Central 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), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

in New York City built in 1918. It was located at 1567

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, at the southwest corner with 47th Street, and seated approximately 1,100 patrons. The architect was Herbert J. Krapp. The theatre was built by the

Shubert family The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th cen ...

on a site previously occupied by the Mathushek & Son piano factory.Movieland and Central Theatre
IBDB database, accessed April 21, 2014. The Shuberts retained the five-story piano warehouse on the corner, which they transformed into offices and the entrance lobby of the theatre.
"The Real Estate Field"
''The New York Times'', July 17, 1917.) It can be seen in this photograph, published in 1910. The first production at the theatre was the play ''Forever After'', by

Owen Davis Owen Gould Davis (January 29, 1874 – October 14, 1956) was an American dramatist known for writing more than 200 plays and having most produced. In 1919, he became the first elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America. He received t ...

, which opened in 1918. This moved to

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

for a long run. A musical, '' Somebody's Sweetheart'' (music by Antonio Bafunno; book and lyrics by Alonzo Price), was a success at the theatre in 1919–20.

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

made his debut as librettist in January 1920 with ''Always You'', which was followed by a successful

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

Arthur Wimperis Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

, ''As You Were''. In July 1920, ''

Poor Little Ritz Girl '' Poor Little Ritz Girl '' is a musical comedy in two acts, with book by George Campbell and Lew Fields. The show had some songs with lyrics by Alex Gerber and music by Sigmund Romberg and other songs with lyrics by Lorenz Hart and music by Rich ...

'' opened, with some songs by

Rodgers and Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart ...

and others by

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly ''The Student Prince'' (1924), ''The Desert Song'' (1926) and ''The New Moon'' (1928). Earl ...

and Alex Gerber. ''

Afgar ''Afgar, or the Andalusian Leisure'' is a musical with lyrics by Douglas Furber, music by Charles Cuvillier and a book by Fred Thompson and Worton David. It is based on Cuvillier's 1909 French operetta of the same name, with words by André Bar ...

'' was another successful musical in 1920–21. ''

The Gingham Girl ''The Gingham Girl'' is a 1927 American comedy film directed by David Kirkland and written by David Kirkland, Rex Taylor and Ewart Adamson. It is based on the 1922 play ''The Gingham Girl'' by Daniel Kusell. The film stars Lois Wilson (actress), ...

'' was a hit musical in 1923 with music by Albert Von Tilzer. The theatre introduced movies in 1921 and alternated the new medium with live theatre and

American burlesque American burlesque is a genre of variety show derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows. Burlesque became popular in America in the late 1860s and slowly evolved to feature ribald comedy and female nudity. By th ...

until 1957, although legitimate theatre was absent from 1934 to 1951. It changed its name to the Columbia Theatre in 1934, Gotham Theatre in 1944 and the Holiday Theatre in 1951. A successful revue, ''Bagels and Yox'' played in 1951. A revival of ''

Abie's Irish Rose ''Abie's Irish Rose'' is a popular comedy by Anne Nichols, which premiered in 1922. Initially a Broadway play, it has become familiar through repeated stage productions, films and radio programs. The basic premise involves an Irish Catholic girl ...

'' played in 1954. Legitimate theatre ended at the house in 1956. Under the names Odeon, then the Forum, and finally Movieland, the theatre played movies until 1988, when the Shuberts sold it. The building was converted into other uses. The auditorium became a disco, Club USA. The theatre was demolished in 1998. A

W Hotel W Hotels is an American upscale lifestyle hotel chain owned by Marriott International that is marketed towards a younger age group. History W Hotels was launched in 1998 with W New York, a conversion of the former Doral Inn hotel on Lexington ...

opened on the site in 2005.

References

External links

Cinema TreasuresMuseum of the City of New York
{{DEFAULTSORT:Central Theatre Former Broadway theatres Shubert Organization Broadway (Manhattan) Demolished theatres in New York City