sidney Howard's first play) as the theater's first production. The
Shubert brothers The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th c ...
were hired as the theater's managers. The theater opened on September 2, 1921, with ''Swords''.
John Willard John Willard ( 1657 - August 19, 1692) was one of the people executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Salem witch trials. He was hanged on Gallows Hill, Salem on August 19, 1692. At the time of the first allegations of witchc ...
's melodrama '' The Cat and the Canary'', which opened at the National in February 1922, was a major critical success and ran for three months.
Walter Hampden Walter Hampden Dougherty (June 30, 1879 in Brooklyn – June 11, 1955 in Los Angeles), known professionally as Walter Hampden, was an American actor and theatre manager. He was a major stage star on Broadway in New York who also made numero ...
leased the National for a year beginning in 1923, paying $1 million, which at the time was a record for a Broadway theater. Hampden presented a revival of the play ''Cyrano de Bergerac'', which was a success, lasting for 250 performances. The theater building was less successful, having gone into
receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...
in November 1923 after Jordan failed to make payments on a mortgage. When his lease expired, Hampden chose to instead operate his own theater. The National then hosted the melodrama ''Silence'' in 1924, with H. B. Warner, and the farce ''The Bride Retires'' in 1925, with
Lila Lee Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras. Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka Appe ...
. Later in 1925, the theater staged '' The Gorilla'', which transferred from the Selwyn, as well as a revival of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''. During 1926, the National hosted live performances by magician
Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...
;; the play ''The Half-Caste'', starring
Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...
; and George M. Cohan's adaptation of the play ''Yellow''. Jordan, who continued to own the theater, was charged with tax fraud in late 1926 after failing to pay the theater's property taxes.


Shubert management


1920s and 1930s

In February 1927, the Shubert brothers bought the National Theatre from the Sanjor Corporation, which had owned the theater for eight years. Later that year, Willard staged a short-lived play, ''Fog'', at the theater. This was followed in September 1927 by
Bayard Veiller Bayard Veiller (January 2, 1869 – January 16, 1943) was an American playwright, screenwriter, producer and film director. He wrote for 32 films between 1915 and 1941. Biography He was born on January 2, 1869, in Brooklyn, New York to Ph ...
's melodrama '' The Trial of Mary Dugan'', which ran at the National for nearly a year before relocating. Subsequently, the
Martin Flavin Martin Archer Flavin (November 2, 1883 – December 27, 1967) was an American playwright and novelist. Biography Flavin was born on November 2, 1883, in San Francisco, California. He was a Sigma Chi at the University of Chicago, which he atte ...
play ''
The Criminal Code ''The Criminal Code'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic crime drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Walter Huston and Phillips Holmes. The screenplay, based on a 1929 play of the same name by Martin Flavin, was written by Fred ...
'' opened at the National in 1929 and lasted for 174 performances. A troupe led by Chinese actor
Mei Lanfang Mei Lan (22 October 1894 – 8 August 1961), better known by his stage name Mei Lanfang, was a notable Peking opera artist in modern Chinese theater. Mei was known as "Queen of Peking Opera". Mei was exclusively known for his female lead ...
briefly performed at the theater in early 1930, followed later that year by the play ''Grand Hotel'' (based on Vicki Baum's book '' Grand Hotel''), which ran for 459 performances. At the onset of the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, many Broadway theaters were impacted by declining attendance, and the theater largely hosted
flops In computing, floating point operations per second (FLOPS, flops or flop/s) is a measure of computer performance, useful in fields of scientific computations that require floating-point calculations. For such cases, it is a more accurate me ...
in 1932 and 1933. Alfred E. Aarons and Harry J. Sommers leased the National for a year beginning in August 1933, and they renovated the National's auditorium the next month. Meanwhile, the Dry Dock Savings Bank took over the theater that September as a result of a foreclosure auction. By then, the National was in danger of being demolished because of a sharp increase in real-estate values. The theater hosted Sean O'Casey's play ''Within the Gates'' in 1934. Subsequently,
Guthrie McClintic Guthrie McClintic (August 6, 1893 – October 29, 1961) was an American theatre director, film director, and producer based in New York. Life and career McClintic was born in Seattle, attended Washington University and New York's American Aca ...
's production of the drama '' Ethan Frome'' was presented there in January 1936, as well as
Noel Coward Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places *Noel, Missouri, United States, a city * Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid *Mount Noel, Britis ...
's anthology of plays '' Tonight at 8:30'' that November. The
Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury als ...
company, led by
John Houseman John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer of theatre, film, and television. He became known for his highly publicized collaboration with directo ...
and
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
, performed revivals of the plays ''Julius Caesar'' and ''
The Shoemaker's Holiday ''The Shoemaker's Holiday or the Gentle Craft'' is an Elizabethan play written by Thomas Dekker. The play was first performed in 1599 by the Admiral's Men, and it falls into the subgenre of city comedy. The story features three subplots: an in ...
'' at the National in 1937 and 1938.; The Lillian Hellman drama '' The Little Foxes'', starring
Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...
,; then opened in February 1939 and lasted for 410 performances.


