Lyric Theatre
211 Market Street,
Newark,
NJ
07102
211 Market Street,
Newark,
NJ
07102
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Independent Theater Service Inc.
Architects: George W. Backoff, Talmage C. Hughes, Benjamin Schlanger
Firms: Hughes & Backoff
Previous Names: American Music Hall
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The Lyric Theatre was opened on October 26, 1908 playing vaudeville. It was renamed American Music Hall on October 18, 1909. In 1933 it was remodeled to the plans of architect Banjamin Schlanger. I only knew the Lyric Theatre in its final years as an inner city “grind house”. Triple features for a 15 to 45-cent admission depending on the time of day, and ten cent hot dogs and five cent (alleged) lemonade at the concession stand.
The Lyric Theatre was demolished in the early-1960’s and the property was used to build a printing plant for the Newark Evening News, which ironically folded a very few years later.
The Lyric Theatre was a great place to unwind after a day of shopping at Bambergers or Kresge’s or Klein’s, and a fast and cheap lunch at Grant’s next door or the Novelty Bar across the street. The Lyric Theatre would do capacity business when the first-run Paramount Newark next door would fill up and the Lyric Theatre reaped the benefits of the overflow.
Contributed by
Jim Thatcher
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
You can see the side of the building on the right of this old photo:
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From oldnewark.com
The Lyric Theatre was built on land once occupied by the First Reformed Dutch Church. In 1838, the basement was occupied by the first school in the East Ward.
Listed as a Negro Theater in the 1951 FDY.
The architects for the Lyric Theater were George W. Backoff and T. Cecil Hughes. It is mentioned in the Architects' and Builders Magazine in December 1908, so that could be around the time it opened.
Transformed to a streamlined, deco look in 1933 by architect Ben Schlanger (one interior picture in photos).
Grand opening ad posted.
Became the American Music Hall on October 18th, 1909.
Lyric renamed American Music Hall 18 Oct 1909, Mon The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
Opened as Lyric on September 21st, 1908
Lyric theatre opening 22 Aug 1908, Sat The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey) Newspapers.com