The Adelphi Theatre (originally the Craig Theatre) was a

Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

at 152 West 54th Street in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

, New York City, with 1,434 seats.

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

''Adelphi Theatre''
(Retrieved on November 30, 2007) Opened on December 24, 1928, the theater was taken over by the Federal Theater Project in 1934 and renamed the Adelphi. The theater was renamed the Radiant Center by The Royal Fraternity of Master

Metaphysicians Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of h ...

in 1940. It was then the Yiddish Arts Theater (1943), and renamed the Adelphi Theater on April 20, 1944, when it was acquired by The Shubert Organization. It became a

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in ...

studio, known as the Adelphi Tele-Theatre in the 1950s. The "Classic 39" episodes of ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It f ...

'' were filmed in this facility by DuMont using their Electronicam system for broadcast on CBS later during the 1955–56 television season. The theater returned to legitimate use in 1957, was renamed the 54th Street Theater in 1958, and finally the George Abbott Theater in 1965. The building was demolished in 1970 for the New York Hilton Midtown hotel after hosting several expensive flops. Some interiors were decorated with murals painted by Joseph Mortimer Lichtenauer. The artistic cycle was dismembered after its demolition.

Notable productions

*'' Revolt of the Beavers'' (May 20, 1937 – June 19, 1937) *'' On the Town'' (December 28, 1944 – February 6, 1945) *'' Around the World'' (May 31, 1946 – March 8, 1946) *'' Street Scene'' (January 1, 1947 – May 17, 1947) *'' Life Is Worth Living'' *''

'' (October 1, 1955 – September 22, 1956) *''

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., d ...

'' (May 6, 1957 – December 10, 1957) *'' Bye Bye Birdie'' (October 24, 1960 – January 14, 1961) *'' 13 Daughters'' (March 1, 1961 – March 25, 1961) *'' No Strings'' (March 15, 1962 – September 29, 1962) *'' What Makes Sammy Run?'' (February 27, 1964 – December 6, 1965) *'' Any Wednesday'' (February 15, 1966 – June 26, 1966) *'' Wait Until Dark'' (October 3, 1966 – November 26, 1966) *'' Darling of the Day'' (January 27, 1968 – February 24, 1968) * ''

Gantry A gantry is an overhead bridge-like structure supporting equipment such as a crane, signals, or cameras. Devices and structures *Gantry (medical), cylindrical scanner assembly used for medical 3D-imaging or treatment *Gantry (transport), an over ...

'' (February 14, 1970) Musical theater star William Gaxton referred to it as "the dump of dumps".Dietz, Dan. "1945-1946 Season," ''The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals'', Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, p. 319.

References

{{coord, 40, 45, 45, N, 73, 58, 46, W, type:landmark_region:US-NY, display=title Former Broadway theatres Former theatres in Manhattan Demolished theatres in New York City Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan Buildings and structures demolished in 1970 Theatres completed in 1932 Midtown Manhattan 1932 establishments in New York City 1970 disestablishments in New York (state)