The York Theatre

What it reported doing in 2024

To be a birthplace for new, literate, intimate musicals, and a place where underappreciated musical gems from the past are rediscovered.since 1969, the yorks significant impact has outpaced our budget and staff size: producing 75+ mainstage productions, 100+ musicals in mufti, and 45+ cast recordings. Developmental readings have nurtured the creation of nearly 700 new musicals. We received a special drama desk award for vital contributions to theater by developing and producing new musicals, and an outer critics circle special achievement award for 50 years of producing new and classic musicals.principal programs: mainstage (full-scale productions, most are world, american, or ny premieres); new2ny (limited-run ny premieres), musicals in mufti (limited-run revivals of neglected/lesser-known works); and developmental readings of works in progress (which also serves as one pipeline to productions). Through these activities, we expose audiences to varied forms of musical theater at all stages of development, support musical theaters future, and foster appreciation of its past. In curating each season, the artistic team looks for fresh approaches, stories, and characters, and considers audience and community feedback.our 2024/2025 season provided space for new stories to take center stage. Welcome to the big dipper (music and lyrics by jimmy roberts and book by catherine filloux and john daggett) made its world premiere in december 2025. The show received critical acclaim, leading to a cast recording featuring the york's company. It has since enjoyed continued life beyond New York, including a regional production in des moines, Iowa. We premiered two new2nys musicals according to howard (world-premiere) and who is jimmy pants? (world-premiere), as well as our beloved musicals in mufti programming with a revival of platinum dreams. The york's developmental readings and workshops allow creators to receive valuable feedback on new works. This program has been the incubator for such shows as avenue q; summer of 42; harold and maude; yank!; in transit; souvenir; the musical of musicals (the musical!); mark felt; superstar; we foxes; marry harry; and desperate measures. Our 24/25 season saw the development of 8 new works. In 2025, we launched a re-brand and a new website, which honors our legacy while modernizing our look to engage new audiences; and launched the micki grant artist-in-residence program (honoring the trailblazing artist and york honorary board member emerita) to support early-career theatermakers from underrepresented communities.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 56.6%; rating input score 57
• Program expense ratio: 84%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $21.84 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 34%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.34; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings