Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
| Biltmore Theatre | |
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
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| Address | 261 West 47th Street New York City United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Owner | Manhattan Theatre Club |
| Type | Broadway theatre |
| Capacity | 650 |
| Construction | |
| Architect | Herbert J. Krapp |
| Website | |
| http://www.mtc-nyc.org | |
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Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
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| Built | December 7, 1925 |
| Architect | Herbert J. Krapp |
| NRHP Reference # | 04001203[1] |
| Added to NRHP | 2004 |
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (formerly the Biltmore Theatre) is a Broadway theatre located at 261 West 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
History
Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp for impresario Irwin Chanin, it opened on December 7, 1925, with the play Easy Come Easy Go. With a seating capacity of 903, it was one of Broadway's smaller venues.
The theatre was used by Federal Theatre's Living Newspaper project in the 1930s. CBS leased it for use as a radio and television studio from 1952 until 1961. The producer David Cogan acquired the Biltmore in 1958.[2] In 1968, the groundbreaking rock musical Hair opened at the theatre.
In 1986, Cogan sold the Biltmore to developer Samuel Pfeiffer in 1986.[3] In 1987, a fire struck the Biltmore. The blaze, which was later determined to be an act of arson, destroyed the interior. After the fire, the building sat vacant for fourteen years, suffering more structural damage from water and vandals. Most plans proposed for its future use – such as a showcase for "Best of Broadway" revues – were rejected since its New York City landmark designation required it to operate only as a legitimate Broadway house if renovated. In 1993, the Nederlander Organization and Stewart F. Lane acquired the Biltmore; after being unable to secure a deal with theatre unions, the theatre was sold to developer Joseph Moinian.[4][5]
In 2001, the property became operated by the Manhattan Theatre Club as a permanent home for its productions.[6] Surviving sections of the original theatre were restored by Polshek Partnership Architects (plasterwork restored by EverGreene Architectural Arts), and missing parts were reconstructed. With 622 seats the new Biltmore has about two-thirds of the capacity of the old, although it now boasts modern conveniences such as elevators and meeting rooms. The Biltmore's landmarked features, such as the proscenium arch, dome, staircases and a vaulted second-floor gallery, were restored or replicated.[7]
For the renovation of the Biltmore Theater, under floor air displacement was used. The benefits of this system include energy efficiency, superior indoor air quality, lowest noise levels of all other mechanical systems, and best thermal comfort. Biltmore is the first theater in New York City with under floor air displacement.[citation needed]
The theatre was renamed the "Samuel J. Friedman Theatre" in a dedication ceremony held on September 4, 2008. The new name honors Broadway publicist Samuel J. Friedman.[8] The Manhattan Theatre Club took ownership of the Samuel J. Friedman in October 2008.[9]
Biltmore Theatre in media
In 1983, the Biltmore Theatre can be seen in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Notable productions
- 1928: Pleasure Man [10]
- 1940: My Sister Eileen
- 1946: No Exit
- 1947: The Heiress
- 1951: Billy Budd (with Lee Marvin's stage-debut)
- 1961: Take Her, She's Mine
- 1963: Barefoot in the Park
- 1968: Loot; Staircase; Hair
- 1976: The Robber Bridegroom
- 1977: Hair (musical-revival)
- 1978: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
- 1980: Nuts
- 1982: Deathtrap
- 1983: Doonesbury
- 2003: The Violet Hour
- 2005: After the Night and the Music
- 2006: Rabbit Hole
- 2007: LoveMusik, Mauritius
- 2008: Come Back, Little Sheba; Top Girls, To Be or Not To Be
- 2009: The American Plan; Accent on Youth; The Royal Family
- 2010: Time Stands Still; Collected Stories; The Pitmen Painters
- 2011: Good People; Master Class; Venus in Fur
- 2012: Wit; The Columnist; An Enemy of the People
- 2013: The Other Place; The Assembled Parties; The Snow Geese
- 2014: Outside Mullingar; Casa Valentina; The Country House
- 2015: Constellations; Airline Highway (play); Fool for Love[11]
- 2016: Our Mother's Brief Affair[12]
References
Bibliography
- Lost Broadway Theatres by Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, Princeton Architectural Press (1997) ISBN 1-56898-116-3
Notes
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ David Cogan, 'A Raisin in the Sun' Producer, Dies at 78
- ↑ Biltmore Theater's Owner Rejects $5.25 Million Offer
- ↑ Nederlanders and Partner Buy the Biltmore Theater
- ↑ 43-Story Hotel Planned Over Shuttered Biltmore Theater
- ↑ Dawning of a New Age for the Biltmore
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Jones, Kenneth."Broadway's Biltmore Becomes the Friedman on Sept. 4", playbill.com, September 4, 2008
- ↑ Big News! Press Agent Gets Name in Lights
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Fool for Love at the Internet Broadway Database
- ↑ Our Mother’s Brief Affair, Playbill
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Biltmore Theatre. |
- Samuel J. Friedman Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
- Friedman Theatre Broadway Theatre Guide listing
- "At This Theatre" at Playbill.com
- "A Midsummer Night's Renovation" by Iris Dorbian in Stage Directions, July 2004
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- Articles with IBDb links
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015
- Commons category link is locally defined
- Theatres in Manhattan
- Landmarks in Manhattan
- Broadway theatres
- Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan
- Event venues established in 1925
- Buildings and structures in the United States destroyed by arson
- Crimes in New York City
- Arson in New York
