A handy diagram and map printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer in June of 1952, showing everyone where the new Playhouse in the Park would be.

The first show at the theater was Goodbye, My Fancy, which had been a hit for the actor Conrad Nagle on Broadway three years previously.

#phillytheatre #phillyhistory #theaterhistory #philadelphia

May 2005: Mary Martello was rolling out the pies as Mrs. Lovett in the Arden Theatre's production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." For her work she would later receive Best Actress in a Musical at Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards.

(Top left, as Mama Rose in "Gypsy" - Arden Theatre, 2017. Bottom left, as Gertrude in "Hamlet" with Geoff Sobelle - Lantern Theater, 2009. Right, as Mrs. Lovett in "Sweeney Todd" with Thom Sesma. )

#phillytheatre #phillyhistory #theaterhistory

A clip from our new episode!

It's the final installment of our trilogy about the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philadelphia, where as the '66-'67 season begins, there's trouble brewing for director Andre Gregory!

It's also the final episode of our second season, "Drama Is Conflict"! Join us as we wrap up our overall narrative about riots, lawsuits, disputes and #censorship in the #history of #Philly theater!
#theaterhistory #theatrehistory #phillyhistory

September 4, 2022: The Philadelphia Inquirer names "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" one of the most notable Philly-centric podcasts!

Do you want to know why we do this show? How we put it together? How we do our research? How long we plan to keep it going? Ask any question you want in the Comments below, and we'll answer it - in our next episode!

#Phillysbest #Phillypodcast #phillypodcasters #theaterhistory #theatrehistory #phillyhistory

A preview soundbite of our next episode!

Full episode of "Theatre of the Living Arts: A Beginning" will be available starting Monday May 29th!

Look for us, wherever you get your podcasts!

www.aithpodcasts.com

#theatrehistory #theaterhistory #phillyhistory #phillytheatre

It's Our Podcast's Two-Year Anniversary!

Fifty episodes of Theater History - in One Amazing City.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify - or on whatever app you use to get your pods on!

#theaterhistory #theatrehistory #phillyhistory #secondanniversary

In September of 1957, Philadelphia-born actor Iggie Wolfington was unexpectedly cast in "The Music Man" - by fellow native Philadelphia Morton DaCosta.

Wolfington went on to receive a Tony nomination for his work as Marcellus on Broadway - though losing out to David Burns, who played Mayor Shinn in the same show. He can be heard singing the song "Shipoopi" on the original cast album.

#theaterhistory #phillyhistory #themusicman #shipoopi

Another soundbite from our brand new episode, "Bernhardt and the Playboy"!

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your pods on!

#podcasts #newepisode #newepisodealert #bernhardt #podcastersofinstagram #theaterhistory #theatrehistory #phillyhistory

May 13, 1911: The company of Dumont's Minstrels pose on the steps of the 11th Street Opera House in Philadelphia.

A onetime church, the building had been a highly popular minstrel theatre for many decades, but now it was being demolished to make room for a Horn & Hardart's automat.

Our episode about the long history of minstrelsy in Philadelphia theater can be found here:
https://www.aithpodcast.com/the-last-minstrel-show/

#theater #theaterhistory #theatrehistory #history #phillyhistory #minstrelsy

Architectural firm Hoffman-Henon's design rendering of the former grandiose theatrical palace in Philadelphia, at the corner of 20th and Market Streets, the Mastbaum Theatre. It was opened to the public on February 28th, 1929. (Demolished 1958)

#theatrehistory #phillyhistory

Feb. 26, 1976: Crowds gather under the marquee of the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia, as Leonard Bernstein & Alan Jay Lerner's musical "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" began a pre-Broadway tryout.

The score and the meta-theatrical elements of the book were changed by the producers over the next weeks. Its shake-down run lasted at the Forrest till mid-March, but got poor reviews from Philly critics.

#theaterhistory #broadwayflops #theatrehistory #phillyhistory #leonardbernstein

February 12, 1861: James Murdoch was appearing in “Hamlet” at the Walnut Street Theatre.

Murdoch, though this poster from the collection of The Library of Congress does not mention it, was a native Philadelphian, born in 1811. We discuss him in our Episode #33 - "Life & Death in the Theater: More 19th Century Stories."

#19thCentury #phillyhistory #phillytheatre #theatrehistory #hamlet

https://www.aithpodcast.com/life-death-in-the-theater-more-19th-century-stories/

"Hammerstein's Opera House, Part Two" tells the story of Oscar Hammerstein's first season in Philadelphia, and how his production of Richard Strauss' "Salome" roiled - and tempted - the Quaker City.

This video gives you a quick sample - but you can use the link below to listen to the whole episode, on whatever podcasting platform you like to get your pods on!

linktr.ee/aithpodcast

#theatrehistory #theaterhistory #operahistory #salome #phillyhistory #phillytheatre #historypodcast

January 28, 1909: The Opera War was still raging in Philadelphia!

Just 2 days before, on Tuesday, the great divas Luisa Tetrazzini and Marcella Sembrich had gone head to head in "Rigoletto" and "La Nozze di Figaro" (Gustav Mahler, conductor!).

Both shows were well attended - in fact the Inquirer reported that the box office receipts showed that between the two opera houses, Philadelphians had spent $20,000 on tickets!

#theatrehistory #operahistory #operawars #mahler #tetrazzini #phillyhistory

NEW EPISODE! "Hammerstein's Opera House, Part One" is no available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or whatever app you use to get your pods on!

Our subject is the impresario Oscar Hammerstein, and how the "Opera War" with his rival, the Metropolitan Opera Company, spread all the way to Philadelphia.

#theaterhistory #theatrehistory #operahistory #operawars #OscarHammerstein #phillytheatre #podcasts #phillyhistory #themetphilly #themetphiladelphhia

Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre in 1905. The image is from the collection of the Library of Congress.

This is how the Walnut's street front would have appeared during the events of our current episode series, "The Fight Against The Clansman," which details exciting events in October of 1906! Look for the final installment of the story to hit your podcast feeds tomorrow!

#theatrehistory #theaterhistory
#dramaisconflict #WalnutStreetTheatre #philadelphia #phillyhistory #historicphiladelphia

December 22, 1949: "The Member of the Wedding," a play by Carson McCullers (adapted from her own novel), opened at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. The show starred Ethel Waters, Julie Harris and the 7 year-old Brandon deWilde. The director was Harold Clurman.

#theaterhistory #theatrehistory #WalnutStreettheatre #phillyhistory #ethelwaters #carsonmccullers #julieharris