Olympic Theatre was the name of five former 19th and early 20th-century theatres on

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 ...

in Manhattan and in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York.

First Olympic Theatre (1800–1821)

Portrait of Edmund Kean as Richard III (4673545)

Although perhaps best known as the Anthony Street Theatre, the first theatre in New York to bear the name Olympic (for only one year, in 1812–1813) was on 79–85 Anthony Street (later renamed

Worth Street Worth Street is a two-way street running roughly northwest-southeast in Manhattan, New York City. It runs from Hudson Street, TriBeCa, in the west to Chatham Square in Chinatown in the east. Past Chatham Square, the roadway continues as Oliver ...

) in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Converted in 1800 from a former circus building, it was named the Olympic Theatre in July 1812 under the management of

actor-manager An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business, sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used co ...

William Twaits along with

Alexander Placide Alexander Placide (1750–1812), was an American (originally French) actor and theatre manager.Robin O. Warren, Women on Southern Stages, 1800-1865: Performance, Gender and Identity He debuted in France in 1770 and was active in Saint-Domingue unt ...

and Jean Baptiste Casmiere Breschard. Twaits and Placide had come to New York after the disastrous Richmond Theatre fire in Richmond, Virginia, where they had been co-managers of the theatre there. The Olympic was due to open with a production led by

Charlotte Melmoth Mrs Charlotte Melmoth (c. 1749 – 1823) was an 18th-century English actress, the estranged spouse of British actor/writer Samuel Jackson Pratt ("Courtney Melmoth"), and known as "The Grande Dame of Tragedy on the Early American Stage". After a ...

and Twaits, but while travelling to fulfil this engagement Melmoth was involved in a carriage accident, resulting in a severe fracture to her arm that failed to heal, forcing her to give up her acting career. Circus acts continued to appear there throughout this period. The theatre was renovated and redecorated in 1813 when it was named the Anthony Street Theatre, becoming the Commonwealth Theatre in 1814 and the Pavilion Theatre in 1816 and reverting to Anthony Street Theatre in 1820. During the 1820–1821 season, the theatre was the home of the acting company of the Park Theatre while their own theatre was being rebuilt after having burnt down. With this company

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...

made his first appearance to much acclaim in New York in '' Richard III''.Law, Jonathan
''The Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre''
Bloomsbury (2011), p. 23, via Google Books The theatre was demolished in 1821 shortly after the Park Theatre company left, following which the plot was bought for the Christ Episcopal Church.

Second Olympic Theatre (1837–1852)

The second Olympic Theatre was built on 444 Broadway, near Grand Street in New York, in 1837. It was designed by the architect Calvin Pollard, who modeled it on the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout ...

in London, which concentrated on

Victorian burlesque Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as travesty or extravaganza, is a genre of theatrical entertainment that was popular in Victorian England and in the New York theatre of the mid-19th century. It is a form of parody in which a well-known oper ...

, a form of theatrical parody, often of opera or classic plays. It was built by Willard and Blake, who struggled as managers and leased it, at first, to a series of even less successful managers.The Olympic Theatre (1837–1852)
Internet Broadway Database, accessed March 31, 2020 In 1839

William Mitchell took over the theatre and offered

parodies A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

and comic entertainments at reduced prices. The house became known as Mitchell's Olympic Theatre. One of his entertainments was ''Amy Lee, or Who Loves Best?'' (1839), a parody version of '' Amilie, or the Love Test''.Rogers, Delmer D., ''Public Music Performances in New York City from 1800 to 1850'', in ''Anuario Interamericano de Investigacion Musical'', Vol. 6, (1970), p. 33 Noteworthy musicals produced at the theatre included ''1940!'' (1840) and ''A Glance at New York in 1848'' (1848). Kenrick, John
Demolished Broadway Theatres
Musicals101: the Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, Film and Television After his retirement in 1850, it became a German-language theatre and

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...

hall. The theatre changed ownership in 1852 and continued to operate as " George Christy and Wood's Minstrels". The building burned down in December 1854 in a fire that destroyed several connected buildings, across which the City Assembly Rooms extended on an upper floor.

