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40-747: The Park Theatre opened in 1883 (also known as the New Park Theatre ) on the partly demolished site of the Great New York Aquarium (1876–1881), which is unrelated to the later New York Aquarium . Actor Charles E. Evans, retiring from the stage with cash in hand from the long-running success of A Parlor Match , refurbished the prior Harrigan's Park Theatre as the Herald Square Theatre in 1894. It stood at 1331 Broadway, designed by architects Rose & Stone, with about 1150 seats and with its interior furnished by

80-547: A star system by importing English talent and providing the theatre a veneer of upper-class respectability. Rivals such as the Chatham Garden and Bowery theatres appeared in the 1820s, and the Park had to adapt to survive. Blackface acts and melodrama squeezed Italian opera and English drama out of their preferential positions. Nevertheless, the theatre maintained its upscale image until it burned down in 1848. In

120-721: A tent city 's worth of squatters, and the local poorhouse . Lewis Hallam, Jr. , and John Hodgkinson , both members of the John Street Theatre company, obtained the building's lease. They hired remnants of the Colonial Old American Company to form the nucleus of the theatre's in-house troupe and thus give the establishment the sheen of tradition and American culture. Meanwhile, the men quarreled, and construction continued languorously. The theatre finally held its first performance on January 29, 1798, despite still being under construction. The gross

160-522: A Frenchman who had fled to New York to avoid the Reign of Terror and was then the city's engineer. Part way through construction, however, the project ran out of money. The owners sold more shares for what would eventually mount to a construction cost of more than $ 130,000. As a cost-saving measure, Brunel's exterior design for the building was not implemented. The resulting three-story structure measured 80 feet (24 m) wide by 165 feet (50 m) deep and

200-578: A Grand Old Flag " in 1906, and it was also where William Randolph Hearst first saw and met his wife Millicent Willson during her appearance as a "bicycle girl" in 1897. 40°45′4″N 73°59′17.5″W  /  40.75111°N 73.988194°W  / 40.75111; -73.988194 Park Theatre (Manhattan) The Park Theatre , originally known as the New Theatre , was a playhouse in New York City, located at 21–25 Park Row in

240-646: A large park. Coffeehouses and hotels soon followed. Despite its upper-class luster, however, some commentators found due cause to criticize the Park. In her landmark book, Domestic Manners of the Americans , the British writer Frances Trollope gave a mixed review: The piece was extremely well got up, and on this occasion we saw the Park Theatre to advantage, for it was filled with well-dressed company; but still we saw many 'yet unrazored lips' polluted with

280-659: A neighbouring shed, although Dunlap speculates that these were originally under the stage. Its seating capacity was approximately 750. John Street opened on December 7, 1767, with a production of The Beaux' Stratagem , and for 31 years was the only theatre in Manhattan. From 1767 to 1774, the theatre was operated by the American Company, which gave New York its first performances of The Merchant of Venice , Macbeth , King John and Every Man in his Humour , as well as contemporary plays. The theatre

320-476: A new theatre, Park Theatre , on Park Row, Manhattan. Hallam and Hodgkinson had, despite their differences, jointly acquired the lease of it, with the intention of the new theatre becoming the new home of the American Company. Construction was slow, but it eventually opened on January 29, 1798. The American Company transferred there, and remained at Park Theatre, under Dunlap's direction, Hodgkinson having himself resigned shortly after Hallam, until 1805. Meanwhile,

360-486: A traditional Cherokee war dance for a future audience: the offer was accepted, although the management, in its advertisements, requested that the audience behaved with proper decorum "as the persons who have condescended to contribute to their entertainment are of rank and consequence in their own country". The theatre was forced to temporarily close in 1774 when the Continental Association banned

400-484: The New York Herald noted: On Friday night the Park Theatre contained 83 of the most profligate and abandoned women that ever disgraced humanity; they entered in the same door, and for a time mixed indiscriminately with 63 virtuous and respectable ladies. ... Men of New York, take not your wives and daughters to the Park Theatre, until Mr. Simpson pays some respect to them by constructing a separate entrance for

440-624: The American Company from Hallam's old company and toured the United States performing and, if it was necessary, erecting theatres, across America. Douglass had built two temporary theatres in New York - on Cruger's Wharf and on Beekman Street - but his third New York theatre, the John Street Theatre, was the city's first permanent playhouse. The John Street Theatre was modelled after Douglass's own Southwark Theatre in Philadelphia ,

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480-642: The Broadway theater district migrated north of 40th Street. The theatre offered a variety of entertainment, from plays, like Shaw 's Arms and the Man (1894), to Edwardian musical comedies , like The Girl from Kay's (1903–1904) and The Girl Behind the Counter (1907–1908), to operetta, like Reginald De Koven and Harry B. Smith 's Rob Roy . It saw the first performance of the George M. Cohan song " You're

520-466: The John Street Theatre was rented to Sollee's theatrical company, from Boston, for the autumn 1797 season. Sollee's cast included Eliza Arnold , mother of Edgar Allan Poe , and Elizabeth Whitlock , sister of Sarah Siddons . Afterwards, the American Company gave a last brief winter 1797/98 season at the theatre before moving to Park Theatre. The John Street Theatre was used for the last time on January 13, 1798, after which Hallam sold it for £115 to

