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146-559: Shanley was born into an Irish-American family in The Bronx , New York City . His mother worked as a telephone operator, and his father was a meat-packer. The neighborhood Shanley grew up in was considered very rough. Shanley's academic career did not begin well, but ultimately he graduated from New York University with honors from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development . In his program bio for

292-618: A frontage of 75 ft (23 m) on 47th Street and a depth of 126 ft (38 m). The Friedman shares the block with the Ethel Barrymore Theatre , Longacre Theatre , and Morgan Stanley Building to the east. Other nearby buildings include the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and Walter Kerr Theatre to the north; Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan to the northeast; the Hotel Edison and Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to

438-479: A $ 35 million fundraising campaign for the theater. At the time, MTC had raised $ 20 million, including $ 5 million from the city government and $ 4.65 million from Biltmore 47. In addition, Biltmore 47 gave a construction loan of $ 10.35 million, for a total gift of $ 15 million. The city's share was increased to $ 6.4 million, while the MTC board gave $ 12 million. Polshek Partnership Architects restored surviving sections of

584-447: A 2019 study, "the sons of farmers and illiterate men were more likely to emigrate than their literate and skilled counterparts. Emigration rates were highest in poorer farming communities with stronger migrant networks." Of the total Irish immigrants to the U.S. from 1820 to 1860, many died crossing the ocean due to disease and dismal conditions of what became known as coffin ships . Irish immigration had greatly increased beginning in

730-621: A Broadway home would make their productions eligible for the Tony Awards . Duncan Hazard of Polshek Partnership, a longtime friend of MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow , was involved in the search. Hazard was watching The Iceman Cometh at the Brooks Atkinson in 1999 when he saw the Biltmore across the street during intermission. He contacted MTC director of operations Michael Moody, who had previously considered and rejected

876-507: A Broadway theater was infeasible. In March 1996, the Nederlanders and Lane entered a contract to sell the theater to developer Joseph Moinian for $ 14.4 million. Moinian also bought five tenements on Eighth Avenue that were owned solely by the Nederlanders. The next year, Moinian announced he would build a 750-key hotel using air rights from the Biltmore and Brooks Atkinson theaters. The historic auditorium would be restored, but it

1022-401: A buyer who wanted to use the valuable air rights above the theater. The Biltmore hosted Boys of Winter with Matt Dillon at the end of the year, limiting the audience to 499 seats because a 500-seat house would require negotiations with Broadway theatrical unions. In February 1986, Cogan sold the Biltmore to developer Samuel Pfeiffer for an estimated $ 5 million; Pfeiffer promised to keep

1168-649: A cropland rent spike in Ireland. From 1815 to 1845, 500,000 more Irish Protestant immigrants came from Ireland to the United States, as part of a migration of approximately 1 million immigrants from Ireland from 1820 to 1845. In 1820, following the Louisiana Purchase in 1804 and the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1819, and acquisition of territories formerly controlled by Catholic European nations,

1314-715: A degree in Educational Theatre, and is a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre . Shanley is the author of more than 23 plays, which have been translated and performed around the world, including 80 productions a year in North America. He has often directed his own productions. He has also written for film; his second film, Moonstruck (1987), stars Nicolas Cage and Cher , and won three Academy Awards , including one for his screenplay. In 1990, Shanley directed his script of Joe Versus

1460-660: A generation of Americans, not of Englishmen or Germans or Scots-Irish." The two groups had little initial interaction in America, as the 18th-century Ulster immigrants were predominantly Protestant and had become settled largely in upland regions of the American interior, while the huge wave of 19th-century Catholic immigrant families settled primarily in the Northeast and Midwest port cities such as Boston , Philadelphia , New York , Buffalo , or Chicago . However, beginning in

1606-600: A great influence on the later culture of the Southern United States in particular and the culture of the United States in general through such contributions as American folk music , country and western music, and stock car racing , which became popular throughout the country in the late 20th century. Irish immigrants of this period participated in significant numbers in the American Revolution , leading one British Army officer to testify at

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1752-571: A highly malignant disease environment, with mosquitoes spreading disease. Most of the men did not establish families and died childless because the population of the Chesapeake Colonies, like the Thirteen Colonies in the aggregate, was not sex-balanced until the 18th century. Three-quarters of the immigrants to the Chesapeake Colonies were male (and in some periods, 4:1 or 6:1 male-to-female) and fewer than 1 percent were over

1898-403: A modified Ionic style. Above the boxes are lunettes with cameo motifs, as well as archways. The spandrels above the corners of each arch have relief panels. During the renovations, lighting booms were installed in front of the boxes, and red draperies were placed behind the booms to draw attention away from the boom. Next to the false boxes is a proscenium arch. The archway is surrounded by

2044-403: A potential purchase. The landmark designation required the Biltmore to operate as a legitimate Broadway house if it were renovated or if the air rights above it were used. No further progress occurred until early 1991, when the theater was placed for auction again, without its air rights; this time, Pfeiffer was obligated to take the high bid. Jay Cardwell and David Yakir went into contract to buy

2190-494: A rope molding, and there is a cartouche above the middle of the proscenium. The spandrels above the arch's corners contain Adam-style ornamentation. The stage extends behind the proscenium. When the theater was renovated, the stage was lowered significantly to accommodate MTC's productions, which were more intimate compared to other Broadway theatrical productions. The stage lighting was designed by Fisher Dachs Associates and

2336-625: A separate door whenever he bought cheap seats in an upper balcony level. Irwin Chanin was a newcomer to the Broadway theater industry when he was developing his first theater, the 46th Street (now Richard Rodgers) . Chanin hired Herbert Krapp, an experienced architect who had designed multiple Broadway theaters for the Shubert brothers. The 46th Street Theatre opened in early 1925 as Chanin's first Broadway theater. Chanin retained Krapp to design

2482-628: A significant portion, if not the vast majority, of native Irish Americans belonged to the Protestant faith, having converted prior to or after settling in the Thirteen Colonies . In 1820 Irish-born John England became the first Catholic bishop in the mainly Protestant city of Charleston, South Carolina . During the 1820s and 1830s, Bishop England defended the Catholic minority against Protestant prejudices. In 1831 and 1835, he established free schools for free African American children. Inflamed by

2628-609: A transfer from Off-Broadway, premiered at the Biltmore in April 1968. Hair , starring Melba Moore and Diane Keaton , had a total run of 1,750 performances (including off-Broadway) before it closed in 1972. Relatively short runs filled the Biltmore in the 1970s and early 1980s. The play Find Your Way Home with Michael Moriarty opened in 1974. Subsequently, the theater staged Jules Feiffer 's Knock Knock with Leonard Frey and Lynn Redgrave , as well as The Robber Bridegroom with Barry Bostwick , in 1976. The next year,

