Princess Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For Melbourne's Princess Theatre, see Princess Theatre, Melbourne
- For Toronto's Princess Theatre, see Princess Theatre, Toronto
- For Decatur, Alabama's Princess Theatre, see Princess Theatre, Decatur
| Princess Theatre | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1913 | The Switchboard |
| 1913 | Fancy Free |
| 1913 | Phipps |
| 1913 | Fear |
| 1913 | A Pair of White Gloves |
| 1913 | The Neglected Lady |
| 1914 | Marrying Money |
| 1914 | The Forest of Happy Dreams |
| 1914 | The Goal |
| 1914 | The Denial |
| 1914 | Nettie |
| 1914 | Across The Border |
| 1915 | Maternity |
| 1915 | Nobody Home |
| 1915 | The Mask Of The Beast |
| 1915 | Hobson's Choice |
| 1916 | Go To It |
| 1916 | Such Is Life |
| 1916 | Margery Daw |
| 1916 | Nevertheless |
| 1916 | The Golden Doom |
| 1917 | Oh, Boy! (musical) |
| 1918 | Oh, Lady! Lady! |
| 1918 | Jonathan Makes a Wish |
| 1919 | Toot Sweet |
| 1920 | Tick-Tack-Toe |
| 1920 | Mrs. Jimmie Thompson |
| 1921 | The Mask of Hamlet |
| 1921 | Suzette |
| 1922 | Desert Sands |
| 1922 | The First Fifty Years |
| 1922 | Six Characters in Search of an Author |
| 1923 | Mister Malatesta |
| 1923 | White Desert |
| 1924 | The Steam Roller |
| 1925 | The Little Poor Man |
| 1925 | Brother Elks |
| 1926 | The Unchastened Woman |
| 1926 | Buy, Buy, Baby |
| 1927 | The Virgin Man |
| 1927 | Bottomland |
| 1928 | Meek Mose |
| Lucille La Verne Theatre | |
| 1928 | Sun-Up |
| 1929 | Hot Water |
| Assembly Theatre | |
| 1929 | Lolly |
| 1929 | A Ledge |
| 1929 | The Novice and the Duke |
| 1930 | Everything's Jake |
| Labor Stage Theatre | |
| 1930 | Pins and Needles |
| 1939 | Once Upon A Time |
| Princess Theatre | |
| 1947 | The Wanhope Building |
| 1947 | O'Daniel |
| 1947 | As We Forgive Our Debtors |
| 1947 | The Great Campaign |
| 1947 | Virginia Reel |
The Princess Theatre (same name used by off-Broadway 50th Street Theatre in 1980s) was a joint venture between The Shubert Brothers, (Lee Shubert, Samuel S. Shubert, and Jacob J. Shubert) producer Ray Comstock and actor-director Holbrook Blinn. It was built on a narrow slice of land on 39th Street, just off 6th Avenue, and sat 299, one of the smallest Broadway theaters built when it opened in early 1913. The architect was William A. Swasey, who designed the Winter Garden two years earlier.
Contents |
[edit] 1910s
Originally planned as a venue for short, one-act dramatic plays, the Princess gave its name to a series of Jerome Kern musicals that redefined the American musical between 1915 and 1919. Though fairly drab on the outside, looking like a six-story office building except for its marquees and gaudy electric sign over the main entrance, the Princess was quite elegant inside. A blend of Georgian and French Renaissance styles, the auditorium contained fourteen rows of seats, twelve boxes off the proscenium arch, and was hailed for its excellent acoustics and sight-lines. The decor included neoclassical inspired plasterwork and antique French tapestries hung from the side walls.
[edit] 1920s
In 1922, drama returned to the Princess for another seven years, but, unfortunately, success did not, and after a brief stint as the Lucille La Verne Theatre in 1928, the Shuberts sold the theater. In 1929, the New York Theatre Assembly took over the Princess, and renamed it The Assembly Theatre. However, within half a year, the theater was closed, and remained unused until 1933, when it reopened as the Reo Theatre, and was, like so many other former legitimate houses, now being used as a movie theater. A year later, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) acquired the theater, and used it as a recreation center for neighborhood workers.
[edit] 1930s
However, in 1937, legitimate theater returned to the theater, now called the Labor Stage, in a big way, with Pins and Needles, which was the longest running Broadway show of the day, running for 1108 performances. When the show moved to the Windsor Theatre, the ILGWU reclaimed the theater briefly as its recreation hall.
[edit] 1940s and 1950s
In 1947, movies returned to the theater, now renamed the Cinema Dante, screening foreign features. A year later, it got another name change, The Little Met, and in 1952, yet one final name, the Cine Verdi. By the mid-50s, the old Princess was on the outskirts of the theater district, and in 1955, the little theater was torn down.