560-436: The Park and for a circuit of theatres in other American cities. During this period, Price left much of the operating management of the theatre to Edmund Simpson . The Park at this point was already known for high-class entertainments, but Price and Simpson's policies helped to reinforce this as they booked English drama, Italian opera , and other upper-class bills, such as actress Clara Fisher . Price and Simpson also fostered

600-506: The abandoned of the sex. Nevertheless, the theatre's traditional patronage continued to support it, and the Park largely maintained its high-class reputation. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a more critical editorial in the Broadway Journal : The well-trained company of rats at the Park Theatre understand, it is said, their cue perfectly. It is worth the price of admission to see their performance. By long training they know precisely

640-700: The careers of many American performers, including Edwin Forrest and Charlotte Cushman . The Park burned down in May 1820, and was entirely destroyed except for its exterior walls. The owners rebuilt the following year, and reopened in September 1821. The company performed at the Anthony Street Theatre during the rebuilding. In the early 1820s, the New Theatre was New York's only theatre, and

680-432: The company was soon performing full-scale productions at the theatre again. During this period, the theatre gave New York its first productions of As You Like It , Much Ado About Nothing , The School for Scandal and The Critic . As well as Hallam, the theatre's regular cast included such well-known actors of the day as John Henry , Thomas Wignell , Elizabeth Walker Morris and Charlotte Melmoth . In 1787,

720-492: The design; the resulting theatre had a rather plain exterior. The doors opened in January 1798. In its early years, the Park enjoyed little to no competition in New York City. Nevertheless, it rarely made a profit for its owners or managers, prompting them to sell it in 1805. Under the management of Stephen Price and Edmund Simpson in the 1810s and 1820s, the Park enjoyed its most successful period. Price and Simpson initiated

760-450: The first permanent theatre in the United States, which was itself modelled on the theatres of London. No pictures survive of the building's exterior. Dunlap described it as "principally of wood, an unsightly object, painted red". It was set 60 feet back from the street, with a wooden covered walkway from the pavement to the doors. Inside, it had two tiers of boxes , a pit and a gallery. The dressing rooms and green room were located in

800-652: The grim tinge of hateful tobacco, and heard, without ceasing, the spitting, which of course is its consequence. If their theaters had the orchestra of the Feydeau, and a choir of angels to boot, I could find but little pleasure, so long as they were followed by this running accompaniment of thorough base . By the late 1830s, blackface acts and Bowery-style melodrama had come to eclipse traditional drama in popularity for New York audiences. Simpson adapted, booking more novelty acts and entertainments that emphasized spectacle over high culture. The patronage changed, as well, as

840-493: The interior of the nearby Booth's Theatre , which was being demolished. Lee Shubert took over the lease of the theatre in 1900, making it the first Broadway theatre owned by The Shubert Organization . Partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt, in 1911 it became "the first New York theatre to be converted into a silent movie house", but it was demolished only three years later, as the Garment District expanded, and

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880-466: The lack of competition allowed the theatre to enjoy its most profitable period. The Chatham Garden Theatre was built in 1823 and provided the first real challenge to the Park's primacy; the Bowery Theatre followed in 1826. The New Theatre, having lost its newness, became known as the Park Theatre around this time. At first, each of the rivals aimed for the same upper-class audience. However, by

920-463: The late 1820s and early 1830s, the Bowery and Chatham Garden had begun to cater to a more working-class clientele. In comparison, the Park became the theatre of choice for bon ton . This was helped by the evolution of its neighborhood. New York home owners had steadily moved northward from Bowling Green so that by this point, the Park stood in an upper-class residential area and fronted City Hall and

960-411: The late 18th century, New York's only playhouse was the decaying and increasingly low-brow John Street Theatre . Tired of attending such an establishment, a group of wealthy New Yorkers began planning the construction of a new playhouse in 1795. Investors bought 113 shares at $ 375 each to cover the estimated $ 42,375 cost. To plan the structure, the owners hired celebrated architect Marc Isambard Brunel ,

1000-517: The management team. Hallam parted mid-season, and Hodgkinson waited for season's end before doing the same. Dunlap remained as sole proprietor; his expenses were so great that he had to make at least $ 1,200 per week to break even. He left in 1805 after declaring bankruptcy. After a few more failed managers, the owners sold the theatre to John Jacob Astor and John Beekman in 1805. These men kept it until its demolition in 1848. Over three months in 1807, English-born architect John Joseph Holland remodeled

1040-540: The performance of stage plays, considering them to be "extravagance and dissipation". The American Company returned to the West Indies, where it had been founded. In 1777, after the British forces captured New York during the American War of Independence , the city's British garrison took over the theatre and renamed it "Theatre Royal". The troops, under the direction of the infamous Major John André (who

