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Fulton Theatre

The Fulton Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 210 West 46th Street in Manhattan, New York City, that was opened in 1911. It was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in 1955. The theatre was demolished in 1982. After the former Little Theatre on 44th Street became the current Helen Hayes Theatre, the Fulton Theatre was sometimes referred to as the First Helen Hayes Theatre.

For the theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, see Fulton Opera House.

Address

210 West 46th Street
New York City
United States

Broadway

April 27, 1911

October 20, 1911

1982

History[edit]

Built by the architects Herts & Tallant for Henry B. Harris and Jesse Lasky, it was originally opened on April 27, 1911, under the name Folies-Bergere as a dinner theatre with vaudeville.[1] The building featured three murals and a color scheme by leading American muralist William de Leftwich Dodge. Eighteen-year-old Mae West was discovered here by The New York Times at her Broadway debut on September 22, 1911.[2][3] Closing after that,[4] the theatre reopened on October 20, 1911, as the Fulton Theatre, a conventional playhouse.[5] The theatre was managed by Abraham L. Erlanger from 1921, until his death in 1930.


In 1955, the theatre was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in honor of the renowned actress Helen Hayes and re-opened under that name on November 21.


In 1982, the theatre was demolished, along with the Morosco,[6] Bijou, Gaiety and Astor Theatres, to make way for the Marriott Marquis Hotel, which now houses the Marquis Theatre. Parts of the Helen Hayes Theatre were salvaged before the theatre's demolition and were used to build the Shakespeare Center, home of the Riverside Shakespeare Company on the Upper West Side, which was dedicated by Hayes and Joseph Papp in September 1982.[7]


Since Helen Hayes was still living at the time of her namesake theater's demolition, the nearby Little Theatre at 240 West 44th Street was renamed in her honor in 1983.[8]

Performers[edit]

Besides Mae West, the Fulton has also had English actor Robert Morley in the title role of the play Oscar Wilde by Leslie and Sewell Stokes in 1938. The play ran for 247 performances and its success launched Morley's career as a stage actor on both sides of the Atlantic.


Audrey Hepburn starred in the Gilbert Miller production of Gigi, which opened at the Fulton on November 24, 1951, and ran for 219 performances.

The Misleading Lady (1913–14)

(1914–15)

Twin Beds

(1922) (moved to Theatre Republic through 1927)

Abie's Irish Rose

(1922)

Orange Blossoms

(1922)

He Who Gets Slapped

(1922–23)

Secrets

Puzzles of 1925 (1925)

(1925–26) (which led to the 1927 film)

The Jazz Singer

The Donovan Affair (1926)

(Oct 1927-May 1928)

Dracula

(Aug 1929 - Jan 1930) (152 perf.)

Gambling

New Faces of 1934 (Mar 1934 - June 1934)

(Oct 1938 - May 1939) (247 perf.)

Oscar Wilde

(Jan 1941 - Sept 1943) (then moved to Hudson Theatre)

Arsenic and Old Lace

The Searching Wind (Apr 1944 - Jan 1945) (318 perf.)

(Nov 1946 - Apr 1947) (182 perf.)

Another Part of the Forest

(Oct 1947 - Sept 1948) (409 perf.)

Command Decision

Goodbye, Mr. Fancy (Feb 1949 - Sept 1949) (started at , moved to Martin Beck Theatre)

Morosco Theatre

(Nov 1951 - May 1952) (219 perf.)

Gigi

(Nov 1952 - Aug 1955) (1141 perf.)

The Seven Year Itch

Notable runs in excess of 100 performances include:


As Helen Hayes Theatre:

Broadway theatre

Fulton Theatre (later Helen Hayes Theatre) At Internet Broadway Database