1940s and 1950s

The
Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flints ...
play ''
The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...
'' opened at the National in 1940, starring
Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regard ...
for more than a year. Margaret Webster's staging of ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' then opened in late 1941. '' The Patriots'' by Sidney Kingsley opened at the National in 1943; it was followed later the same year by Lerner and Loewe's first Broadway musical, '' What's Up?'', which was a flop. A revival of
Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
's play ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
'' was hosted at the National in 1944, with
Joseph Schildkraut Joseph Schildkraut (22 March 1896 – 21 January 1964) was an Austrian-American actor. He won an Oscar for his performance as Captain Alfred Dreyfus in the film ''The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937); later, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for ...
and
Eva Le Gallienne Eva Le Gallienne (January 11, 1899 – June 3, 1991) was a British-born American stage actress, producer, director, translator, and author. A Broadway star by age 21, Le Gallienne gave up her Broadway appearances to devote herself to founding t ...
,; and Barrymore appeared later that year in the play ''Embezzled Heaven''. During the mid-1940s, the National hosted several productions with over one hundred performances each. These included Lerner and Loewe's musical ''
The Day Before Spring ''The Day Before Spring'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Productions The 1945 touring production closed in Chicago after three days due to a crippling coal strike. The show then opened at the ...
'' in 1945;; the revue '' Call Me Mister'' in 1946; and the tragedy ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jaso ...
'' with Judith Anderson in 1947. The next several shows were relatively short-lived, including an adaptation of
Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
's novel ''
Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...
'' in 1947, as well as revivals of ''Tonight at 8:30'' and ''Macbeth'' in 1948. The National's next hit was Charles Gaynor's revue ''
Lend an Ear ''Lend an Ear'' is a musical revue with a book, music, and lyrics by Charles Gaynor and additional sketches by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman.Gaynor, CharleLend an Ear:An Intimate Musical Revuegoogle books), Samuel French, Inc., 1948, Producti ...
'' in late 1948. This was followed the next year by Clifford Odets's '' The Big Knife'', as well as a revival of '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' with
Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and ...
and Lilli Palmer. In 1950, the theater featured live performances by Les Ballets de Paris and a revival of ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
'' with Louis Calhern. A revival of '' The Constant Wife'', featuring
Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...
,
Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by critic A ...
, and Grace George, arrived at the theater the following year.;
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...
's play ''Camino Real'' was staged at the National in early 1953, and the comedy of manners '' Sabrina Fair'' opened later the same year.; The National hosted the play '' Inherit the Wind'' starting in 1955.; With 806 performances, ''Inherit the Wind'' was the theater's most successful non-musical to date, as well as its longest-lasting production for several decades. By the 1950s,
the Shubert Organization The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of theatres based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by the three Shubert brothers in the late 19th century. They steadily expanded, owning many theaters ...
operated nearly half of all legitimate theaters in New York City, prompting the U.S. federal government to file an
antitrust Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust ...
suit against the Shubert family. As part of a settlement made in February 1956, the Shuberts had to sell off some of their theaters. In particular, the Shuberts had to sell the National Theatre within one year of the ruling, and they had to sell three other theaters within two years. That September, the Shuberts sold the National to Harry Fromkes for an estimated $900,000; at the time, ''Inherit the Wind'' was still being staged at the theater. Fromkes died after a fall from his apartment in February 1958, prompting the closure of the play ''
Winesburg, Ohio ''Winesburg, Ohio'' (full title: ''Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life'') is a 1919 short story cycle by the American author Sherwood Anderson. The work is structured around the life of protagonist George Willard, from the ...
'', which was being performed there at the time. Fromkes's firm defaulted on its mortgage after his death, and the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
appointed a receiver to manage the theater that March. The receiver booked the
Harry Kurnitz Harry Kurnitz (January 5, 1908 – March 18, 1968) was an American playwright, novelist, and prolific screenwriter who wrote swashbucklers for Errol Flynn and comedies for Danny Kaye. He also wrote some mystery fiction under the name Marco ...
play ''
Once More, with Feeling! ''Once More, with Feeling!'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Yul Brynner and Kay Kendall in her final film appearance and directed and produced by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on his play. The film was releas ...
'', which opened in late 1958 and ran for 263 performances.


