Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Paul Robeson – Ol’ Man River (Showboat – 1936) J.Kern O. Hammerstein II
Ol’ Man River (Jerome Kern – Oscar Hammerstein II). Lyrics from the Original Libretto. Dare’s an ol’ man cal’d de Mississipi, Dat’s de ol’ man dat I’d lek to be, Whot does he care, iv de world gets trauble,Whot does he care iv de land lev’s free. Ol’ man river, Dat ol’ man river, He mus’know sumpin’, But don’t say nuthin’, He jes’keeps rollin’, He keeps on rollin’ along.
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, showing the musical The Wedding Singer, 2006.
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 302 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.
Designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh for vaudeville promoter Martin Beck, the theatre opened as the Martin Beck Theatre with a production of Madame Pompadour on November 11, 1924. It was the only theater in New York that was owned outright without a mortgage. It was designed to be the most opulent theater of its time, and has dressing rooms for 200 actors. The theatre has a seating capacity of 1,424 for musicals.
Famous appearances include Basil Rathbone as Romeo with Katharine Cornell as Juliet in December 1934; Frank Langella in Dracula; Elizabeth Taylor in The Little Foxes; Christina Applegate as the title role in Sweet Charity; David Hyde Pierce as Lt. Coffi in the musical Curtains; and Daniel Radcliffe in the latest revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
On June 21, 2003, it was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in honor of the caricaturist famous for his drawings of Broadway celebrities, and reopened on November 23, 2003, with a revival of the musical Wonderful Town.
This is one of five theatres owned and operated by Jujamcyn Theaters, who purchased it in 1965 from the Beck family.
Notable Productions
- 1934: The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado
- 1934: Romeo and Juliet
- 1935: Winterset
- 1936 and 1939: Seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan
- 1937: High Tor
- 1939: Ladies and Gentlemen
- 1940: Cabin in the Sky
- 1941: Watch on the Rhine
- 1942: My Sister Eileen
- 1943: The Corn is Green
- 1945: On the Town
- 1946: The Iceman Cometh
- 1947: Antony and Cleopatra
- 1951: The Rose Tattoo
- 1953: The Crucible
- 1953: The Teahouse of the August Moon (play)
- 1956: Candide
- 1957: Orpheus Descending
- 1959: Sweet Bird of Youth
- 1960: Bye Bye Birdie
- 1961: Milk and Honey; The Happiest Girl in the World
- 1964: I Had a Ball
- 1965: Oliver!
- 1966: A Delicate Balance
- 1967: Hallelujah, Baby!
- View To The Stage.
- 1968: Man of La Mancha (Transferred to Martin Beck from ANTA Washington Square Theatre, playing since 1965. The ANTA theatre was demolished in 1968.)
- 1977: Dracula
- 1980: Onward Victoria
- 1981: The Little Foxes
- 1984: The Rink
- 1985: Take Me Along
- 1987: Into the Woods
- 1989: Grand Hotel
Auditorium Ceiling.- 1992: Guys and Dolls
- 1995: Moon Over Buffalo
- 1997: Annie
- 1998: The Sound of Music
- 1999: Kiss Me, Kate
- 2002: Man of La Mancha
- 2003: Wonderful Town
- 2005: Sweet Charity
- 2006: The Wedding Singer
- 2007: Curtains
- 2008: A Tale of Two Cities
- 2009: Hair
- 2010: Elf the Musical (Previews Nov 2010; Closed Jan 2011)(Limited engagement)
- 2011: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Previews Feb 26, 2011; Closed May 20, 2012)
- 2012: Fela! (Limited Engagement July 9-August 4, 2012)
- 2012: Elf the Musical (Limited Engagement November 9, 2012-January 6, 2013)
- 2013: Kinky Boots (Previews began March 5, 2013; Opened April 4, 2013)