Productions

*''The Deep, Deep Sea'' (1835 and 1837) – musical play by

Charles Dance Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in '' The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in '' ...

and

James Planché James Robinson Planché (27 February 1796 – 30 May 1880) was a British dramatist, antiquary and officer of arms. Over a period of approximately 60 years he wrote, adapted, or collaborated on 176 plays in a wide range of genres including ...

*''Sam Parr, with His Red Coarse Hair'' (1839) – burlesque version of ''

Zampa ''Zampa'','' ou La fiancée de marbre'' (''Zampa, or the Marble Bride'') is an opéra comique in three acts by French composer Ferdinand Hérold, with a libretto by Mélesville. The overture to the opera is one of Hérold's most famous works an ...

, the Red Corsair'', by William Mitchell *''Amy Lee, or Who Loves Best?'' (1939) – burlesque version of '' Amilie, or the Love Test'', by William Mitchell *''The Strange Gentleman''/''The Roof Scrambler'' (1839–1840) – musical burlesque *''1940!'' (1840) – musical

extravaganza An extravaganza is a literary or musical work (often musical theatre) usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody in a spectacular production and characterized by freedom of style and structure. It sometimes also ...

by A. Allan *''The Cat's in the Larder'' (1840–1841) – musical burlesque by James Henry Horncastle *''The Bohea-man's Girl'' (1845) – burlesque of ''

The Bohemian Girl ''The Bohemian Girl'' is an Irish Romantic opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Miguel de Cervantes' tale, ''La Gitanilla''. The best-known aria from the piece is " I Dreamt I Dwe ...

'', by B.A. Baker *''A Glance at New York In 1848'' (1848) – original musical

Third Olympic Theatre (1856–1880)

The third Olympic Theatre was located on 622 Broadway, near

Houston Street Houston Street ( ) is a major east–west thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs the full width of the island of Manhattan, from FDR Drive along the East River in the east to the West Side Highway along the Hudson River i ...

in New York. It was built in 1856 to a design by architect John M. Trimble as Laura Keene's Theatre under the management of

Laura Keene Laura Keene (20 July 1826 – 4 November 1873) was a British stage actress and theatre manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in ...

, a popular actress of the time. Keene had lost her lease on the Metropolitan Hall (Tripler Hall), and she relocated her ''Varieties'' to this theatre. The stage manager in the 1860s was Harry Eytinge. Many of Keene's productions had music by Thomas Baker and starred Joseph Jefferson.The Olympic Theatre (1856–1880)
Internet Broadway Database, accessed March 31, 2020 Under Keene's management, the theatre saw a number of notable premieres including ''

Our American Cousin ''Our American Cousin'' is a three-act play by English playwright Tom Taylor. It is a farce featuring awkward, boorish American Asa Trenchard, who is introduced to his aristocratic English relatives when he goes to England to claim the family e ...

'' in 1858 by English playwright

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language a ...

when the title character was played by Jefferson with

Edward Askew Sothern Edward Askew Sothern (1 April 182620 January 1881) was an English actor known for his comic roles in Britain and America, particularly Lord Dundreary in ''Our American Cousin''. He was also known for his many practical jokes. Life and career ...

as Lord Dundreary. Keene was acting in the play at

Ford's Theatre Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in August 1863. The theater is infamous for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater bo ...

in Washington, D.C. on 14 April 1865 when

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, in the audience, was assassinated by actor and

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

sympathizer

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth ...

. Other works to receive their premieres here included the melodrama ''

The Colleen Bawn ''The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen'' is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicau ...

'' by

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

(1860) and the long-running musical '' The Seven Sisters'' (1860–1861). In ''The Colleen Bawn'', Keene played Anne Chute with Boucicault playing Myles na Coppaleen. After Keene left in 1863 the theatre was renamed the Olympic and was managed by a number of actresses, including Mrs. John Wood (c. 1866). The theatre closed in 1880 and was demolished in the same year.

Productions (as Laura Keene's Theatre)

*''The Elves'' (1857) – musical with music by Thomas Baker *''

The Heir at Law ''The Heir at Law'' (1797) is a comedic play in five acts by George Colman the Younger that remained popular through the 19th century. It and ''John Bull'' (1803) were Colman's best known comedies.Dabundo, Laura (ed.Encyclopedia of Romanticism ...