Rose management

Theatrical producer
Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with s ...
bought the National at a foreclosure auction in June 1958 for $849,500. At the time, Rose worked for
William Zeckendorf William Zeckendorf Sr. (June 30, 1905 – September 30, 1976) was a prominent American real estate developer. Through his development company Webb and Knapp — for which he began working in 1938 and which he purchased in 1949 — he developed ...
's real-estate company
Webb and Knapp Webb and Knapp was a real estate development firm. The company is most famous for developing the Roosevelt Airfield, which was the launching site of the transatlantic flights of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. It was also the firm at which ...
; this prompted Zeckendorf to sue Rose for ownership of the theater. Rose spent $500,000 to renovate the theater, hiring Oliver Messel to redecorate the auditorium in a red, gold, and white color scheme. The venue was renamed the Billy Rose Theatre and reopened on October 18, 1959, with the play ''
Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in November 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cu ...
'',; which had 112 performances. The next year, the theater hosted ''
Dear Liar ''Dear Liar'', full title ''Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters'' is a play by American actor, director, and playwright Jerome Kilty. It was first staged in 1957 and published in 1960. A television adaptation was made in 1964, directed by David Gardner ...
'', which was notable as Katharine Cornell's last Broadway appearance,; as well as a drama based on
John Hersey John Richard Hersey (June 17, 1914 – March 24, 1993) was an American writer and journalist. He is considered one of the earliest practitioners of the so-called New Journalism, in which storytelling techniques of fiction are adapted to n ...
's novel ''The Wall''. The Billy Rose's next hit was
Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as '' The Zoo Story'' (1958), '' The Sandbox'' (1959), '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), '' A Delicate Balance'' (196 ...
's play ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
'', which opened in 1962; and ran for 660 performances over the next two years. Throughout the 1960s, the theater was often empty for extended periods because of a lack of productions. Albee's play ''
Tiny Alice ''Tiny Alice'' is a three-act play written by Edward Albee that premiered on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theatre in 1964. Synopsis Powerful widow Miss Alice and her lawyer offer a generous grant to the church on the condition that the cardinal's ...
'', featuring
John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...
and Irene Worth, opened at the theater at the end of 1964, but it was not successful. The theater hosted a variety of
repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...
productions in the late 1960s. These included
Yiddish theater Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic re ...
performances by the Jewish State Theater of Poland and performances by the
Paul Taylor Dance Company Paul Taylor Dance Company, is a modern dance company, formed by dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor (1930—2018). The modern dance company is based in New York, New York and was founded in 1954. Taylor originally performed in the companies of ...
in 1967. The Playwrights Repertory Theatre performed several plays by Albee and
Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and Tragicomedy, tr ...
at the theater in 1968, and the Minnesota Dance Theatre performed two plays there later that year. Following a performance by the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate ...
in early 1969, the revival of Noel Coward's '' Private Lives'' was presented later the same year. The Billy Rose hosted two notable shows in 1971: the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
's version of Shakespeare's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...
'', as well as
Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...
's drama '' Old Times''. The City Center Acting Company performed four plays at the Billy Rose in late 1973 and early 1974, marking the company's first Broadway appearance. This was followed in 1974 by
Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and polit ...
's play '' Jumpers'', which had 48 performances before closing. The theater's backstage area was damaged by a storm later the same year and was not repaired; as a result, at least two productions were unable to lease the theater in 1975. Several theatrical personalities alleged that the Billy Rose Foundation (which had acquired the theater after Rose died), had allowed the structure to deteriorate. In response, foundation officials said that operating the theater was not its main priority. The Taylor Dance Company returned to the Billy Rose in 1976. The theater's first legitimate show in three years, Gus Weill's ''The November People'', closed after a single performance in January 1978.