2774-604: Is a Broadway theater at 261 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the neo-Renaissance style and was constructed for Irwin Chanin . It has 650 seats across two levels and is operated by the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). The auditorium interior is a New York City landmark , and the theater

2920-532: Is designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style with low-relief classical ornamentation. It is made of glazed white brick with white terracotta decorations. The first story of the facade is symmetrically arranged and is faced with rusticated terracotta blocks. The center of the first story contains the main entrance to the theater, with glass-and-metal doors connecting with the box office lobby. Sign boards are placed on either side of

3066-404: Is designed with plaster decorations in relief . The Friedman is one of the smaller Broadway theaters. The Broadway League cites the theater as having a capacity of 650 seats, while Playbill cites 637 seats. The first two rows of the orchestra can be removed to provide as few as 600 seats for small productions. Prior to a renovation in 2001, the theater had 948 seats. The entire theater

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3212-491: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Since 2008, the theater has been named for Broadway publicist Samuel J. Friedman (1912–1974), whose family was a major donor to MTC. The facade is largely designed in terracotta and buff-colored brick. The ground floor, which contains the theater's entrance, is shielded by a marquee. The upper stories are divided into bays separated by fluted pilasters , and

3358-484: Is wheelchair-accessible via an elevator at the rear of the auditorium. Because MTC sought to have non-amplified sound, the auditorium has carpets only in the aisles and the seats are designed with hard backs. On average, the new seats are 20 to 22 in (510 to 560 mm) wide and have 32 in (810 mm) of legroom. The Friedman and Rodgers were the Chanins' only two Broadway theaters that Krapp designed in

3504-460: The 1st Proprietary-Governor of Maryland ). The Maryland General Assembly later passed the 1649 Maryland Toleration Act explicitly guaranteeing those privileges for Catholics. Like the rest of the indentured servant population (who were mostly men) in the Chesapeake Colonies at the time, 40 to 50 percent died before completing their contracts. Conditions were harsh and the Tidewater region had

3650-514: The Adam style . His other four theaters for the family (the Brooks Atkinson , Majestic , John Golden , and Bernard B. Jacobs ) were designed in a Spanish style. Since its renovation, the interior has been decorated in a cream and brown color scheme, with red and blue highlights. The rear (south) end of the orchestra contains a promenade. The orchestra is raked ; the angle of the rake

3796-793: The Chesapeake Colonies from the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s (out of a total of approximately 10,000 Catholic immigrants from Ireland to the United States prior to the American Revolutionary War in 1775). Indentured servitude in British America emerged in part due to the high cost of passage across the Atlantic Ocean. Indentured servants followed their patrons to the latter's choice of colonies as destinations. While

3942-554: The Church of England as the official state church. In 1698 and 1699, Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina passed laws specifically limiting immigration of Irish Catholic indentured servants. In 1700, the estimated population of Maryland was 29,600, about 2,500 of whom were Catholic. In the 18th century, emigration from Ireland to the Thirteen Colonies shifted from being primarily Catholic to being primarily Protestant . With

4088-640: The Colony of Virginia established the Anglican Church as the official religion, and passed laws prohibiting the free exercise of Catholicism during the colonial period , the General Assembly of the Province of Maryland enacted laws in 1639 protecting freedom of religion (following the instructions of a 1632 letter from Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore to his brother Leonard Calvert ,

4234-822: The Continental United States as of the 1790 Census . A 1932 report conducted by the American Council of Learned Societies , in collaboration with the United States Census Bureau , concluded that around 6.3% of the White population was of native Irish descent - separate from those of Anglo-Irish and Scots-Irish descent - by determining ancestry based on distinctly native Irish surnames (such as Murphy , Sullivan and Doherty , for example). It has been noted by several historians - in particular Kerby A. Miller - that

4380-761: The Democratic Party Organizations , opposed abolition of slavery , and generally favored preserving the Union in 1860, when they voted for Stephen Douglas . After secession in 1861, the Southern Irish Catholic community supported the Confederate States of America and 20,000 Irish Catholics served in the Confederate States Army . Gleason says: Support for Irish Confederate soldiers from home

4526-753: The Duke's Laws . The Frame of Government in William Penn 's 1682 land grant established free exercise of religion for all Christians in the Province of Pennsylvania . Following the Glorious Revolution (1688–1689), colonial governments disenfranchised Catholics in Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Carolina, and Virginia. In Maryland, suffrage was restored in 1702. In 1692, the Maryland General Assembly had established

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4672-737: The House of Commons that "half the rebels (referring to soldiers in the Continental Army) were from Ireland and that half of them spoke Irish." Irish Americans - Charles Carroll , Daniel Carroll , Thomas Lynch Jr. , James Duane , Cornelius Harnett , and several more signed the foundational documents of the United States—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution —and, beginning with Andrew Jackson , served as president. Estimated Irish American population in

4818-599: The Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Shanley wrote and directed the 2008 film version , which starred Meryl Streep , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Amy Adams and Viola Davis . The screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award, and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay . Doubt: A Parable , is featured in The Fourth Wall , a book of photographs by Amy Arbus for which Shanley also wrote

4964-658: The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre , produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club, on January 3, 2014 (in previews) and officially on January 23, 2014. The play was directed by Doug Hughes and starred Debra Messing and Brían F. O'Byrne . The play is set in the Irish countryside. In 2020, a film adaptation of the play was released, entitled Wild Mountain Thyme . Prodigal Son , which he directed, was produced Off-Broadway by

5110-523: The Shubert brothers , one of the major theatrical syndicates of the time. The Chanin brothers developed another grouping of theaters in the mid-1920s. Though the Chanins largely specialized in real estate rather than theaters, Irwin Chanin had become interested in theater when he was an impoverished student at the Cooper Union . He subsequently recalled that he had been "humiliated" by having to use

5256-575: The Southern Colonies ). Immigration during the war came to a standstill except by 5,000 German mercenaries from Hesse who remained in the country following the war. Out of the 115 killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill , 22 were Irish-born. Their names include Callaghan, Casey, Collins, Connelly, Dillon, Donohue, Flynn, McGrath, Nugent, Shannon, and Sullivan. By the end of the war in 1783, there were approximately 24,000 to 25,000 Catholics in

5402-648: The " Hearts of Steel ", also known as the "Steelboys", before the American revolution cut off further emigration. In 1704, the Maryland General Assembly passed a law that banned the Jesuits from proselytizing , baptizing children other than those with Catholic parents, and publicly conducting Catholic Mass . Two months after its passage, the General Assembly modified the legislation to allow Mass to be privately conducted for an 18-month period. In 1707,