'' (1857) – play by George Colman *''

The Lyons Mail ''The Lyons Mail'' is a 1931 British historical mystery adventure film directed by Arthur Maude and starring John Martin Harvey, Norah Baring, and Ben Webster. It was based on the 1877 play '' The Lyons Mail'' by Charles Reade which in turn wa ...

'' (1858) – by Charles Reade *''

'' (1858–1859) – play by

*''

'' (1860) – by

*''Jenny Lind'' (1860) – musical farce by Joseph Jefferson, with music by Thomas Baker *'' The Seven Sisters'' (1860–1861) – original burlesque by Thomas B. DeWalden with music by Thomas Baker

Productions (as the Olympic Theatre)

*''

L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series ''Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and po ...

'' (1879) – play by

Augustin Daly John Augustin Daly (July 20, 1838June 7, 1899) was one of the most influential men in American theatre during his lifetime. Drama critic, theatre manager, playwright, and adapter, he became the first recognized stage director in America. He exer ...

*''The Scouts of the Plains; or, The Peril of the Frontier'' (1878) – western by Texas Jack Omohundro *''Bluebeard'' (1872) –

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on the ...

*''Humpty Dumpty'' (1871–1872) –

by Mon. F. Strebinger and George L. Fox *''Horizon'' (1871) – play by

*''Wee Willie Winkie'' (1870–1871) – pantomime with music by Mon. F. Strebinger; libretto by George L. Fox *''The Fair One in the Golden Wig'' (1870) – burlesque: Mrs Alice Oates and her company *''The Daughter of the Regiment, or the 800 Fathers'' (1870) – Mrs Alice Oates and her company *''The Field of the Cloth of Gold'' (1870) – Mrs Alice Oates and her company *'' Little Faust'' (1870) – opera by Hervé: Mrs Alice Oates and her company *'' Macbeth'' (1870) – music by

Matthew Locke Matthew Locke may refer to: * Matthew Locke (administrator) (fl. 1660–1683), English Secretary at War from 1666 to 1683 * Matthew Locke (composer) (c. 1621–1677), English Baroque composer and music theorist * Matthew Locke (soldier) (1974–2 ...

*''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1870) – written by Thomas Cooper de Leon *'' Paul Pry'' (1870) – play by John Poole *''The Writing on the Wall'' (1870) – play by John Maddison Morton *'' Under the Gaslight'' (1869) – play by

*''The Streets of New York, or Poverty is No Crime'' (1869) – play by

*''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

'' (1869) – play by

George Aiken George David Aiken (August 20, 1892November 19, 1984) was an American politician and horticulturist. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 64th governor of Vermont (1937–1941) before serving in the United States Senate for 34 years, ...

*''Hiccory Diccory Dock'' (1869) –

by George L. Fox *''Humpty Dumpty'' (1869) – pantomime with music by Anthony Reiff; written by George L. Fox *'' The Rose of Castile'' (1867) – opera with libretto by

Augustus Harris Sir Augustus Henry Glossop Harris (18 March 1852 – 22 June 1896) was a British actor, impresario, and dramatist, a dominant figure in the West End theatre, West End theatre of the 1880s and 1890s. Born into a theatrical family, Harris briefl ...

and

Edmund Falconer Edmund Falconer (c.1814 – 29 September 1879), born Edmund O'Rourke, was an Irish poet, actor, theatre manager, songwriter and playwright, known for his keen wit and outstanding acting skills. Early life Edmund O'Rourke was born in Dublin aro ...

to a score by

Michael William Balfe Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...

*''

'' (1867) – opera by

and

Alfred Bunn Alfred Bunn (April 8, 1796 in LondonDecember 20, 1860 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) was an English theatrical manager. He was married to Margaret Agnes (née Somerville) Bunn, a minor actress, in 1819. Biography Bunn was appointed stage manager of D ...

*''The Doctor of Alcantara'' (1867) – opera with music by

Julius Eichberg Julius Eichberg (13 June 1824 – 19 January 1893) was a German-born composer, musical director and educator who worked mostly in Boston, Massachusetts. Biography Julius Eichberg was born in Düsseldorf, Germany to a Jewish family. His first mu ...

; libretto by Benjamin Edward Woolf *''

Fra Diavolo Fra Diavolo (lit. Brother Devil; 7 April 1771–11 November 1806), is the popular name given to Michele Pezza, a famous guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples, proving an "inspirational practitioner of popular insurrect ...