Nederlander management


Late 1970s and 1980s

Two theatrical operators, the
Nederlander Organization The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander in Detroit, and currently based in New York City, is one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on ...
and the Cooney-Marsh Organization (the latter of which was a partnership between producer Ray Cooney and real-estate developer Laurie Marsh), purchased the venue in December 1978. The venue was immediately renamed the Trafalgar Theatre, a reference to the new owners' British backgrounds; the owners hoped that the new name would evoke
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...
in London or the
Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1 ...
. James M. Nederlander of the Nederlander Organization said: "We want to put big English hits in the theater". The Trafalgar hosted two productions under its new name: '' Whose Life Is It Anyway?'' in 1979 and ''
Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. ...
'' in 1980. James M. Nederlander renamed the theater again in 1980 in honor of his father, American theater impresario David T. Nederlander, who had died thirteen years prior. The first show at the renamed Nederlander Theatre would have been the musical ''
One Night Stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
'', which closed during previews in October 1980.
Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...
performed her solo show '' Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music'' at the theater starting in May 1981;; the show lasted for more than a year. In general, the Nederlander Theatre had difficulty securing bookings during the 1980s. The next several productions had relatively short runs, including one show, '' Teaneck Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap'', which closed on its opening day in 1983. The theater's productions in the mid-1980s included ''
84 Charing Cross Road ''84, Charing Cross Road'' is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, loca ...
'', '' Amen Corner'', '' Strange Interlude'' and ''Raggedy Ann'',; as well as a live show taped by Robert Klein in June 1986. In addition, Jerry Weintraub purchased a stake in the operation of the Nederlander Theatre in 1984. The
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...
(LPC) had started considering protecting the Nederlander as a landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. While the LPC commenced a wide-ranging effort to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters in 1987, the Nederlander was among the few theaters for which the LPC denied either exterior or interior landmark status. David Wilkerson, founding pastor of the
Times Square Church Times Square Church is an interdenominational congregation located at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on 237 West 51st Street in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. Times Square Church was founded by Pastor David Wilkerson in 1987 ...
, leased the theater in January 1988, a month after the play ''Sherlock's Last Case'' had closed. The theater quickly became overcrowded during church services; by 1989, the 1,150-seat Nederlander Theatre was at standing-room only capacity five days a week. This prompted the Nederlanders to lease the
Mark Hellinger Theatre The Mark Hellinger Theatre (formerly the 51st Street Theatre and the Hollywood Theatre) is a church building at 237 West 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, which formerly served as a cinema and a Broadway theat ...
to the Times Square Church in February 1989; the Times Square Church moved to the Hellinger the next month. The Nederlander Theatre's next legitimate show, the musical ''Dangerous Games'', lasted four performances.


1990s and 2000s

The Shuberts, the Nederlanders, and Jujamcyn formed the Broadway Alliance in June 1990, wherein each company set aside one of its theaters to present dramas and comedies at reduced ticket prices. The program covered the Belasco, Nederlander, and
Walter Kerr Walter Francis Kerr (July 8, 1913 – October 9, 1996) was an American writer and Broadway theatre critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals as well as the author of several books, genera ...
theaters. The Broadway Alliance's first show at the Nederlander Theatre was the play ''
Our Country's Good ''Our Country's Good'' is a 1988 play written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel ''The Playmaker''. The story concerns a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a penal colony in New South Wales ...
'', which lasted from April to June 1991. More than one year elapsed before the Nederlander hosted its next production, the one-man show ''Solitary Confinement'' with
Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...
, which ran for two weeks in November 1992. The theater was still difficult to rent and did not host any Broadway shows for over three years; it cost around $250,000 a year to maintain, regardless of whether it was vacant. The Nederlander hosted concerts by
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...
in April 1993 and by
Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
that November. The Nederlander Organization unsuccessfully tried to move
Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, United States, to Eastern European Jewish parents ...
's musical '' The Life'' there in 1994, but the theater instead hosted auditions for the musical ''
Busker Alley ''Busker Alley'' is a musical with music and lyrics by the Sherman Brothers and a book by AJ Carothers, based on the 1938 British film '' St. Martin's Lane''. Tommy Tune led a 1995 touring production as Charlie Baxter, a street entertainer i ...
''. The next year, the Nederlander hosted another audition, this time for the musical '' The Capeman''. Jonathan Larson's
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...
-winning musical ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'' was booked at the Nederlander in early 1996; the musical's producers had selected the Nederlander Theatre specifically because of its dilapidated surroundings, which reflected the show's setting. The theater's facade and interior were remodeled to resemble a
lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
nightclub. ''Rent'' premiered in April 1996 and quickly became popular. In contrast to many Broadway productions (in which tickets for seats at the rear of the theater were generally the cheapest), ''Rent'' producers reserved the first two rows for the cheapest tickets. This prompted fans to sleep outside the theater to wait for these tickets. The opening of ''Rent'', as well as the renovation of the nearby New Amsterdam Theatre, contributed to the revitalization of the surrounding block of 41st Street. ''Rent'' ultimately ran for 5,140 performances through 2008, becoming the theater's longest-running production as well as the seventh-longest-running Broadway show of all time. After ''Rent'' closed, the Nederlander was refurbished to accommodate its next show. Workers expanded the restrooms and restored the original design motifs (which had been largely removed during the 1961 renovation). A revival of ''
Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...
'', starring
Oliver Platt Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many films such as ''Flatliners'' (1990), ''Beethoven'' (1992), '' Indecent Proposal'', ''The Three Musketeers'' (both 1993), '' Execut ...
and
Lauren Graham Lauren Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Lorelai Gilmore on The WB/ CW television series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007), for which she received nominations for Screen Actors Guil ...
, opened in March 2009; the show played 113 performances before closing that June. The
Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...
plays ''
Brighton Beach Memoirs ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon, the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy. It precedes ''Biloxi Blues'' and ''Broadway Bound''. Productions ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' had a pre-Broadway e ...
'' and ''
Broadway Bound ''Broadway Bound'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It is the last chapter in his Eugene trilogy, following ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' and ''Biloxi Blues''. Plot overview The play is about Eugene and his older brother, Stanley, dea ...
'' were planned to be performed at the theater in late 2009, with alternating performances of each play. Due to poor ticket sales for ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', the show closed on November 1, 2009, one week after its opening. Simon also canceled the planned production of ''Broadway Bound'', blaming the theater's location for the rapid closure of ''Brighton Beach Memoirs''.


