The Imperial Theatre was built by the Shuberts in 1923 and is still owned today by the same organization. It was designed by Herbert J. Krapp to house musical comedies and, with its large capacity of 1,650 seats, had been the pride of the Shuberts for decades. Over the last 80-plus years it has been home to many Broadway legends such as the original production of Gypsy with Ethel Merman and more recently, Les Miserables.
Recently the Shubert Organization had the theater completely refurbished, and it continues to house many of the most successful shows on Broadway.