Theatres

Alvin Theatre

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

The first production of Porgy and Bess was produced at the Alvin Theatre at 250 West 52nd Street, as well as Funny Face in 1927 with Fred and Adele Astaire, Treasure Girl in 1928 with Gertrude Lawrence and Clifton Webb and Girl Crazy in 1930 with Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Todd Duncan and Anne Brown in the original production of Porgy and Bess in 1935.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

The Alvin is now called the Neil Simon Theatre and in April 2015 was home to Gigi.

Times Square Theatre

The revised version of Strike Up The Band in 1930 was produced at the Times Square Theatre, 217 West 42nd Street.  George conducted the opening night and in the middle of ‘I’ve Got A Crush On You’ he turned to Kay Swift, who was sitting directly behind him in the centre of the front row, and whispered “Andy and Kay!” because her two daughters had worked out their own soft-shoe dance to this song.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

I don’t think this theatre exists any more, although I found the address written on a door and think it must have been this building with the columns.

This theatre has been vacant since 1988 when it was an adult movie theatre.  The last Broadway show there was in 1934 and starred Talulah Bankhead.

Tim Dolan of Broadway Up Close Walking Tours was recently lucky enough to see inside this theatre and has let me include some of his photos here.  Many of the original 1920 elements are still intact including the proscenium arch and boxes. That will all be removed, preserved, restored, and reinstalled in the renovation plans. The space will be converted into a lavish retail space incorporating original details of the theater. March 2019 is the last month that these pieces of history will remain in their original configuration.

 

Music Box

This is at 239 W 45th Street.  Irving Berlin was one of the founders, and many of his revues were staged here.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Imperial

This is next to the Music Box Theatre at 249 W 45th Street.

Courtesy of the Museum of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities files.

George’s sketch of a chorus girl for Of Thee I Sing in 1931.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files.

New Amsterdam

This is at 214 W 42nd Street.

 Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Globe Theatre

This is now the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre at 205 W 46th Street.

The Globe Theatre was the home of George White’s Scandals.

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York, Theatrical Personalities Files

Ziegfeld Theatre, 1341 6th Avenue at 54th Street

Showgirl was produced by Florenz Ziegfeld in July 1929 and the cast included Ruby Keeler, Eddie Foy Jr, Jimmy Durante and Harriet Hoctor with Duke Ellington’s Orchestra.

It included the song Liza, and An American in Paris Blues Ballet.

An American in Paris from Show Girl

The Ziegfeld Theatre is now a Hilton Hotel but the Ziegfeld cinema is just round the corner on 54th Street.

When the Ziegfeld Theatre was demolished in 1966, a friend of the owner remarked on how much he loved the front of the theatre and one day, a crane lowered a piece of one of the two front statues onto the front patio of his brownstone.  As it was too heavy to move, it’s still there at 52 East 80th Street.