'' (1867) – opera with music by

Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally when ...

; original French libretto by

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of ma ...

*''

Maritana ''Maritana'' is a three-act opera including both spoken dialogue and some recitatives, composed by William Vincent Wallace, with a libretto by Edward Fitzball (1792–1873). The opera is based on the 1844 French play ''Don César de Bazan'' by ...

'' (1867) – opera with music by William Vincent Wallace; libretto by

Edward Fitzball Edward Fitzball (20 March 179327 October 1873) was a popular English playwright, who specialised in melodrama. His real surname was Ball, and he was born at Burwell, Cambridgeshire. Fitzball was educated in Newmarket, was apprenticed to a Nor ...

*''Rip van Winkle or The Sleep of Twenty Years '' (1866) – play by

*''Po-Ca-Hon-Tas'' (1866) – musical with score by James Gaspard Maeder; written by

John Brougham John Brougham (9 May 1814 – 7 June 1880) was an Irish-American actor and dramatist. Biography He was born at Dublin. His father was an amateur painter, and died young. His mother was the daughter of a Huguenot, whom political adversity had f ...

*'' The Rose of Castile'' (1864) – opera with libretto by

and music

*''

'' (1864) – opera with libretto by

*''Brother and Sister'' (1863) – musical with score by Sir Henry Bishop; libretto by

William Dimond William Fisher Peach Dimond (11 December 1781 – c1837) was a playwright of the early 19th-century who wrote about thirty works for the theatre, including plays, operas, musical entertainments and melodramas. Life He was born in Bath in S ...

Fourth Olympic Theatre (1908–1928)

The fourth Olympic Theatre in New York was located on 143 East 14th Street in

. Built in 1868 for the

Tammany Society Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...

, the building had an auditorium big enough to hold public meetings, and a smaller one that became the Olympic Theatre. The structure was topped off by a larger-than-life statue of Saint Tammany. The smaller auditorium was renamed Bryant's Minstrel Hall in 1868 when it became the home of Don Bryant's Minstrels. After Bryant's Minstrels left, the theatre was leased to a German company:

Tammany Hall merged politics and entertainment, already stylistically similar, in its new headquarters. ... The Tammany Society kept only one room for itself, renting the rest to entertainment impresarios: Don Bryant's Minstrels, a German theater company, classical concerts and opera. The basement – in the French mode – offered the Café Ausant, where one could see
tableaux vivant A (; often shortened to ; plural: ), French for "living picture", is a static scene containing one or more actors or models. They are stationary and silent, usually in costume, carefully posed, with props and/or scenery, and may be theatric ...
, gymnastic exhibitions, pantomimes, and
Punch and Judy Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character ...
shows. There was also a bar, a bazaar, a Ladies' Café, and an oyster saloon. All this – with the exception of Bryant's – was open from seven till midnight for a combination price of fifty cents.

In 1881

Tony Pastor Antonio Pastor (May 28, 1837 – August 26, 1908) was an American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. He was sometimes referr ...

took over the lease, renaming the venue Tony Pastor's 14th Street Theatre and making the theatre New York's most famous

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

house during the 1880s and 1890s. After Pastor left in 1908 the theatre was renamed the Olympic and became a burlesque house until Tammany Hall was sold in 1928 and demolished in the same year.

Fifth Olympic Theatre (1925–1927)

The fifth theatre in New York to bear the name Olympic was located at 365 Fulton Street in

, New York. It was originally called Hyde & Behmans Theater and was one of the leading

theatres in America during the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries. This theatre was remodeled as the 2,000-seat Olympic Theatre, which opened on Labor Day, 1925. In 1926 an organ was installed in the theatre by the M. P. Moller company of Hagerstown, Maryland. In 1927 the Olympic later became a movie theatre called the Tivoli Theatre. From 1942 the Tivoli was part of the

Century Theatres Century Theatres is a movie theater chain that operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In its later years, it had expanded into the inter-mountain states, t ...

circuit, and by 1950 it was operated by Liggett-Florin Booking Service. The Tivoli Theater closed in 1952 and, after being damaged by a fire in 1954, was subsequently demolished.Tivoli Theater, 365 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY- Cinema Treasures website
/ref>

References

External links