Central Park Theatre
932 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10019
932 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10019
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Further to my comment about “The Student Prince” at this theater in 1924-25: The composer, Sigmund “Siggy” Romberg worked for the Shubert brothers. “Siggy” is not to be confused with “Ziggy”, Florenz “Flo"Ziegfeld, who produced the famous annual "Ziegfeld Follies” revues, plus hit musicals such as “Sally” and “Show Boat”. Before he built the Ziegfeld Theatre on Sixth Ave, Ziggy’s shows played at the New Amsterdam Theatre. What characters these people were in those days !
Another big musical hit show which played up at Jolson’s Theatre was “The Student Prince” which opened in Dec. 1924. Music by Sigmund Romberg. This show toured for over 25 years, and I saw it at the old Boston Opera House (near Symphony Hall) in 1950 or 1951. I also attended a lavish production, which was excellent, by the NY City Opera in the NY State Theatre at Lincoln Center in the 1980s.
Going back in time the Broadhurst Theatre did present occasional musicals from 1918. In more recent times: 1965 “Half a Sixpence”, 1972 “Grease”, “Godspell” and in 1973 Bob Fosse’s “Dancin'”.
In all my years of Broadway theatre going I cannot remember a musical ever playing the Broadhurst.
According to a published collection of Cole Porter’s letters, the Shuberts had only two theatres available for a musical of the size of “Kiss Me Kate”– the Broadhurst and New Century. The Broadhurst was much better situated on West 44th Street, but had only 1,150 seats. But the further uptown New Century had 1,700 seats, and those 550 additional seats were the deciding factor. Advance interest in “Kiss Me Kate” indicated SRO business and many “theatre party” bookings.
This theater housed the original Broadway production of Kiss Me Kate for a year and a half at which point it moved to the Shubert. Why such a big Cole Porter Broadway musical would play here so far uptown mystifies me. It didn’t keep it from being a smash it but still. Nothing else was available?
Mighty big bucks in those days. Wonder how long the aggregate rental was for.