5548-593: The 1790s. In the 18th century Thirteen Colonies and the independent United States, while interethnic marriage among Catholics remained a dominant pattern, Catholic-Protestant intermarriage became more common (notably in the Shenandoah Valley where intermarriage among Ulster Protestants and the significant minority of Irish Catholics in particular was not uncommon or stigmatized). While fewer Catholic parents required that their children be disinherited in their wills if they renounced Catholicism, compared to

5694-543: The 1830s due to the need for unskilled labor in canal building, lumbering, and construction works in the Northeast . The large Erie Canal project was one such example where Irishmen were many of the laborers. Small but tight communities developed in growing cities such as Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre , formerly the Biltmore Theatre ,

5840-603: The 2000s renovation. Beyond the passageway are secondary spaces. This level includes a private lounge for MTC subscribers. There is another mezzanine above the balcony level, but it does not have any historical decorative elements. It contains another private lounge. Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression . During the 1900s and 1910s, many theaters in Midtown Manhattan were developed by

5986-617: The 2008–2009 season commenced. The theater was renamed at a dedication ceremony held on September 4, 2008, and MTC officially acquired the Friedman the next month. The first production at the renamed theater was To Be or Not to Be . MTC continued its tradition of scheduling three plays a season at the Friedman. The theater closed on March 12, 2020 , due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It reopened on September 14, 2021, with previews of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues . The theater

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6132-463: The 30 Catholic churches with regular services in the Thirteen Colonies, 15 were located in Maryland, 11 in Pennsylvania, and 4 in the former New Netherland colonies. By 1756, the number of Catholics in Maryland had increased to approximately 7,000, which increased further to 20,000 by 1765. In Pennsylvania, there were approximately 3,000 Catholics in 1756 and 6,000 by 1765 (the large majority of

6278-650: The Alamo in March 1836 were 12 who were Irish-born, while an additional 14 bore Irish surnames. About 100 Irish-born soldiers participated in the Battle of San Jacinto – about one-seventh of the total force of Texians in that conflict. The Irish Catholics concentrated in a few medium-sized cities, where they were highly visible, especially in Charleston , Savannah and New Orleans . They often became precinct leaders in

6424-558: The Americas traveled as indentured servants , with their passage paid for a wealthier person to whom they owed labor for a period of time. Some were merchants and landowners, who served as key players in a variety of different mercantile and colonizing enterprises. In the 1620s significant numbers of Irish laborers began traveling to English colonies such as Virginia on the continent, and the Leeward Islands and Barbados in

6570-412: The Americas was the result of a series of complex causes. The Tudor conquest and subsequent colonization by English and Scots people during the 16th and 17th centuries had led to widespread social upheaval in Ireland. Many Irish people tried to seek a better life elsewhere. At the time European colonies were being founded in the Americas , offering destinations for emigration. Most Irish immigrants to

6716-597: The Biltmore (which included Reckless , Brooklyn Boy , and After the Night and the Music ) was more successful. During each subsequent season, MTC hosted three plays at the Biltmore. In June 2008, the Dr. Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman Foundation made a large donation to the MTC, though the amount of the donation was not disclosed. Subsequently, MTC announced it would rename the Biltmore in honor of Samuel J. Friedman before

6862-444: The Biltmore and Mansfield theaters on 47th Street, which at the time was a largely residential street. Chanin purchased the lots at 261–265 West 47th Street, in November 1924 for $ 250,000. After Chanin acquired the property title to the two theater sites on 47th Street in March 1925, Krapp filed plans for the Biltmore the same month. Krapp designed the facade of the Biltmore in a more ornate manner than his previous commissions for

7008-436: The Biltmore as an official city landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. When the first theaters were designated as landmarks in mid-1985, Cogan placed the Biltmore for sale and considered demolishing it. Cogan had paid $ 250,000 to maintain the theater during the dark 1984–1985 season, a significant financial burden for him since the Biltmore was his only Broadway theater. Cogan quickly secured

7154-446: The Biltmore held solo appearances from Lily Tomlin in Appearing Nitely , as well as a short-lived revival of Hair . The Biltmore also staged The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds with Shelley Winters and The Kingfisher with Claudette Colbert, Rex Harrison , and George Rose in 1978. Peter Allen 's show Up in One opened at the Biltmore in 1979. The Nederlander Organization negotiated to lease

7300-477: The Biltmore hosted The Barker with Huston and Claudette Colbert , as well as the comedy Jimmie's Women and the Noël Coward play The Marquise . S. H. Stone purchased the Biltmore Theatre for $ 2.4 million in November 1927, leasing it back to the Chanins for 21 years. Numerous flops were shown at the Biltmore in 1928, including Tin Pan Alley with Colbert, which had 77 performances. The same year saw Mae West 's Pleasure Man , which closed after

7446-437: The Biltmore relatively unprofitable and prompting subsequent owners to extend the orchestra seating backward. The modern orchestra is several steps up from the lobby. There is an aisle through the center of the orchestra; it had to be retained during the renovation, despite MTC's desire for center seats with unobstructed views. The orchestra's rear and side walls are curved and are covered in paneled wainscoting. The center of

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7592-400: The Biltmore was What a Life , which opened in 1938 and lasted for 538 performances. This was followed in 1939 by Abbott's farce The Primrose Path for 166 performances, as well as See My Lawyer with Milton Berle for 224 performances. By contrast, Ayn Rand 's The Unconquered ran for only six performances in 1940, and A. J. Cronin 's Jupiter Laughs saw 24 performances

7738-419: The Biltmore, but reconsidered after Hazard requested the architectural drawings for the theater. In late 2000, MTC proposed taking over the Biltmore and restoring it. Biltmore 47 Associates (a consortium headed by the Jack Parker Corporation), which was planning a neighboring apartment building at Eighth Avenue and 47th Street, had planned to renovate the theater and restore it to legitimate use. In exchange,

7884-558: The Broadway production of Doubt: A Parable , he mentions that he was "thrown out of St. Helena's kindergarten, banned from St. Anthony's hot lunch program and expelled from Cardinal Spellman High School ." He was heavily influenced by one of his first teachers, Sister Margaret McEntee , on whom he based the character of Sister James in his play, Doubt . While at Cardinal Spellman High School, he saw two school productions that influenced him: The Miracle Worker and Cyrano de Bergerac . After his freshman year at New York University, Shanley

8030-514: The Caribbean region. Half of the Irish immigrants to the United States in its colonial era (1607–1775) came from the Irish province of Ulster and were largely Protestant, while the other half came from the other three provinces ( Leinster , Munster , and Connacht ). In the 17th century, immigration from Ireland to the Thirteen Colonies was minimal, confined mostly to male Irish indentured servants who were primarily Catholic and peaked with 8,000 prisoner-of-war penal transports to

