The Entertainment Community Fund has honored the contributions of late theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander by naming their New York City board room after him. The James M. Nederlander Board Room was dedicated on Feb. 22 during the Fund’s first meeting of 2023.
Nederlander, who passed away in 2016, was the longtime head of the business, assuming the role in 1967 after his father died. After expanding the family company to New York from Detroit in the mid-1960s, Nederlander began buying Broadway theaters and producing shows. He served as a producer on dozens of original Broadway plays and musicals, including “Nine,” “La Cage aux Folles,” “Noises Off,” “Fences,” and “The Will Rogers Follies.”
He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame — which he helped co-found in 1970 — in 1992. Among his many accolades, Nederlander received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2004 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as the “Jimmys,” also bear his name.
“James M. Nederlander demonstrated his commitment to serving our performing arts community time and time again. And every time the Fund’s board meets in the board room, we will be reminded of his generosity,” said Fund president and CEO Joe Benincasa in a statement.
The Fund, formerly known as the Actor’s Fund, has worked since 1882 to support life in the arts by providing stability to entertainment professionals. By offering programs including emergency financial assistance, workshops, support groups, mental health resources and more, the Fund continues to help make life in the arts more sustainable.
