The New Amsterdam Theatre was built in 1903 by producers A.L. Erlanger and Marcus Klaw and was designed by architects Herts and Tallent. With 1,702 seats, it was the largest theater on Broadway at the time of its completion. In the 1930s, the theater closed as a result of the Great Depression and was soon after converted to a movie house.

The building was purchased by the Shubert Organization in 1982 but remained in disrepair until the city and state of New York won the property in a court ruling. Under a new 99-year lease, Disney reopened the theater in 1997. Along with the Lyceum Theatre, the New Amsterdam Theatre is the oldest theater on Broadway.