James M. Nederlander or “Jimmy,” Chairman of The Nederlander Organization, is the visionary theatrical impresario who built one of the largest private live entertainment companies in the world known for producing and presenting world-class entertainment since 1912.
Jimmy started working in the theater at age 7 sweeping fl oors for his father, David Tobias (D.T.) Nederlander, in Detroit, Michigan. During a career that spans 70 years, Jimmy has amassed a network of premier legitimate theaters including nine on Broadway: the Brooks Atkinson, Gershwin, Lunt-Fontanne, Marquis, Minskoff,
Nederlander, Neil Simon, Richard Rodgers, and the world famous Palace; in Chicago: Auditorium and Bank of America Theaters; in Los Angeles: Pantages and the Greek; and in London: the Adelphi, Aldwych, and Dominion.
He has produced over one hundred acclaimed Broadway musicals and plays including Annie, Applause, La Cage aux Folles, Les Liaisions Dangereuses, Me and My Girl, Nine, Noises Off, Peter Pan, Sweet Charity, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby, The Will Rogers Follies, Woman of the Year, and many more.
“Generous,” “loyal” and “trusted” are just a few of the accolades his friends use to describe him. Jimmy is beloved by the industry and is the recipient of many distinguished honors, including the United Nations Foundation Champion Award (2012), The Broadway League’s Schoenfeld Vision for Arts Education Award (2011), the New York Pop’s Man of the Year (2008), and the special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement (2004). To mark the Nederlanders’ centennial, The New York Landmarks Conservancy proclaimed Jimmy to be a “Living Landmark.”
This year, Jimmy celebrates his 91st birthday.