8176-487: The Catholic population of the United States had grown to 195,000 (or approximately 2 percent of the total population of approximately 9.6 million). By 1840, along with resumed immigration from Germany by the 1820s, the Catholic population grew to 663,000 (or approximately 4 percent out of the total population of 17.1 million). Following the potato blight in late 1845 that initiated the Great Famine in Ireland, from 1846 to 1851, more than 1 million more Irish immigrated to

8322-436: The Chanin brothers. Since 2008, the theater has been named for Samuel J. Friedman (1912–1974), a press agent; his children made a large donation to the theater through the Dr. Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman Foundation. The Friedman is operated by the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), a nonprofit theater company. The theater's modern configuration dates to an early-2000s renovation by Polshek Partnership . The facade

8468-565: The General Assembly passed a law which permanently allowed Mass to be privately conducted. During this period, the General Assembly also began levying taxes on the passage of Irish Catholic indentured servants. In 1718, the General Assembly required a religious test for voting that resumed disenfranchisement of Catholics. However, lax enforcement of penal laws in Maryland (due to its population being overwhelmingly rural) enabled churches on Jesuit-operated farms and plantations to serve growing populations and become stable parishes . In 1750, of

8614-519: The Irish saint when they established the San Patricio Colony south of San Antonio; James Power and James Hewetson contracted to create the Refugio Colony on the Gulf Coast. The two colonies were settled mainly by Irish, but also by Mexicans and other nationalities. At least 87 Irish-surnamed individuals settled in the Peters Colony, which included much of present-day north-central Texas, in the 1840s. The Irish participated in all phases of Texas' war of independence against Mexico. Among those who died defending

8760-414: The LPC. By February 1988, Pfeiffer had placed the Biltmore for sale through auctioneer Properties at Auction at a starting price of $ 4 million. Morris Gluck bought the theater that month for $ 5.35 million, and the New York City Board of Estimate ratified the landmark designation that March. The Biltmore continued to deteriorate, and the LPC was unable to contact Pfeiffer about the issue; he remained

8906-418: The Manhattan Theatre Club. It opened on February 9, 2016, and featured Timothée Chalamet , Robert Sean Leonard , Annika Boras , Chris McGarry and David Potters. The play concerns a lonely teen from The Bronx who attends a private school in New Hampshire. His play The Portuguese Kid opened on October 24, 2017, at the New York City Center Stage I, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club. Directed by Shanley,

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9052-437: The Park opened in October 1963, with Ashley and Robert Redford co-starring. Barefoot in the Park ran for about 1,530 performances before its closing in 1967, and it subsequently was adapted into film, becoming associated with the theater. This was followed by several short runs, including The Ninety Day Mistress in December 1967, as well as Staircase and Loot in early 1968. The rock musical Hair ,

9198-554: The Pennsylvania Catholic population was from provinces of southern Germany ). From 1717 to 1775, though scholarly estimates vary, the most common approximation is that 250,000 immigrants from Ireland emigrated to the Thirteen Colonies. By the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, approximately only 2 to 3 percent of the colonial labor force was composed of indentured servants, and of those arriving from Britain from 1773 to 1776, fewer than 5 percent were from Ireland (while 85 percent remained male and 72 percent went to

9344-399: The Scotch-Irish (such as The Mind of the South by W. J. Cash ) is often incorrect. Historians David Hackett Fischer and James G. Leyburn note that usage of the term is unique to North American English and it is rarely used by British historians, or in Ireland or Scotland, where Scots-Irish is a term used by Irish Scottish people to describe themselves. The first recorded usage of

9490-413: The Shuberts. Irwin Chanin, who built the theater with his brother Henry, wished to lure visitors with architecture because they did not have the booking chain or an established reputation in the theatrical industry. The Biltmore was the first theater on 47th Street's northern sidewalk. The Biltmore opened on December 7, 1925, with the play Easy Come Easy Go , which transferred from another theater. It

9636-488: The Truth , and Two for the Money . The producer David Cogan acquired the Biltmore in August 1960 for $ 850,000. Cogan announced the next year that he would return the Biltmore to legitimate use and that he would expand the theater from 979 to 1,120 seats. The first production at the revived Biltmore Theatre was Take Her, She's Mine , which opened in December 1961 and starred Art Carney and Elizabeth Ashley for 404 performances. The Neil Simon comedy Barefoot in

9782-504: The United States (including 3,000 slaves ) out of a total population of approximately 3 million (or less than 1 percent). The majority of the Catholic population in the United States during the colonial period came from England , Germany, and France , not Ireland. Irish historiographers tried and failed to demonstrate Irish Catholics were more numerous in the colonial period than previous scholarship had indicated. By 1790, approximately 400,000 people of Irish birth or ancestry lived in

9928-412: The United States (or greater than 10 percent of the total population of approximately 3.9 million). The U.S. Bureau of the Census estimates 2% of the United States population in 1776 was of native Irish heritage. The Catholic population grew to approximately 50,000 by 1800 (or less than 1 percent of the total population of approximately 5.3 million) due to increased Catholic emigration from Ireland during

10074-410: The United States in the 18th century likely became common among Episcopalians and Quakers in Pennsylvania, where numerous of these immigrants entered through Philadelphia. Records show that usage of the term with this meaning was made as early as 1757 by Anglo-Irish philosopher Edmund Burke . However, multiple historians have noted that from the time of the American Revolutionary War until 1850,

10220-417: The United States, 90 percent of whom were Catholic. From 1800 to 1844, Irish emigrants were mainly skilled and economically sufficient Ulster Protestants , including artisans, tradesmen and professionals, and farmers. The Famine and the threat of starvation amongst the Irish Catholic population broke down the psychological barriers that had discouraged them from making the passage to America before. After

10366-479: The United States. During the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), there was a 22-year economic expansion in Ireland due to increased need for agricultural products for British soldiers and an expanding population in England. Following the conclusion of the War of the Seventh Coalition and Napoleon 's exile to Saint Helena in 1815, there was a six-year international economic depression that led to plummeting grain prices and

10512-589: The Volcano . Shanley also wrote two songs for the movie: "Marooned Without You" and "The Cowboy Song." He wrote the screenplay for the film Congo (1995), which was based on the Michael Crichton book. His play Doubt: A Parable ran on Broadway from March 31, 2005, to July 2, 2006, and won four 2005 Tony Awards (including Best Play), the Drama Desk Award (including Outstanding Play) and

10658-405: The age of 35. As a consequence, the population grew only because of sustained immigration rather than natural increase . Many of those who survived their indentured servitude contracts left the region. In 1650, all five Catholic churches with regular services in the eight British American colonies were located in Maryland. The Province of Carolina did not restrict suffrage to members of

