Duplex Cabaret Theatre
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 Entrance of The Duplex | |
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| Location | 61 Christopher Street Manhattan, New York City 10014 |
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| Coordinates | 40°44′02″N 74°00′09″W / 40.73378°N 74.00249°W |
| Owner | Tony DeCicco |
| Type | |
| Opened | 1951 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Duplex, also known as The Duplex Piano Bar and Cabaret, is a historical
History
Early years
The Duplex originally opened in 1951 on 55 Grove Street, between 7th Avenue and Bleecker Street, founded by then-owner Jimmy di Martino.[2] In 1955, he leased the second-floor bar to singer Lovelady Powell, pianist Brooks Morton, and actor Hal Holbrook.[3] The trio began transforming the second floor into a nightclub performance venue which opened in September 1955 with the name “Upstairs-at-the-Duplex.”
The three performers and co-managers used the performance space as a place to workshop and try out new material. They performed a show in which Powell sang dramatic renditions of songs by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Bart Howard and others accompanied by Morton. After an intermission followed a routine in which Holbrook impersonated Mark Twain. Holbrook’s act, Mark Twain Tonight!, later moved to Broadway in 1966, earning a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play and an Emmy nomination for its CBS TV special.[3] The trio performed their 90-minute show three times a night for tourists and locals alike, as Greenwich village had been experiencing a resurgence as a center for night life in New York City.[2]
Within months, Upstairs-at-the-Duplex had gained notoriety as a popular hotspot, including reviews in the
Notable performers
- Alf Klimek[2]
- Ann Hampton Callaway[2]
- Anne Meara[2]
- Barbra Streisand[2]
- Bert Convy[2]
- Betty Rhodes[2]
- Bill Cosby[4]
- Charles Busch[2]
- Chicago City Limits[2]
- Claiborne Cary[2]
- Dava Savel[2]
- David Brenner[2]
- David Frye[2]
- David St. James[2]
- David Strassman[2]
- Dawn Hampton[2]
- Denny Dillon[2]
- Dick Cavett[2]
- Dick Gautier[2]
- Dinah Lenney[2]
- Don Francks[2]
- Faith Dane[2]
- Fred Willard[2]
- George Furth[2]
- Hal Holbrook[2]
- Holly Woodlawn[2]
- "Professor" Irwin Corey[2]
- Jack Betts[2]
- Jane Anderson[2]
- Janet Lawson[2]
- Jason Graae[2]
- Jeanna Michaels[2]
- Jennifer Warren[2]
- Jerry Stiller[2]
- Jo Anne Worley[2]
- Jo Mapes[2]
- Joan Rivers[2]
- Joanne Beretta[2]
- John Byner[2]
- John Melfi[2]
- John Paul Hudson[2]
- John Wallowitch[2]
- June Squibb[2]
- Karen Mason[2]
- Keith Christopher[2]
- Larry Hankin[2]
- Lee Roy Reams[2]
- Leslie Randall[2]
- Linda Lavin[2]
- Liz Callaway[2]
- London Lee[2]
- Loni Ackerman[2]
- Louis St. Louis[2]
- Lovelady Powell[2]
- Lynne Lipton[2]
- Marshall Brickman[2]
- Mary Louise Wilson[2]
- Mary-Pat Green[2]
- Michael Callen[2]
- Michael Dunn[2]
- Nancy LaMott[2]
- Nathan Lane[2]
- Pamela Shaw[2]
- Ralston Hill[2]
- Rhonda Hansome[2]
- Richard Pryor[2]
- Rick Crom[2]
- Robert Klein[5]
- Rodney Dangerfield[2]
- Rosalind Cash[2]
- Ruth Buzzi[2]
- Sal Piro[2]
- Sam Anderson[2]
- Shelly Burch[2]
- Stanley Kamel[2]
- Stanley Myron Handelman[2]
- Steve Landesberg[2]
- Sylvia Syms[2]
- Vaughn Meader[2]
- Veronica Nunn[2]
- Woody Allen[2]
Notable shows and performances
- Mark Twain Tonight!, later winning a Tony Award and Emmy nomination for its Broadway production and CBS broadcast.[3][6]
- The original 38-week run of The Nunsense Story, precursor to the Off-Broadway Nunsense[3]
- Mostly Sondheim, a musical-theatre open mic that ran from 2004 to 2016, music directed by Brian Nash.[7]
Popular culture
- In the episode titled "Between a Rock and Harlin's Place" of the NBC sitcom Will and Grace, Jack performs his one-man show "Just Jack" at The Duplex.[8]
- In the children's musical comedy special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch (2019), Jonah Mussolini describes a fictional book tiled "Sascha's Dad Does Drag" in the show's "What Are You Reading" segment in which a young boy spies on his father performing in drag at The Duplex.[9][10]
- The December 5, 2020 episode of Saturday Night Live included a sketch which was set at The Duplex featuring Cecily Strong and Bowen Yang.[11]
Reception
The Duplex ranked number 35 on NewNowNext's list of the "50 Most Popular Gay Bars in the United States" in 2019.[12]
See also
References
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd Diamond, David (March 1982). Cabaret Performance, A History of the Duplex: New York's Oldest Cabaret 1950-1981. New York, New York: New York University, Department of Performance Studies.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7627-9477-5.
- ^ McGlynn, Katla (19 December 2017). "What the Marvelous MRS. Maisel Gets Right About Early Stand-up Comedy". Vulture.
- ^ "Being Dick Cavett". May 2010.
- ^ McDonnell, Brandy (September 13, 2017). "Hal Holbrook retires his award-winning one-man show 'Mark Twain Tonight!' after 63 years, cancels Oklahoma City performance". The Oklahoman.
- ^ Viagas, Robert (March 31, 2016). "After 12 Years, Mostly Sondheim Shuts Down the Open Mic". Playbill.
- user-generated source]
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (23 December 2019). "'John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- user-generated source]
- ^ Wild, Stephi (December 6, 2020). "VIDEO: Cecily Strong and Bowen Yang Perform in a Cabaret at The Duplex on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE". Broadway World.
- ^ van Gorder, Bryan (January 15, 2019). "The 50 Most Popular Gay Bars in the United States". NewNowNext. Logo TV. Retrieved 2019-01-15.