2000s to present

The musical ''
Million Dollar Quartet "Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session ...
'' made its Broadway debut at the theater in April 2010, running for 489 performances before moving
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
in June 2011.
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's production of the musical ''
Newsies ''Newsies'' (released as ''The News Boys'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1992 American musical historical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega in his film directing debut. Loosely based on t ...
'' opened in March 2012; the show's run was extended because of its popularity, and ''Newsies'' ultimately lasted until August 2014. As part of a settlement with the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...
in 2014, the Nederlanders agreed to improve disabled access at their nine Broadway theaters, including the Nederlander Theatre. '' Love Letters'' was originally scheduled to run at the Nederlander after ''Newsies'' closed. Instead, the musical '' Honeymoon in Vegas'' opened at the theater in January 2015, followed by ''Amazing Grace'' that July. The Nederlander hosted two short-lived shows in 2016. The musical ''
Disaster! Disaster!: A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You! was a dark ride attraction at Universal Studios Florida. Set on a soundstage of a fictitious movie company, ''Disaster!'' was based on the park's former Earthquake: The Big One ride, which ...
'' made its Broadway debut at the theater that March, lasting two months, while a revival of '' Motown: The Musical'' opened that July and ran for less than a month. The musical '' War Paint'' ran at the Nederlander from April to November 2017, followed by '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'' from August 2018 to August 2019. The Nederlander then hosted two live appearances in late 2019:
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
's ''For The Girls'' in November and Harry Connick Jr.'s ''A Celebration of Cole Porter'' the following month. ''
The Lehman Trilogy ''The Lehman Trilogy'' is a three-act play by Italian novelist and playwright Stefano Massini. It follows the lives of three immigrant brothers from when they arrive in America and found investment firm through to the collapse of the company in ...
'' was planned to open at the Nederlander in March 2020. The show was in previews when all Broadway theaters were shut down on March 12, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. The Nederlander reopened on September 25, 2021, with previews of ''The Lehman Trilogy'', which ran from October 2021 to January 2022. The musical '' Mr. Saturday Night'' then ran from April to September 2022, and it was followed by
Jefferson Mays Lewis Jefferson Mays (born June 8, 1965) is an American actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, two Drama Desk Awards, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and three Obi ...
's solo production of ''
A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...
'' at the end of the year. The musical comedy ''Shucked'' is scheduled to open at the Nederlander in April 2023.


Notable productions


National Theatre

* 1921: ''
Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...
''
* 1922: '' The Cat and the Canary''
* 1923: ''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
''
* 1925: '' The Gorilla''
* 1925: ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' * 1925: ''
The Monkey Talks ''The Monkey Talks'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Raoul Walsh and written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan and Elizabeth Pickett Chevalier. The film stars Olive Borden, Jacques Lerner, Don Alvarado, Malcolm Waite, Raymond Hitchco ...
''
* 1927: '' The Trial of Mary Dugan''
* 1929: ''
The Criminal Code ''The Criminal Code'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic crime drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Walter Huston and Phillips Holmes. The screenplay, based on a 1929 play of the same name by Martin Flavin, was written by Fred ...
''
* 1930: '' Grand Hotel''
* 1935: ''
Seven Keys to Baldpate Seven Keys to Baldpate may refer to: * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'', a novel by Earl Derr Biggers * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (play), a 1913 play by George M. Cohan based on the novel * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1916 film), a 1916 Australian si ...
''
* 1936: '' Ethan Frome'' * 1936: '' The County Chairman''
* 1936: '' Tonight at 8:30''
* 1937: '' Red Harvest''
* 1937: ''
Brother Rat ''Brother Rat'' is a 1938 American comedy drama film about cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, directed by William Keighley, and starring Ronald Reagan, Priscilla Lane, Eddie Albert (in his film debut), Jane Wyman, ...
''
* 1938: ''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
''
* 1938: ''
The Shoemaker's Holiday ''The Shoemaker's Holiday or the Gentle Craft'' is an Elizabethan play written by Thomas Dekker. The play was first performed in 1599 by the Admiral's Men, and it falls into the subgenre of city comedy. The story features three subplots: an in ...
''
* 1939: '' The Little Foxes''
* 1940: '' Journey to Jerusalem''
* 1940: ''
The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...
''
* 1941: ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
''
* 1942: ''
Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at th ...
''
* 1943: '' The Patriots''
* 1943: '' What's Up?''
* 1944: ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
''
* 1945: '' The Assassin''