10804-428: The appearance of being owned by somebody who is not interested in running it as anything except into the ground". After Gluck went into default on the down payment for the theater, Properties for Auction sued him. The theater was placed for auction again in March 1989, but Pfeiffer did not agree to sell at the high bid of $ 5.25 million. Several developers and theatrical operators started negotiating with Pfeiffer for

10950-416: The balcony have pairs of engaged pilasters, above which is a wide frieze containing panels with shields. In front of the balcony are medallions with golden silhouettes, as well as panels. The balcony has low-relief plasterwork panels on its underside, which originally had medallions with small overhanging chandeliers. On either side of the proscenium is a wall section with a false box. At orchestra level,

11096-402: The balcony lead down to a vaulted passageway, which is on an intermediate level between the orchestra and balcony. The passageway is also accessible from the stairs at the rear of the auditorium. The walls of the passageway have wooden baseboards and moldings, above which are plaster walls with moldings. The ceiling of the passageway has plaster vaults. The modern design of the vaults dates to

11242-453: The border of the dome and an Adam-style centerpiece. During the theater's renovation, four openings were drilled into the dome, and a catwalk for the stage lights was placed above the ceiling. The installation of the catwalk and the dome's openings removed the need for a large lighting structure in front of the proscenium. The rest of the ceiling has molded bands that divide the surface into paneled sections. An Adam-style cornice runs along

11388-480: The cast featured Jason Alexander , Sherie Rene Scott , Mary Testa , Aimee Carrero and Pico Alexander. His new play Brooklyn Laundry opened on February 6, 2024, at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Shanley directed, with a cast featuring Cecily Strong , David Zayas , Florencia Lozano , and Andrea Syglowski. Shanley resides in New York City . He has been married and divorced twice; with his second wife, Jayne Haynes, he adopted two sons, both born in 1992. In 2002 Shanley

11534-469: The cast was arrested for "indecency" on opening night. Seven more flops followed in 1929. One of the first new productions of the 1930s was Edwin Justus Mayer 's Children of Darkness , which ran for 79 performances in 1930. Another relatively long production during this time was George Kelly 's Philip Goes Forth , with 98 performances in 1931. In general, most productions at the Biltmore in

11680-443: The center bay. These are surrounded by bands of stretcher brick. The pilasters support an entablature near the top of the facade. The entablature contains a frieze with molded rosettes above each pilaster, interspersed with wave moldings above the bays. The frieze is topped by a cornice with modillions and dentils . Above the cornice, the center bay has a brick parapet while the other bays have blind balustrades . During

11826-605: The colonial period, Irish Protestant immigrants settled in the southern Appalachian backcountry and in the Carolina Piedmont . They became the primary cultural group in these areas, and their descendants were in the vanguard of westward movement through Virginia into Tennessee and Kentucky , and thence into Arkansas , Missouri and Texas . By the 19th century, through intermarriage with settlers of English and German ancestry, their descendants lost their identification with Ireland. "This generation of pioneers...was

11972-533: The comedy Clutterbuck in 1949, one of the first Broadway shows produced by David Merrick . Billy Budd , which ran for 105 performances in 1951, was among the last legitimate productions played during the Biltmore's initial Broadway run. In October 1951, the Warner Bros. and Abbott sold the Biltmore Theatre to Irving Maidman as an investment. At the time of the sale, Abbott's The Number

12118-529: The contract. That December, the court ruled in Lane and the Nederlanders' favor. The Nederlanders and Lane indicated their intent to restore the theater while developing the Eighth Avenue site as an apartment complex. The Manhattan Theatre Club had become one of New York City's most successful nonprofit theatrical companies in the 1990s. The club had been seeking a Broadway venue since the early 1990s, as

12264-496: The contractors poured a concrete slab across the new basement level. The basement contains a patrons' lounge, known as the Susan and Peter J. Solomon Family Lounge. The lounge is named for Peter J. Solomon , chairman of MTC's board from 1997 to 2010, as well as his wife Susan. The basement also contains the Manhattan Theatre Club's gift shop and restrooms, as well as MTC offices and staff spaces. The vomitories on either side of

12410-468: The demand. Many of the Famine immigrants to New York City were required quarantine on Staten Island or Blackwell's Island . Weakened by famine and diseases of the poor, who suffered lack of sanitation and crowded shipboard conditions, thousands died from typhoid fever or cholera for reasons directly or indirectly related to the Famine. Doctors did not know how to treat or prevent these. Despite

12556-512: The development team could increase their apartment building's floor area ratio by 20 percent. The deal required approval from the New York City Department of City Planning . MTC development director Andrew Hamingson recalled that the mechanical room was flooded in three feet of standing water. Many neighborhood residents supported MTC's renovation but opposed the proposed apartments, upon which Biltmore 47 agreed to reduce

12702-479: The early 1930s were unsuccessful. Among the short-lived works during this time were Her Supporting Cast in 1931; Zombie , Border-land , and Carry Nation in 1932; and The Scorpion in 1933. The Continental Bank and Trust Company sued in 1932 to foreclose on a $ 550,000 mortgage on the theater, held by the Chanins. Big Hearted Herbert , which opened on New Year's Day 1934, was the theater's next hit, with 154 performances. The First Legion later that year

12848-483: The early 19th century, many Irish migrated individually to the interior for work on large-scale infrastructure projects such as canals and, later in the century, railroads . The Irish Protestants settled mainly in the colonial "back country" of the Appalachian Mountain region, and became the prominent ethnic strain in the culture that developed there. The descendants of Irish Protestant settlers had

12994-514: The established Anglican church. In contrast to 17th century Maryland, the New England colonies had a variety of policies. Plymouth , Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut Colonies restricted suffrage to members of the established Puritan church. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations had no established church, while the former New Netherland colonies ( New York , New Jersey , and Delaware ) had no established church under

13140-552: The exception of the 1790s, it would remain so until the mid-to-late 1830s, with Presbyterians constituting the absolute majority until 1835. These Protestant immigrants were principally descended from Scottish and English pastoralists and colonial administrators (often from the South/ Lowlands of Scotland and the bordering North of England ) who had in the previous century settled the Plantations of Ireland ,

13286-446: The facade is topped by an entablature and balustrade . The auditorium contains neo-Renaissance detailing, a raked orchestra level, a large balcony, and a shallow domed ceiling. The basement contains MTC's gift shop and the Susan and Peter J. Solomon Family Lounge, while a mezzanine level contains another lounge. There are also false box seats near the front of the auditorium, flanking the proscenium arch. The modern configuration of

