The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway venue located at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) between Broadway and 8th Avenue in midtown-Manhattan’s Theater District.
Here are the facts you ought to know:
Seating Capacity: 1417
Opened on: December 25th, 1923
Like many other Shubert theatres, the Imperial was designed by Herbert Krapp in his trademark Adam-style.
The recessed ceiling and ornamental panels that grace the walls are elaborately decorated with a number of motifs, including florals and geometrics.
The rectangular auditorium is wider than it is deep, which allows most audience members to feel close to the stage and performers.
The Imperial Theatre opened on December 25, 1923 with the Oscar Hammerstein II-Vincent Youmans production Mary Jane McKane.
Box Office Record: Winner of 10 Tony Awards, the West End musical Billy Elliot achieved the box office record for the Imperial Theatre. The production grossed $1,663,895 over eight performances, for the week ending January 3, 2010.
Longest run: Les Misérables (October 17, 1990—May 18, 2003: approx. 5,256 performances)
Stage Door is located on 46th St., between the Imperial and Richard Rodgers Theatres, across from Patzeria Pizza. The door is labeled “Imperial Stage Door.”
The Imperial is the theatre of choice among producers because of its excellent sightlines and perfect acoustics.
Notable Productions:
1923: Mary Jane McKane
1924: Rose-Marie
1926: Oh, Kay!
1927: The Desert Song
1928: The New Moon
1932: Flying Colors
1933: Of Thee I Sing; Let ‘Em Eat Cake
1935: Jubilee
1935: Panic
1936: On Your Toes
1938: Leave It to Me!
1939: Too Many Girls
1940: Louisiana Purchase
1941: Let’s Face It!
1943: One Touch of Venus (Kurt Weill’s Broadway debut)
1944: Song of Norway
1946: Annie Get Your Gun
1949: Miss Liberty
1950: Call Me Madam
1951: Miss Globe
1952: Wish You Were Here
1955: Silk Stockings
1956: The Most Happy Fella
1957: Jamaica
1959: Destry Rides Again
1960: Gypsy
1961: Carnival!
1963: Oliver!
1964: Fiddler on the Roof
1967: Cabaret
1968: Zorba
1970: Minnie’s Boys; Two by Two
1971: On the Town
1972: Pippin
1977: Mark Twain Tonight!; Chapter Two Anna Christie with Liv Ullman
1979: They’re Playing Our Song
1981: Dreamgirls
1985: The Mystery of Edwin Drood
1988: Chess
1989: Jerome Robbins’ Broadway
1990: Les Misérables
2003: The Boy from Oz
2005: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
2006: High Fidelity (closed after only 14 performances)
2007: Coram Boy, August: Osage County (limited engagement)
2008: Billy Elliot the Musical
2012: Nice Work If You Can Get It
2013: 700 Sundays
2014: Les Misérables
2016: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
2018: Carousel
OFFICIAL WEBSITE(s):
https://shubert.nyc/theatres/imperial/
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