Imperial Theatre

Imperial Theatre

The 45th Street entrance as seen in October 2021
Address	249 West 45th Street Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°45′33″N 73°59′14″W / 40.759190°N 73.987120°W / 40.759190; -73.987120
Owner	The Shubert Organization
Type	Broadway
Capacity	1,457
Production	Water for Elephants
Construction
Opened	December 25, 1923
Years active	1923–present
Architect	Herbert J. Krapp
Website
Official website
New York City Landmark
Designated	November 17, 1987[1]
Reference no.	1343[1]
Designated entity	Auditorium interior

The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed for the Shubert brothers. It has 1,457 seats across two levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The auditorium interior is a New York City designated landmark.

The theater is largely situated on 46th Street. A narrow lobby extends to the main entrance on 45th Street, where there is a three-story facade of white terracotta. The 46th Street facade, which is made of buff-colored brick, was intended as the carriage entrance. The lobby, originally decorated in dark and white tiles, leads to the rear of the theater's orchestra level. The auditorium contains Adam-style detailing, a large balcony, and box seats with carved panels above them. The flat proscenium arch above the stage is topped by a curved sounding board.

The Shubert Organization's fiftieth venue in New York City, the Imperial was constructed in 1923 to replace the outdated Lyric Theatre. The Imperial opened on December 25, 1923, with the musical Mary Jane McKane. Since then, it has hosted numerous long-running musicals, including Annie Get Your Gun, Fiddler on the Roof, Dreamgirls, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Les Misérables, and Billy Elliot the Musical. The Imperial has also hosted plays, with Chapter Two being the theater's longest-running play.