13432-832: The first Irish people to travel to the New World did so as members of the Spanish garrison in Florida during the 1560s. Small numbers of Irish colonists were involved in efforts to establish colonies in the Amazon region , in Newfoundland , and in Virginia between 1604 and the 1630s. According to historian Donald Akenson, there were "few if any" Irish forcibly transported to the Americas during this period. Irish immigration to

13578-475: The floor. The stage and thirty seats were damaged. While someone identifying themselves as the theater's building manager said they would restore the theater, the LPC was unable to contact Pfeiffer about the fire. Broadway theatrical unions had classified the Biltmore as "endangered" because it was consistently underused. Due to the theater's interior-landmark status, it could not be modified without permission from

13724-551: The foreword. In 2012, Shanley wrote the libretto for an opera version of Doubt: A Parable , which premiered at the Minnesota Opera in January 2013, with music by Douglas J. Cuomo . Until then, his experience with opera was not extensive; he had attended a few performances and had listened to recordings. As he worked on the libretto, using many lines that come directly from the play, he describes that his enthusiasm for

13870-615: The form grew. Also in 2012, his play Storefront Church ran Off-Broadway in a production by the Atlantic Theater Company. The play concerns Bronx residents "whose lives become tangled in unexpected ways when a mortgage goes sour". Storefront Church was also put up by San Francisco Playhouse in San Francisco in December 2013 where it was very well received. His play, Outside Mullingar , opened on Broadway at

14016-482: The land of trees, built homes, and planted fields. Many others worked in coastal areas as fishers, on ships, and as dockworkers. In the 1800s, Irish immigrants in the United States tended to stay in the large cities where they landed. From 1820 to 1860, 1,956,557 Irish arrived, 75% of these after the Great Irish Famine (or The Great Hunger , Irish : An Gorta Mór ) of 1845–1852, struck. According to

14162-608: The largest of which was the Plantation of Ulster . By the late 18th century, these Protestant immigrants primarily migrated as families rather than as individuals. Most of these Irish Protestants were Ulster Protestants . During the first half of the 18th century, 15,000 Ulster Protestants emigrated to North America , with another 25,000 during the period 1751 to 1775. The reasons for their emigration consisted mainly of: bad harvests, landlords increasing rents as leases fell through, and agrarian violence by Protestant gangs such as

14308-534: The main entrance, and a frieze runs above the first story. A metal marquee , installed during the theater's 2000s renovation, hangs above the entrance. The marquee contains the letters "Samuel J. Friedman Theatre", which were installed when the theater was renamed in 2008. There are enclosed alleys on either side of the theater. The facade's upper stories are divided into three vertical bays , separated by four fluted terracotta pilasters with composite -style capitals . The central bay contains four windows at

14454-610: The mortgage. The Nederlander Organization and Stewart F. Lane acquired the Biltmore in July 1993 as part of an 140 ft-long (43 m) assemblage between 47th and 48th Streets. The new owners sought a low-interest loan from the New York state government, following a similar incentive for Disney 's New Amsterdam Theatre . The abandoned Biltmore had holes in the ceiling, through which rainfall leaked, and it suffered from vandalism. LPC chairwoman Jennifer Raab specifically cited

14600-614: The mystery play Whodunnit and the musical Doonesbury were staged in 1983. Barbara Rush appeared in the solo A Woman of Independent Means in 1984, but that production closed after only 13 performances. The theater stayed dark for an entire season; at the time, the Broadway industry as a whole was struggling to attract shows. The Nederlander Organization, which had paid $ 250,000 in rent per year, declined to renew its lease in August 1984. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting

14746-402: The orchestra's rear wall contains doors that connect with the lobby. Fire exit doors at either end lead to alleys. Staircases to the balcony are placed within doorways on either side of the lobby doors. The outside edges of the staircases contain plaster walls with rectangular panels, which are delineated by molded bands; the walls contain iron brackets with wooden handrails. The inside edges of

14892-404: The original theater and EverGreene Architectural Arts restored plasterwork and reconstructed missing parts. EverGreene hired 18 plasterers to replace 70 percent of the plasterwork, including 6,000 ft (1,800 m) of moldings and 2,500 sq ft (230 m ) of ornamentation. In addition, John Civetta was hired to excavate the basement lounge, and Severud Associates was hired as

15038-524: The owner of record because Gluck had not fulfilled several terms of the sale. In August 1988, after two men walked through the smashed front doors to steal chandeliers, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) declared the theater to be unsafe. Subsequently, Pfeiffer obtained a court order preventing the DOB from sealing the theater. Jack Goldstein of nonprofit group Save the Theaters said: "It gives

15184-595: The propaganda of the American Anti-Slavery Society , a mob raided the Charleston post office in 1835 and the next day turned its attention to England's school. England led Charleston's "Irish Volunteers" to defend the school. Soon after this, however, all schools for "free blacks" were closed in Charleston, and England acquiesced. Two pairs of Irish empresarios founded colonies in coastal Texas in 1828. John McMullen and James McGloin honored

15330-585: The public because the federal government issued a censorship order prohibiting the impersonation of heads of state onstage. The second Living Newspaper production was Triple-A Plowed Under , which opened in March 1936. Other WPA productions included the Living Newspaper's 1935 in May 1936 and Injunction Granted in July, as well as the marionette show Stars on Strings in June. In October 1936,

15476-676: The rest of the US population, this response was more common among Catholic parents that Protestants. Despite such constraints, many Irish Catholics who immigrated to the United States from 1770 to 1830 converted to Baptist and Methodist churches during the Second Great Awakening (1790–1840). Between the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 and the War of 1812 , 100,000 immigrants came from Ulster to

15622-434: The rowdiness of their foreign-born employees. Nevertheless, they recognized the importance of the Irish worker to the protection of slavery.... The Catholicism practiced by Irish immigrants was of little concern to Southern natives. Before the 1800s, Irish immigrants to North America often moved to the countryside. Some worked in the fur trade, trapping and exploring, but most settled in rural farms and villages. They cleared

15768-551: The same year. Ruth McKenney 's My Sister Eileen , featuring Shirley Booth , opened at the end of 1940 and transferred to another theater in 1942. At the end of that year, the Biltmore also hosted the final performances of the long-running comedy Janie . F. Hugh Herbert 's Kiss and Tell , featuring Joan Caulfield , opened at the Biltmore in March 1943 and ran there for two years before transferring. The Biltmore then hosted Thomas Job's adaptation of Émile Zola 's Therese in 1945, which ran for 96 performances. This

15914-403: The second potato blight in 1846, panic over the need to escape their difficult situation in Ireland led many to the belief that "anywhere is better than here". Irish Catholics traveled to England , Canada , and America for new lives. Irish immigration increased dramatically during the period 1845–1849, as ships started transporting Irish emigrants during the autumn and winter periods to meet

