New York City has long been considered the leading American center for arts and culture. The arts, especially theater, constitute one of New York’s primary economic forces. Throughout the 20th century, the LGBT community has had a significant and disproportionate impact on the Broadway stage, even as the New York Legislature-enacted Wales Padlock Law (1927-1967) made it illegal for theaters to show plays that featured gay and lesbian characters (though some productions managed to get around this restriction). This curated collection spotlights the Broadway Theater District and its associations with major LGBT performers and creators.

Each month the Landmarks Conservancy highlights New York City’s extraordinarily rich architectural heritage by featuring a different building style or function. As the City we love continues to reopen we are proud to celebrate the return of Broadway and the magic of live theater and will feature many of the majestic houses that have hosted iconic music and memorable performances across the decades.

B.S Moss Colony, ca. 1932. The theatre at 1681 Broadway opened in 1924 as the B. S. Moss’s Colony Theatre, a vaudeville and movie theatre. Designed by one of the premier theatre architects of the 1920s, Eugene De Rosa, the venue has a large seating capacity (1,765 seats) and deep stage (60 feet). During its two stints as a movie theatre (1924-1930 and 1934-1940), Walt Disney debuted two of his most famous early films there. "Steamboat Willie" opened in 1928 and "Fantasia" in 1939. Given a number names in its early years (Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss' Broadway Theatre, and Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre), the theatre became a venue for live Broadway performances starting in 1930 and then again in 1940, when it was christened the unimaginative, Broadway Theatre. Bought in 1939 by the Shuberts, the theatre has been renovated a number of times. The interior and exterior were designed in an Italian Renaissance style. The original facade was resurfaced in a grey polished granite in 1991 when a skyscraper was constructed above the theatre. One of only five Broadway theatres that actually front the street, Broadway, this venue has often been the location that successful shows transfer to near the end of their runs.