The 48th Street Theatre was a

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

at 157 West 48th Street in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. It was built by longtime Broadway producer

William A. Brady William Aloysius Brady (June 19, 1863 – January 6, 1950) was an American theater actor, producer, and sports promoter. Biography Brady was born to a newspaperman in 1863. His father kidnapped him from San Francisco and brought him to New York ...

and designed by architect William Albert Swasey. The venue was also called the Equity 48th Street Theatre (1922–25) and the Windsor Theatre (1937–43).

History

48th-Street-Theatre-Seating-Diagram-1921

The 48th Street Theatre opened on August 12, 1912, with the play '' Just Like John'' by

George Broadhurst George Howells Broadhurst (June 3, 1866 – January 31, 1952) was an Anglo-American theatre owner/manager, director, producer and playwright. His plays were most popular from the late 1890s into the 1920s. Biography Broadhurst was born in Wal ...

. Early successes at the theatre included '' Never Say Die'' (1912), ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...

'' (1913), ''

The Midnight Girl ''The Midnight Girl'' is a 1925 American drama film directed by Wilfred Noy and starring Lila Lee and featuring Bela Lugosi.Just a Woman'' (1916), '' The Man Who Stayed at Home'' (1918), '' The Storm'' (1919), and ''

Opportunity Opportunity may refer to: Places * Opportunity, Montana, an unincorporated community, United States * Opportunity, Nebraska, an unincorporated community, United States * Opportunity, Washington, a former census-designated place, United States * ...

'' (1920) starring

Nita Naldi Nita Naldi (born Mary Nonna Dooley; In this reference Naldi's birth name Nonna is mistakenly cited “Donna”. Naldi's birthname in this reference is also incorrectly cited as “Donna”. November 13, 1894 – February 17, 1961) was an Ameri ...

. The Theatre was briefly named the Equity 48th Street Theatre from the premiere of ''

Malvaloca Malvaloca may refer to: * ''Malvaloca'' (play), a 1912 play by the Quintero brothers * ''Malvaloca'' (1926 film), a silent Spanish film directed by Benito Perojo * ''Malvaloca'' (1942 film), a Spanish film directed by Luis Marquina * ''Malval ...

'' on October 2, 1922, until the premiere of '' Spooks'' on June 1, 1925. During this period they had a successful revival of

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's ''

The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It explores the complexities of truth and illusion through the story of a family torn apart by secrets and the intrusion of a ...

''. On April 18, 1926, the theatre featured the professional debut of

Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over s ...

as an independent dancer and choreographer. Graham and three of her students performed 18 short pieces accompanied by the music of

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

composers. Despite poor weather, the evening was a success, which Graham attributed to "curiosity" as people attended to see "a woman who could do her own work". On November 11, 1926, the theatre premiered ''

The Squall ''The Squall'' is a 1929 American sound ( All-Talking) pre-Code drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Myrna Loy, Richard Tucker, Alice Joyce and Loretta Young, and based on the 1926 play '' The Squall'' by Jean Bart. Plot In Hu ...

'' by

Jean Bart Jean Bart (; ; 21 October 1650 – 27 April 1702) was a Flemish naval commander and privateer. Early life Jean Bart was born in Dunkirk in 1650 to a seafaring family, the son of Jean-Cornil Bart (c. 1619–1668) who has been described various ...

, starring

Blanche Yurka Blanche Yurka (born Blanch Jurka; June 19, 1887 – June 6, 1974) was an American stage and film actress and director. She was an opera singer with minor roles at the Metropolitan Opera and later became a stage actress, making her Broadway deb ...

Romney Brent Romney Brent (born Romulo Larralde; 26 January 1902 – 24 September 1976) was a Mexican actor, director and dramatist. Most of his career was on stage in North America, but in the 1930s he was frequently seen on the London stage, on television ...

, and

Dorothy Stickney Dorothy Stickney (June 21, 1896 – June 2, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress, best known for appearing in the long-running Broadway hit '' Life with Father''. Early years Stickney was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, b ...

. During the final act of the performance July 26, 1927, 38-year-old screenwriter and film executive

June Mathis June Mathis (born June Beulah Hughes, January 30, 1887 – July 26, 1927) was an American screenwriter. Mathis was the first female executive for Metro/MGM and at only 35, she was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926 she was voted ...

was stricken and died following a heart attack. Notable performances at the theatre during this period included ''Puppy Love'' (1926) starring

Spring Byington Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of '' December Bride''. She was an MGM contract player who appeared in films from the ...

