Liberty Theatre
| Address |
234 West 42nd Street New York City |
|---|---|
| Owner | City and State of New York |
| Operator | Forest City Enterprises |
| Type | Broadway |
| Capacity | 1055 (est.) |
| Current use | Multiple entertainment uses |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 10, 1904 |
| Closed | 1933 |
| Rebuilt | 2011 |
| Years active | 1904–1933 |
| Architect | Herts & Tallant |
| Tenants | |
| New 42nd Street | |
| Website | |
|
www | |
The Liberty Theatre was a Broadway theater from 1904 to 1933,[1] located at 236 West 42nd Street in New York City. It was built by the partnership of Klaw and Erlanger.[2]
From 1933 until the late 1980s the Liberty operated continuously as a movie theatre. In 1992 the then vacant theatre was purchased by the City of New York along with many other properties as part of the New 42nd Street renovation project.
In 1996 it was used for a staged reading of T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land, with actress Fiona Shaw, directed by Deborah Warner. The New York Times review described the theater as "derelict".[3] The facade of the Liberty theater was later absorbed into Ripley's Odditorium, which is part of the Forest City Enterprises entertainment complex.[4]
In 2011, renovations were completed and the former Liberty Theatre auditorium was converted for use as a Famous Dave's restaurant.[5] The main auditorium space is now a rental event space, with the restaurant portion along 42nd Street operating as the Liberty Diner.[6]
In 2015, Cynthia von Buhler's Speakeasy Dollhouse: Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic is staged as an immersive play in the theater. The story investigates the death of silent film star and Ziegfeld Girl Olive Thomas.[7]
Notable productions
- 1904: Little Johnny Jones
- 1906: The Clansman
- 1913: Sweethearts
- 1917: Going Up (musical)
- 1919: George White's Scandals
- 1919: Hitchy-Koo of 1919
- 1922: Little Nellie Kelly
- 1924: Lady, Be Good!
- 1925: Tip-Toes
- 1928: Blackbirds of 1928 [8][9]
- 1929: Tiptoe With Me
- 1930: Brown Buddies [10]
- 1996: The Waste Land
- 2015: Speakeasy Dollhouse: Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic
References
- ↑ "Liberty Theatre (Built: 1904 Closed: 1933)" – Internet Broadway Database (Retrieved on February 22, 2008)
- ↑ Liberty Theatre - Cinema Treasures
- ↑ Brantley, Ben (November 18, 1996). "Memory and Desire: Hearing Eliot's Passion". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
- ↑ New 42nd Street website information on Liberty Theatre history
- ↑ "News Release | Famous Daves". ir.famousdaves.com. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- ↑ official site
- ↑ BWW News Desk (April 18, 2015). "Speakeasy Dollhouse Transforms Times Square's Liberty Theater for ZIEGFELD'S MIDNIGHT FROLIC, Beginning Tonight". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ↑ Blackbirds of 1928 starred Adelaide Hall and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson. http://www.amazon.com/Underneath-Harlem-Moon-Paris-Adelaide/dp/B005ZOLV7C
- ↑ http://www.myspace.com/adelaidehall/photos/8228520#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A8228520%7D
- ↑ "Brown Buddies @ Liberty Theatre | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
External links
- Liberty Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
- 42nd Street site map - diagram of facilities on 42nd St.
Coordinates: 40°45′24″N 73°59′18″W / 40.75658°N 73.98826°W