Nederlander Theatre
The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, it was designed by William Neil Smith for theatrical operator Walter C. Jordan. It has around 1,235 seats[a] across two levels and is operated by the Nederlander Organization. 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.
For the theater in Chicago, see Nederlander Theatre (Chicago).Address
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 interior contained little plaster decoration. The venue has hosted a variety of shows, including the plays Cyrano de Bergerac, Inherit the Wind, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; live performances, including those by Lena Horne; and the musical Rent, which is the theater's longest-running production as of 2022.
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, 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[edit]
The Nederlander Theatre is on 208 West 41st Street, between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue near the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.[1][2] The rectangular land lot covers 10,961 square feet (1,018.3 m2), with a frontage of 111 feet (34 m) on 41st Street and a depth of 98.75 feet (30 m).[1] The Nederlander Theatre abuts a hotel and a parking garage, both of which have existed since before the theater was completed in 1921.[3] 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 to the northwest; the New Amsterdam Theatre and 5 Times Square to the north; and the Times Square Tower to the northeast.[1]
The Nederlander is the southernmost Broadway theater in the Theater District.[4][5] 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.[3][6] 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.[6] 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.[7]
History[edit]
Development and early years[edit]
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 [non-fireproof] brick Carpenter's shop and storage, club rooms, shower, [apartments] and tennis court".[3] It is one of a few Broadway theaters not constructed specifically to host Broadway shows.[3] In 1921, Walter C. Jordan acquired the building and spent $950,000 to convert it into a theater.[8] The stage house, mezzanine, proscenium, fire escape, and other theatrical equipment was built at a cost of $175,000.[3] Work was nearly completed by May 1921.[24] 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.[25] As such, Jordan renamed the structure the National Theatre at the end of July 1921,[26] shortly after booking Swords (Sidney Howard's first play[8]) as the theater's first production.[26][27] The Shubert brothers were hired as the theater's managers.[28]
Box office record[edit]
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.[331] Newsies achieved the box office record for the Nederlander Theatre in 2012, playing to 101 percent[332] capacity and grossed $1,024,516.60 for eight performances the week ending April 15, 2012.[333] This gross was surpassed by War Paint the week ending April 23, 2017, when that show grossed $1,042,449.[334] 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.[335]
