Colonial Theatre

1905 - 1977

Built by the owners of the Hippodrome, Frederic Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy, the Colonial Theatre aimed initially to be a British-style music hall. Thompson and Dundy sold the theater only after a few weeks to Percy G. Williams, an actor and real estate investor who quickly switched it to standard Vaudeville. 1912, it became part of the Keith circuit and was converted to Broadway use in the 1920s. It was a movie house in the 1940s and 1950s and a TV studio in the 1960s. NBC and its owner, RCA, used the Colonial Theater as a test studio to develop color television, and Bill Cullen’s The Price Is Right started its color broadcasts here. Rebecca Harkness bought and renovated the theatre in 1971 for her ballet company, which went bankrupt after one year. Following several unsuccessful Broadway bookings in the mid-1970s, the theatre was sold to a developer in 1977 and was razed that same year. The theater was designed by American architect George Keister and seated up to 1,293 people. Over the years, the site has changed names often, including Keith’s Colonial Theatre (1912), New Colonial Theatre (1917-1925), Hampten’s Theatre (1925-1932), and RKO Colonial Theatre (1932-1951). Today, the site of the Colonial Theatre stands as a testament to its rich history. It is now a Lincoln Center-affiliated public space adorned with two vertical gardens, a 42-foot media wall, and a reflecting pool. The theater’s legacy of hosting cultural events continues, with a diverse range of offerings, including performances, discussion forums, film screenings, and programs tailored for children, all of which are free for the public to enjoy.

An old photo of the inside of a theater with seats viewed from the stage
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Details

Category
Other
Founder(s)
Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy
Tags
vaudeville, cinema, TV, dance, performingarts

Location

  • 1877 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, USA
    ? - ?

References

  1. https://iiif-prod.nypl.org/index.php?id=5221514&t=g
  2. https://www.broadwayworld.com/theatre/New-Colonial-Theatre
  3. https://www.lincolncenter.org/feature/legacies-of-san-juan-hill/interactive-map
  4. Aberjhani, and Sandra L. West. 2003. Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. New York: Facts On File, Inc. ISBN 1438130171. P. 290
  5. https://www.musicals101.com/bwaypast1b.htm
  6. https://michaelminn.net/newyork/theatres/lincoln-square/colonial-theatre/
  7. https://www.lincolncenter.org/feature/legacies-of-san-juan-hill/san-juan-hills-artistic-landscape
  8. https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2943
  9. https://eyesofageneration.com/november-8-1952-nbcs-first-full-color-facility-debutso/?fbclid=IwAR0gZlalSth7h3UPgGSns0OFTgj0H74S_wqoi255GmfjrSEVVyoiNIxp4Uo