1080-471: The present Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan , about 200 feet (61 m) east of Ann Street and backing Theatre Alley . The location, at the north end of the city, overlooked the park that would soon house City Hall . French architect Marc Isambard Brunel collaborated with fellow émigré Joseph-François Mangin and his brother Charles on the design of the building in the 1790s. Construction costs mounted to precipitous levels, and changes were made in

1120-466: The public, alienating the theatre's managers and current stars, John Henry and Lewis Hallam Jr, leading to acrimonious arguments. Henry eventually resigned from the company in 1794 and Hallam left three years later, leaving Hodgkinson and William Dunlap as the theatre's managers. The theatre building itself was growing shabby and was no longer considered prestigious enough for a city of New York's growing importance. In 1795, plans had been made to build

1160-438: The theatre produced Ryall Tyler's The Contrast , in which a character, Jonathan, visits John Street Theatre, and mistakes a scene acted on the stage for a real-life family party. The play also includes a description of the theatre. George Washington visited the theatre three times in 1789, watching The School for Scandal , The Clandestine Marriage and William Dunlap 's Darby's Return . Shortly before its closure,

1200-467: The theatre produced what is considered to be America's earliest musical - The Archers (subtitled The Mountaineers of Switzerland ). Written by Dunlap and Benjamin Carr , and based on the legend of William Tell , it ran for three performances from April 18 to 22, 1796. John Hodgkinson , an English actor newly arrived in New York, joined the American Company in 1792. He soon became extremely popular with

1240-579: The theatre's interior. He added gas lighting , coffee rooms, roomier boxes, and a repainted ceiling. After acquiring a controlling interest in the theatre, Stephen Price became manager in 1808. He instituted a star system , whereby he paid English actors and actresses to play English dramas there. Price spent much time in England, including four years (1826–1830) as manager of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , where he recruited successful actors for

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1280-547: The time when the curtain rises, and the exact degree in which the audience is spellbound by what is going on. At the sound of the bell [signaling the start of the show] they sally out; scouring the pit for chance peanuts and orange-peel. When, by the rhyming couplets, they are made aware that the curtain is about to fall, they disappear—through the intensity of the performers. A profitable engagement might be made, we think, with "the celebrated Dog Bill" [part of William Cole 's act in P. T. Barnum 's American Museum]. The Park Theatre

1320-402: The view of the stage is so complete from all parts of the house, or where the actors are heard with such distinctness. The house is made to contain about 2,000 persons. The audience part, though wanting in those brilliant decorations which the artists have designed for it, yet exhibited a neatness and simplicity which were highly agreeable. The stage was everything that could be wished. The scenery

1360-468: Was also the first to introduce " blackface " performances to the United States, with Lewis Hallam Junior 's blacked-up portrayal of Mungo in The Padlock , which premiered at John Street on May 29, 1769. A party of nine Cherokee chiefs attended a performance of Richard III at the theatre on December 14, 1767, and were so pleased with the civility of their reception that they offered to perform

1400-704: Was an impressive $ 1,232, and, according to theatre historian T. Allston Brown , hundreds of potential patrons had to be turned away. New York newspapers generally praised the New Theatre: On Monday evening last, the New Theatre was opened to the most overflowing house that was ever witnessed in this city. Though the Commissioners have been constrained to open it in an unfinished state, it still gave high satisfaction. The essential requisites of hearing and seeing have been happily attained. We do not remember to have been in any Theatre where

1440-467: Was eventually hanged for his part in the Benedict Arnold affair), staged plays to maintain morale during the British occupation. André was particularly known at the theatre for his scene-painting, which was much admired. The British withdrew in 1783 and two years later The American Company returned to John Street Theatre, under the direction of Hallam Jr.. Beginning with small "entertainments"

1480-417: Was executed in a most masterly style. The extensiveness of the scale upon which the scenes are executed, the correctness of the designs, and the elegance of the painting, presented the most beautiful views which the imagination can conceive. The scenery was of itself worth a visit to the theatre. The theatre offered performances on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. William Dunlap eventually joined

1520-413: Was finally destroyed by fire on December 16, 1848. The Astor family opted not to rebuild it, the more fashionable clientele having moved north to Washington Square and Fifth Avenue ; instead they had stores constructed on the site. Notes Sources John Street Theatre (Manhattan) John Street Theatre , situated at 15–21 John Street , sometimes called "The Birthplace of American Theatre",

1560-466: Was made of plain dressed stone. The overall effect was an air of austerity. The interiors, on the other hand, were quite lavish. The building followed the traditional European style of placing a gallery over three tiers of boxes , which overlooked the U-shaped pit. The section of Manhattan where the theatre stood was not stylish: the New Theatre, as it was called, was neighbor to Bridewell Prison ,

1600-631: Was the first permanent theatre in the Financial District of Manhattan , New York . It opened on December 7, 1767, and was operated for several decades by the American Company . It closed on January 13, 1798. The theatre was built by David Douglass (c. 1720 – 1786), an English actor who had emigrated to Jamaica in about 1750. There he met Lewis Hallam , leader of a touring theatrical company, and, after Hallam's death, married his widow, Sarah Hallam . The newly married pair formed

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