Gaiety Theatre (New York City)

Coordinates: 40°45′31″N 73°59′07″W / 40.758544°N 73.985406°W / 40.758544; -73.985406
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gaiety Theatre
Victoria Theatre, Embassy 5
Map
Address1547 Broadway
New York City
United States
TypeBroadway
Construction
Opened1909
Demolished1982

The Gaiety Theatre was a Broadway theatre at 1547 Broadway in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City from 1909 until 1982, when it was torn down.

The office building that housed the theatre, the Gaiety Building, has been called the Black

African-American
songwriters who rented office space there.

It was designed by

Herts & Tallant and owned by George M. Cohan. The theatre introduced revolutionary concepts of a sunken orchestra (the previous configuration had the orchestra on the same level as the seats in front of the stage) and also not having pillars obstructing sight lines for the balcony.[1]

History

The theatre opened on September 4, 1909 with the Fortune Hunter. In 1914 the theatre had a hit production with Jean Webster's Daddy-Long-Legs;[2] a show which made Ruth Chatterton a star.[3] Its biggest hit during its early years was Lightnin' which played for 1,291 performances starting August 16, 1918.

Minsky's

After 1933,[4] the theatre became a Minsky's Burlesque. One of the top venues in the circuit, it featured performances by Ann Corio and Gypsy Rose Lee, as well as comedy acts such as Abbott and Costello.

Victoria

In 1943, Mayor

Edward Durrell Stone
designed a renovation of the interior which was expanded to 1,050 seats.

A sign on the roof of the theatre went across the neighboring

Budweiser.[1]

Embassy 5

In 1980, the theatre was renamed the Embassy 5, as the fifth theatre owned by the Embassy chain in the Times Square area. In 1982 it was one of five theatres torn down to make way for the

New York Marriott Marquis Hotel
.

Black Tin Pan Alley

The office building above the Gaiety was popular among black composers who were not allowed in the

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "CHARM AND HUMOR IN 'DADDY LONG LEGS'; Ruth Chatterton Excels as Judy in Jean Webster's Play Made from Her Book". The New York Times. September 29, 1914. p. 11.
  3. ^ "Ruth Chatterton Dies; Was Actress 4 Decades". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. November 25, 1961. p. A7. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "Premiere on Wednesday". Daily News. New York City. August 14, 1933. Retrieved August 11, 2020.

External links

40°45′31″N 73°59′07″W / 40.758544°N 73.985406°W / 40.758544; -73.985406