* 1945: ''
The Day Before Spring ''The Day Before Spring'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Productions The 1945 touring production closed in Chicago after three days due to a crippling coal strike. The show then opened at the ...
''
* 1946: '' Call Me Mister''
* 1947: '' Anna Lucasta''
* 1947: ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jaso ...
''
* 1947: ''
Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...
''
* 1948: '' Tonight at 8:30''
* 1948: ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
''
* 1948: ''
Lend an Ear ''Lend an Ear'' is a musical revue with a book, music, and lyrics by Charles Gaynor and additional sketches by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman.Gaynor, CharleLend an Ear:An Intimate Musical Revuegoogle books), Samuel French, Inc., 1948, Producti ...
''
* 1949: '' The Big Knife''
* 1949: '' Caesar and Cleopatra''
* 1950: ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
''
* 1951: '' The Constant Wife''
* 1952: '' Candida''
* 1953: '' The Bat''
* 1953: '' Camino Real''
* 1953: '' Sabrina Fair''
* 1955: '' Inherit the Wind''
* 1957: '' The Tunnel of Love''
* 1958: ''
Winesburg, Ohio ''Winesburg, Ohio'' (full title: ''Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life'') is a 1919 short story cycle by the American author Sherwood Anderson. The work is structured around the life of protagonist George Willard, from the ...
''
* 1958: ''
Once More, with Feeling! ''Once More, with Feeling!'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Yul Brynner and Kay Kendall in her final film appearance and directed and produced by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on his play. The film was releas ...
''


Billy Rose Theatre

*1959: ''
Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in November 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cu ...
''
*1960: ''
Dear Liar ''Dear Liar'', full title ''Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters'' is a play by American actor, director, and playwright Jerome Kilty. It was first staged in 1957 and published in 1960. A television adaptation was made in 1964, directed by David Gardner ...
''
*1962: '' A Family Affair''
*1962: ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
''
*1964: ''
Tiny Alice ''Tiny Alice'' is a three-act play written by Edward Albee that premiered on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theatre in 1964. Synopsis Powerful widow Miss Alice and her lawyer offer a generous grant to the church on the condition that the cardinal's ...
''
*1965: ''
The Right Honourable Gentleman ''The Right Honourable Gentleman'' is a 1962 play by Michael Dyne, first staged in 1964. Plot ''The Right Honourable Gentleman'' is a dramatization of the rather complicated real-life Crawford scandal of Victorian England. Sir Charles Dilke, an ...
''
*1966: ''
Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music b ...
''
*1966: ''
The Rose Tattoo ''The Rose Tattoo'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1949 and 1950; after its Chicago premiere on December 29, 1950, he made further revisions to the play for its Broadway premiere on February 2, 1951, and its publication by ...
''
*1967: '' Mirele Efros''
*1967: ''
Mother Courage and Her Children ''Mother Courage and Her Children'' (german: Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, links=no) is a play written in 1939 by the German dramatist and poet Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956), with significant contributions from Margarete Steffin. Four theatrical ...
''
*1968: '' Here's Where I Belong''
*1968: ''
Soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
''
*1968: '' Box'' & ''
Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung ''Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung'' () is a book of statements from speeches and writings by Mao Zedong (formerly romanized as Mao Tse-tung), the former Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, published from 1964 to about 1976 and widel ...
''
*1968: '' The Death of Bessie Smith'' & '' The American Dream''
*1968: '' Krapp's Last Tape'' & '' The Zoo Story''
*1968: ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...
''
*1968: '' The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui''
*1969: '' Private Lives''
*1971: ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...
''
*1971: '' Old Times''
*1972: '' The Country Girl''
*1972: '' Purlie''
*1973: '' The Three Sisters''
*1973: ''
The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satiri ...
''
*1973: ''
Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the '' First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...
''
*1973: '' Scapin''
*1974: '' Jumpers''


