Theatre on Nassau Street
The Theatre on Nassau Street, or The New Theatre, was probably the first purpose-built theatre in Manhattan.[1]
It was a two-story wooden structure, owned by merchant and former governor Rip Van Dam, and it opened on 11 December 1732 with a performance of The Recruiting Officer.[1] The building was located at what is now 64-66 Nassau Street, between John Street and Maiden Lane.[2]
In 1750, shortly after Van Dam's death, it hosted New York's first-known performance of a musical, The Beggar's Opera, presented by a London-based traveling troupe, Murray & Kean's. This was also the first record of professional actors in New York; previously all productions had been amateur affairs.[3] In 1753, actor and director Lewis Hallam expanded the theatre, describing the new structure as "very fine, large and commodious."[2] Shortly later the building was converted to a Calvinist church, and finally demolished in 1765.[2]
References
- ^ a b Wilmeth, Don Burton; Bigsby, Christopher, eds. (1998). The Cambridge History of American Theatre. Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 375. ISBN 9780521472043.
- ^ a b c Saerchinger, César (1920). "Musical Landmarks in New York". The Musical Quarterly. 6: 77-78.
- ^ Maitland, Leslie (25 June 1976). "A Walk Down Ghostly Aisles". New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
40°42′33″N 74°00′30″W / 40.70917°N 74.00833°W
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