, '' The Pagan Lady'' (1930) starring

Lenore Ulric Lenore Ulric (born Lenore Ulrich; July 21, 1892 – December 30, 1970) was a star of the Broadway theatre as well as Hollywood films of the silent-film and early sound era. Discovered in 1913 by theater director David Belasco, who would go on to ...

, and '' Unexpected Husband'' (1931) starring

Josephine Hull Marie Josephine Hull (née Sherwood; January 3, 1877 – March 12, 1957) was an American stage and film actress who also was a director of plays. She had a successful 50-year career on stage while taking some of her better known roles to film. Sh ...

. The theatre was sold and renamed the Windsor Theatre by producer Sam H. Grisman, beginning with the premiere of '' Work Is for Horses'' on November 20, 1937. The Windsor, along with the Princess Theatre, was used for

Labor Stage Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

, a project of the

International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) was a labor union for employees in the women's clothing industry in the United States. It was one of the largest unions in the country, one of the first to have a primarily female membersh ...

, which produced plays and held lectures and meetings. Perhaps the most notable play at the Windsor was a January 3, 1938, revival of

Marc Blitzstein Marcus Samuel Blitzstein (March 2, 1905January 22, 1964), was an American composer, lyricist, and Libretto, librettist. He won national attention in 1937 when his pro-Trade union, union musical ''The Cradle Will Rock'', directed by Orson Welles, ...

's controversial political musical ''

The Cradle Will Rock ''The Cradle Will Rock'' is a 1937 Musical theater, play in music by Marc Blitzstein. Originally a part of the Federal Theatre Project, it was directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman. Set in Steeltown, U.S.A., the Bertold Brecht, ...

'', produced by Grisman and directed by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

. On September 1, 1943, the theatre once again became the 48th Street Theatre. The most successful play in the theatre's history premiered on November 1, 1944: '' Harvey'' by Mary Chase and starring Frank Fay, which ran for 1775 performances, won Chase the

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

, and was adapted into a 1950 film starring

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

. Another success at the theatre was ''

Stalag 17 ''Stalag 17'' is a 1953 American war film directed by Billy Wilder. It tells the story of a group of American airmen confined with 40,000 prisoners in a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp "somewhere on the Danube". Their compound holds ...

'' (1951), which was also made into a successful 1953 film. On August 23, 1955, a rooftop water tank feeding the fire sprinkler system fell through the reinforced concrete roof, and 10,000 gallons of water caused extensive damage to the interior. Dark since the end of '' Tea and Sympathy'' in June, the theatre was closed and the building was demolished later that year. A parking garage was built on the site, which was later replaced by the

Hard Rock Hotel New York Hard Rock Hotel New York is a hotel located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at 159 West 48th Street just north of Times Square. It opened on April 25, 2022, featuring performances from John Legend, DJ Cassidy, Chantel Jeffries, DJ Coleman, ...

in 2022.

Notable productions

* 1914–15: ''

The Law of the Land ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' * 1916–17: '' The Thirteenth Chair'' * 1920–21: '' The Broken Wing'' * 1922: ''

The Torch-Bearers ''The Torch-Bearers'' is a 1922 stage play by George Kelly about a housewife who becomes an actress (the original actress became a widow and withdrew) while her husband is away on business, with Act I being the rehearsal at their home, Act II is ...

'' * 1938: ''

'' * 1939–40: ''

Pins and Needles Paresthesia is a sensation of the skin that may feel like numbness (''hypoesthesia''), tingling, pricking, chilling, or burning. It can be temporary or chronic and has many possible underlying causes. Paresthesia is usually painless and can oc ...

'' * 1941: ''Good Neighbor'' * 1942: ''

Under this Roof ''Under This Roof'' is a 1940 play in 2 Acts and 7 scenes by Boston lawyer, activist and writer Herbert B. Ehrmann, who had earlier achieved fame as the defense attorney in the Sacco and Vanzetti trial in 1920. Set inside an old New England househ ...

'' * 1944–49: '' Harvey'' * 1951–52: ''

'' * 1955: '' Tea and Sympathy''

References

External links

* {{Authority control Times Square buildings Buildings and structures demolished in 1955 Former Broadway theatres Demolished theatres in New York City Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan Former theatres in Manhattan Theatres completed in 1912 1912 establishments in New York City 1955 disestablishments in New York (state) Theater District, Manhattan