16060-572: The second story, while the outer stories each contain one window. All of the second-story windows are six-over-six double hung windows , placed within terracotta surrounds. Above these windows, there are rectangular brick panels at the third and fourth stories, with terracotta floral decorations at each corner. A lighted sign with the theater's name is placed in front of the central bay's panel. The outer bays are topped by short, rectangular terracotta panels, which contain cartouches with molded wreaths . Similar rectangular terracotta panels are placed above

16206-435: The size of its building from 61 to 55 stories. The neighboring apartment complex, also known as the Biltmore, was ultimately built as a 51-story structure; the developers had been allowed to build 18 additional stories in exchange for the theater's renovation. Initially, MTC predicted that the renovation would cost $ 18 million, but the costs rose to $ 27 million after additional damage was discovered. Before work started on

16352-479: The small increase in Catholic-Protestant intermarriage following the American Revolutionary War, Catholic-Protestant intermarriage remained uncommon in the United States in the 19th century. Historians have characterized the etymology of the term " Scotch-Irish " as obscure. The term itself is misleading and confusing to the extent that even its usage by authors in historic works of literature about

16498-474: The southeast; the Lena Horne (formerly Brooks Atkinson) Theatre and Paramount Hotel to the south; and the off-Broadway 47th Street Theatre to the west. The Friedman Theatre's site had previously contained three five-story apartment buildings. The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, originally the Biltmore Theatre, was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the neo-Renaissance style and was constructed in 1925 for

16644-420: The staircases have iron balustrades with wooden railings, as well as ornamented newel posts. The two staircases were rebuilt during the 2000s renovation, since they were necessary to reduce congestion. The balcony is raked, with a large central seating area and two smaller sections on the sides. There are decorative iron railings surrounding the staircases from the orchestra to the balcony. A technical booth

16790-458: The structural engineer. The theater's steel frame was reinforced, and contractors installed seismographs on the walls to monitor whether the excavations were causing damage. The orchestra, balcony, and stairs were reconstructed, with decorative elements being rebuilt to their original designs due to the interior-landmark status. The facade, which was not landmarked, received a new canopy and glass doors. Barbara Spandorf of Fisher Dachs Associates

16936-605: The term largely fell out of usage, because most Ulster Protestants identified as "Irish" until large waves of immigration by Irish Catholics both during and after the 1840s Great Famine in Ireland led those Ulster Protestants in America who lived in proximity to the new immigrants to change their self-identification to "Scotch-Irish," Those Ulster Protestants who did not live in proximity to Irish Catholics continued to self-identify as "Irish" or, as time went on, began to identify as being of " American ancestry ." While those historians note that renewed usage of "Scotch-Irish" after 1850

17082-565: The term was by Elizabeth I of England in 1573 in reference to Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlanders who crossed the Irish Sea and intermarried with the Irish Catholic natives of Ireland. While Protestant immigrants from Ireland in the 18th century were more commonly identified as "Anglo-Irish," and while some preferred to self-identify as "Anglo-Irish," usage of "Scotch-Irish" in reference to Ulster Protestants who immigrated to

17228-436: The theater as an example of "demolition by neglect". The Nederlanders and Lane also held talks with theatrical stage unions to determine the theater's future use. By early 1996, the theater's owners indicated that these discussions were unsuccessful and that the Biltmore might instead be converted for non-theatrical use. At one point, Lane considered leasing the theater to a delicatessen owner after concluding that restoration as

17374-477: The theater dates to a 2000s renovation, when the auditorium was redesigned to a smaller size, allowing the addition of MTC's lounges and offices behind it. The Biltmore Theatre was Chanin's second Broadway theater, opening on December 7, 1925, with the play Easy Come Easy Go . The Biltmore largely hosted flops during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was used by Federal Theatre 's Living Newspaper project in 1936 before being acquired by Warner Bros. The Biltmore

17520-405: The theater for $ 4 million later that year. Cardwell estimated that a restoration would cost $ 5–8 million, at which point the theater had falling plaster, charred seats, and water-damaged walls. By February 1992, the sale had not been finalized, but Pfeiffer's $ 2.25 million mortgage for the theater was in default. Manufacturers and Traders Trust took ownership of the Biltmore after foreclosing on

17666-419: The theater in 1980, ultimately taking it for five years. The same year, the Biltmore hosted Nuts with Anne Twomey and a revival of The American Clock . In 1981, the theater hosted To Grandmother's House We Go with Eva Le Gallienne , as well as A Talent for Murder with Colbert and Jean-Pierre Aumont . The long-running thriller Deathtrap transferred to the Biltmore in 1982, and

17812-411: The theater in 2001. The theater reopened in 2003, and MTC took ownership of the Friedman after it was renamed in 2008. The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is on 261 West 47th Street , on the north sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Broadway , near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . The trapezoidal land lot covers 8,800 sq ft (820 m ), with

17958-496: The theater operational for at least six months. The theater's last productions of the 20th century were the Black vaudeville Honky Tonk , in 1986, and the revue Stardust , featuring Mitchell Parish 's songs in early 1987. Honky Tonk and Stardust also limited their audiences to 499 seats. The LPC designated the Biltmore's interior as a landmark on November 10, 1987, but the exterior did not receive landmark status. This

18104-440: The theater was sold to a client of Arthur A. Hershkowitz for $ 150,000. The buyer was subsequently revealed as film distributor Warner Bros. , who used the theater to show George Abbott 's works. The first of these was Brother Rat , which opened in December 1936 and was the theater's first major success, with 575 performances. Two subsequent Abbott plays, Brown Sugar and All That Glitters , were flops. The next hit at

18250-446: The theater's 2000s renovation, the roof was rebuilt with a steel frame, and HVAC and electrical systems were placed on the roof slab. The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony, and a stage behind the proscenium arch; there are false boxes flanking the stage. In contrast to Krapp's earlier works, the auditorium is shaped like a horseshoe in plan and is oriented on a slightly diagonal axis relative to its site. The space

18396-443: The theater, Hazard designed a foam model of his proposed modifications and sent it to Meadow, who approved the plans immediately. The plans called for making the theater smaller and more intimate by relocating the rear wall, which would also provide a "tower" for MTC functions behind the auditorium. To make space for MTC's club facilities, Hazard suggested excavating a basement. The renovation started in December 2001, when MTC launched

18542-505: The wall sections on each side are paneled and contain doorways. The modern walls contain paneling in front of the original cast stone; the left-hand doorway leads to the dressing room. Console brackets support the false boxes at balcony level, which contain rectangular openings with triangular Adam-style pediments above them. The box openings are surrounded by panels with motifs of musical instruments. On either side of each box opening are fluted pilasters and columns, topped by capitals in