Trafalgar Theatre/Nederlander Theatre

*1979: '' Whose Life Is It Anyway?''
*1980: ''
Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. ...
''
*1980: ''
One Night Stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
'' *1981: '' Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music''
*1982: ''
84 Charing Cross Road ''84, Charing Cross Road'' is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, loca ...
''
*1983: '' Teaneck Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap''
*1983: '' Amen Corner''
*1985: '' Strange Interlude''
*1986: '' Robert Klein on Broadway''
*1986: '' Raggedy Ann''
*1991: ''
Our Country's Good ''Our Country's Good'' is a 1988 play written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel ''The Playmaker''. The story concerns a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a penal colony in New South Wales ...
''
*1996: ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
''
; *2009: ''
Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...
''
*2009: ''
Brighton Beach Memoirs ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon, the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy. It precedes ''Biloxi Blues'' and ''Broadway Bound''. Productions ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' had a pre-Broadway e ...
''
*2010: ''
Million Dollar Quartet "Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session ...
''
*2012: ''
Newsies ''Newsies'' (released as ''The News Boys'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1992 American musical historical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega in his film directing debut. Loosely based on t ...
''
*2015: '' Honeymoon in Vegas''
*2015: ''
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
''
*2016: ''
Disaster! Disaster!: A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You! was a dark ride attraction at Universal Studios Florida. Set on a soundstage of a fictitious movie company, ''Disaster!'' was based on the park's former Earthquake: The Big One ride, which ...
''
*2016: '' Motown: The Musical''
*2017: '' War Paint''
*2018: '' Pretty Woman: The Musical''
*2019: '' Kristin Chenoweth: For The Girls''
*2019: '' Harry Connick, Jr.: A Celebration of Cole Porter''
*2021: ''
The Lehman Trilogy ''The Lehman Trilogy'' is a three-act play by Italian novelist and playwright Stefano Massini. It follows the lives of three immigrant brothers from when they arrive in America and found investment firm through to the collapse of the company in ...
''
*2022: '' Mr. Saturday Night''
*2022: ''
A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...
''
*2023: ''Shucked''


Box office record

''Rent'' set the Nederlander Theatre's box-office record for the week ending November 29, 2005, when it grossed $744,496 while playing to 97 percent capacity. ''Newsies'' achieved the box office record for the Nederlander Theatre in 2012, playing to 101 percent capacity and grossed $1,024,516.60 for eight performances the week ending April 15, 2012. This gross was surpassed by ''War Paint'' the week ending April 23, 2017, when that show grossed $1,042,449. The current gross record was set by ''Pretty Woman: The Musical'', which grossed $1,266,873 over eight performances for the week ending December 9, 2018.


See also

* James M. Nederlander Theatre - Nederlander Organization theater in Chicago *
List of Broadway theaters There are 41 active Broadway theaters listed by The Broadway League in New York City, as well as eight existing structures that previously hosted Broadway theatre. Beginning with the first large long-term theater in the city, the Park Theatre ...


References


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * *


External links

* *
Nederlander Theatre
at the
Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...
{{Times Square 1921 establishments in New York City Broadway theatres Nederlander Organization Theater District, Manhattan Theatres completed in 1921