Disney's Haunted Broadway Stage: Olive Thomas the Ghost of the New Amsterdam Theatre

While today, we got the chance to celebrate the over 100 year history of Disney’s New Amsterdam Theatre, we also learned about one of the resident ghosts that likes to haunt the Broadway landmark.

While the New Amsterdam Theatre comes alive 8 times a week with Aladdin On Broadway, the nearly 125 year old venue has a long history of incredible performers. But what if I told you, you could encounter one of the stars of Broadway’s past? During today’s D23 tour of Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre, we were treated to several ghost stories from one of our guides. 

Opening in 1903, the New Amsterdam Theatre had two separate theatres; the main theatre where Disney magic now comes to life, and a smaller 500 seat venue directly above it. The upstairs theatre now serves as Disney Theatrical’s office space, but after the theatre's massive renovation, cast members reported that they have seen one of the venue’s formerly familiar faces. 

Olive Thomas was a star, famous for performing in both of the New Amsterdam Theatre’s performance spaces. She married the younger brother of the silent film actress Mary Pickford, a man named Jack Pickford, and by all accounts their relationship was incredibly tumultuous.

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According to our guide, the couple went to Paris for a second honeymoon. One evening, Olive wasn’t feeling well and went to the medicine cabinet looking for something to help her sleep. Unfortunately for Olive, this was the 1920s and she ended up taking something that contained mercury.

She died in a Paris hospital three days later from mercury poisoning. Her body was brought back to the United States, and she was buried in the Bronx. And that, the guide said, would be the end of Olive Thomas, or so you’d think.

When the theater was preparing to reopen for The Lion King, Disney threw a big party. At the end of the night, everyone left except for the overnight security guard doing his rounds. He shined his light onto the stage and saw a beautiful woman in a ballgown standing there.

He assumed she had fallen asleep during the party and called out, telling her the party was over and she needed to leave. Instead, she blew a kiss up to the balcony and walked straight through a wall onto 41st Street.

The guide said the guard, who he clarified was an otherwise completely rational man, ran outside, around the corner to a payphone, and called the police. They searched the building but found no one. After that, he refused to work nights and only agreed to come back during the day.

Later, while staff were choosing photos to hang in the hallway, the guard saw one and got upset, thinking it was a joke. He said the woman in the photo was exactly who he had seen, and she was wearing the same dress. It turned out to be a photo of Olive Thomas from the 1920s Winter Follies.

From there, the guide added, Olive has a reputation as a bit of a prankster, especially with men. There are stories of people seeing a pair of legs walking downstairs, only to find no one there when they turn around. Another story involved a father looking for a booster seat; a woman handed him one, but when he went to thank her, the ushers said no one matching her description worked there.

The guide even shared a personal experience. During early morning tour setup, they kept turning on the “tour lights,” only for all the lights in the theater to go out again. After this happened multiple times, the guide jokingly said, “Olive, we have to work, please leave the lights on.” After that, the lights stayed on.

Whether you believe in ghosts or think these happenings can be explained away, it’s fun hearing about the creepy side of history and the stories behind some of the people who used to make 42nd come alive!

For those looking to take a trip to the Big Apple for some Broadway magic, Laughing Place recommends Mouse Fan Travel.

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