Belmont Theatre
History
Designed by architect Eugene De Rosa, the theatre was originally named the Norworth Theatre, and was named for its builder, the songwriter and actor Jack Norworth (best known for writing the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and "Shine On, Harvest Moon"). Norworth built the theatre with the intent of managing it and using it as a place for he and his wife, the actress Nora Bayes, to perform. The theatre opened on January 28, 1918, with the musical revue Odds and Ends of 1917; a production which had transferred from the Bijou Theatre. Both Northworth and Bayes starred in the production along with the comedian Harry Watson Jr. and actress Lillian Lorraine.
Norworth's tenure as the operator and owner of the theatre was short lived, and he sold it just four months after it opened. Under its new owners, the theatre was renamed the Belmont Theatre with its first performance under its new name being Theresa Helburn's Crops and Croppers on September 12, 1918.
References
- ^ Nicholas Van Hoogstraten (1991). "Norworth Theatre". Lost Broadway Theatres. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 175.
- ^ Kenneth T. Jackson; Lisa Keller; Nancy Flood, eds. (2010). "Broadway theatres". The Encyclopedia of New York City, Second Edition. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300182576.
- ^ "The Final Curtain: De Rosa, Eugene". Billboard. April 27, 1946.
- ^ Ken Bloom (2013). "Belmont Theatre". Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. pp. 62–63. ISBN 9781135950200.
External links
40°45′33″N 73°58′55″W / 40.75917°N 73.98194°W