Beginning April 20, Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, home of Disney's The Lion King, will open its doors to special "Monday only" tours of the historic playhouse recently renovated by Disney. Tours will begin on the hour from 11 AM to 5 PM on Mondays only and highlight the architectural design and restoration of the theatre. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Tickets for the tour can be purchased at the New Amsterdam Theatre box office. For group tours, call (212) 282-2907.
Architects Henry Herts and Hugh Tallent designed the New Amsterdam with the first major Art Nouveau interior in the United States for $1.5 million. The theatre opened with a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1903 and served as the Ziegfield Follies' home from 1913-1927. In 1937, the theatre was converted into a movie house and remained one until the early 1980's. In 1983, the New Amsterdam registered as a National Historic Place.
The current restoration on the theatre was begun in August 1995 and completed in February 1997. Disney reopened the theatre in May 1997 with Tim Rice and Alan Menken's King David.