New Amsterdam Theatre

Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., a name synonymous with Broadway glamour, paced his seventh-floor office in the New Amsterdam Theatre. He envisioned dazzling costumes, elaborate sets, and a chorus line of unparalleled beauty. It was 1913, and the New Amsterdam Theatre was about to become the home of the legendary Ziegfeld Follies. The New Amsterdam Theatre, a jewel of Times Square, wasn’t always a stage for shimmering spectacle. Opening in 1903 on West 42nd Street, it was initially intended for serious drama. Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” graced its stage first, a lavish production that, ironically, flopped. The theater itself, however, was an instant hit. Critics hailed the New Amsterdam Theatre as “The House Beautiful,” captivated by its Beaux-Arts exterior and Art Nouveau interior. Its advanced mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, and even a vacuum-cleaning system, were marvels of the era. The auditorium, a breathtaking elliptical space, featured cantilevered balconies, eliminating obstructive columns. A massive steel girder, the largest ever used in a building at the time, supported not only the ornate ceiling but also a rooftop theater, the Aerial Gardens. This rooftop venue hosted vaudeville, adding another layer of entertainment to the New Amsterdam Theatre. While the main stage saw a mix of successes and failures, including a 416-performance run of “The Merry Widow” in 1907, it was Ziegfeld who truly cemented the New Amsterdam Theatre’s place in Broadway history. From 1913 to 1927, the Follies transformed the New Amsterdam Theatre into a palace of dreams. Stars like Fanny Brice, Eddie Cantor, and W.C. Fields illuminated its stage. The roof theater, renamed the Ziegfeld Roof, became a testing ground for rising talent in the “Midnight Frolic.” Even today, whispers persist of a spectral presence within the New Amsterdam Theatre, the ghost of silent film star Olive Thomas, a former Follies girl. The Great Depression brought hard times, and the New Amsterdam Theatre eventually transitioned into a movie house, its stage dark for decades. But its story didn’t end there. In the 1990s, Disney breathed new life into the New Amsterdam Theatre, undertaking a meticulous restoration. They revived the faded murals, repaired the crumbling plaster, and replaced the outdated mechanics, while preserving the theater’s historic charm. In 1997, the New Amsterdam Theatre reopened, its stage once again alive with magic, this time with Disney’s “The Lion King.” Followed by “Mary Poppins” and now “Aladdin,” the New Amsterdam Theatre continues to enchant audiences, a testament to its enduring beauty and a symbol of Broadway’s timeless allure.