18688-411: The walls just below the ceiling. There are also air-conditioning vents in the ceiling. During the theater's renovation, a basement was excavated from the bedrock. The basement, which is about 19 ft (5.8 m) deep, was excavated by local contractor John Civetta & Sons , which removed about 3,000 cu ft (85 m ) of rock. The basement was excavated into a layer of soft rock, so

18834-475: Was a CBS radio and television studio from 1952 to 1961, when producer David Cogan turned the Biltmore back into a legitimate theater. Cogan sold the Biltmore in 1986, and it fell into disrepair after a fire in late 1987. Though the theater was sold several times afterward, including to the Nederlander Organization and Stewart F. Lane in 1993, it was not restored until MTC agreed to operate

18980-416: Was also a very important factor in Irish integration [into Southern society].... Upper-class southerners, therefore, did not object to the Irish, because Irish immigration never threatened to overwhelm their cities or states.... The Irish were willing to take on potentially high-mortality occupations, thereby sparing valuable slave property. Some employers objected not only to the cost of Irish labor but also to

19126-413: Was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. MTC's first season at the Biltmore was marked with difficulties, including a controversy when Terrence McNally 's Dedication was swapped out with The Violet Hour as the inaugural production. In addition, The Violet Hour and the next production, Drowning Crow , both opened to negative reception. By contrast, MTC's second season at

19272-758: Was another minor hit, followed by more flops such as a 15-performance run of Fyodor Dostoevsky 's Crime and Punishment . The Chanins ultimately lost control of the Biltmore and their other theaters during the Depression. In December 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) leased the Biltmore Theatre. The WPA used the theater for the Federal Theatre Project (FTP)'s Living Newspaper , which presented factual information on current events in theatrical form. The first Living Newspaper, Ethiopia , never opened to

19418-488: Was followed in 1946 by Jed Harris 's Apple of His Eye and Loco , as well as an adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre 's No Exit . Konstantin Simonov 's comedy The Whole World Over ran for 100 performances in 1947, and The Heiress premiered at the Biltmore the same year, running for 410 performances. Other hits of the decade included the comedy The Silver Whistle in 1948, which had 219 performances, and

19564-440: Was increased in the 2000s by excavating the front of the orchestra and raising the rear. The rear wall was moved forward by 20 ft (6.1 m) compared to its original position, creating space for the lobby behind it. Prior to the renovation, the front doors opened directly into the orchestra, and there was no lobby. This was in part because the original seating capacity was small compared to other Broadway theaters, making

19710-580: Was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame . Irish Americans 38,597,428 Irish Americans ( Irish : Gael-Mheiriceánaigh ) are ethnic Irish who live in the United States and are American citizens. Most Irish Americans of the 21st century are descendants of immigrants who moved to the United States in the mid-19th century because of the Great Famine in Ireland. Some of

19856-421: Was installed on the rear wall, and lighting sconces were originally placed on the walls. Before its renovation, the balcony level was divided into front and rear sections by an aisle halfway across its depth. In the 2000s, the balcony was rebuilt on a corrugated steel-framed deck atop a concrete slab. The modern balcony has vomitories on either side, which lead down to a vaulted passageway. The side walls of

20002-481: Was intended to be sufficient for about 90 percent of MTC's productions. The diagonal orientation of the theater complicated the installation of the new rigging , which was typically placed perpendicularly to the proscenium. Of the Friedman's 40 line sets , 39 are aligned with the proscenium and the other is aligned to the rear wall. A red house curtain and a fire curtain were also installed. The ceiling has an oval dome at its center, with Adam-style moldings around

20148-566: Was involved in redesigning the interior for theatrical use. The theater was officially rededicated on October 15, 2003, and the Biltmore reopened on November 6 with The Violet Hour . The Biltmore received the New York Landmarks Conservancy 's Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, as well as accolades from the Municipal Art Society of New York and the magazine New York Construction . The theater

20294-694: Was motivated by anti-Catholic prejudices among Ulster Protestants, considering the historically low rates of intermarriage between Protestants and Catholics in both Ireland and the United States, as well as the relative frequency of interethnic and interdenominational marriage amongst Protestants in Ulster, and despite the fact that not all Protestant migrants from Ireland historically were of Scottish descent, James G. Leyburn argued for retaining its usage for reasons of utility and preciseness, while historian Wayland F. Dunaway also argued for retention for historical precedent and linguistic description . During

20440-656: Was one of the Southern United States ' most outspoken supporters during the American Civil War through his newspapers the Southern Citizen and the Richmond Enquirer . Although most began as unskilled laborers, Irish Catholics in the South achieved average or above average economic status by 1900. David T. Gleeson emphasizes how well they were accepted by society: Native tolerance, however,

20586-586: Was part of the LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. On December 11, 1987, a month after the theater was designated as a landmark, the theater's interior caught fire, which the New York City Fire Department quickly determined to be an arson. Trespassers had entered the empty theater several times, and the New York City Police Department found hypodermic needles on

20732-473: Was planned to become part of the hotel's lobby. The LPC rejected Moinian's plan for the Biltmore. Although Moinian was able to obtain additional air rights for his planned hotel, the Nederlanders instead decided to place the property back for sale in April 1999. Moinian sued the Nederlanders in New York Supreme Court that year, alleging that the Nederlanders had inappropriately reneged on

20878-599: Was put on academic probation. He then enlisted in the United States Marine Corps , serving in a stateside post during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, he wrote a novel, then burned it, and returned to the university with the help of the G.I. Bill , and by supporting himself with a series of jobs: elevator operator, house painter, furniture mover, locksmith, bartender. He graduated from New York University as valedictorian in 1977, with

21024-625: Was scheduled to be produced at the Biltmore. After The Number closed, the Columbia Broadcasting System ( CBS ) leased the theater in February 1952 as a broadcast studio called Studio 62. Among the shows produced at Studio 62 were The Al Pearce Show , Bank on the Stars , The Big Payoff , Dotto , The Egg and I , For Love Or Money , The Herb Shriner Show , The Jack Paar Show , Keep Talking , Strike it Rich , To Tell

21170-445: Was the Chanins' second Broadway venue and was mainly intended for comedies and small productions, unlike the brothers' other venues. Theatrical historian Ken Bloom described the Biltmore's early productions as "for the most part, unexceptional". The Biltmore's shows in 1926 included the comedies Kongo , starring Walter Huston for 135 performances, and Loose Ankles , featuring Osgood Perkins for 161 performances. The next year,

21316-578: Was vital both for encouraging them to stay in the army and to highlight to native white southerners that the entire Irish community was behind the Confederacy. Civilian leaders of the Irish and the South did embrace the Confederate national project and most became advocates of a 'hard-war' policy. Irish nationalist John Mitchel lived in Tennessee and Virginia during his exile from Ireland and

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