We Give Our Regards to Broadway
By Laurie Lewis
In honor of the reopening of Broadway theaters after a long dark spell, we look back on the history of theater in New York.
As far back as colonial times, New York residents enjoyed theater. Then as now, theater often was a British import. The first documented performance by a professional troupe took place on December 6, 1732, when London actors staged the comedy The Recruiting Officer. The venue wasn’t actually a theater but an unused space near Maiden Lane and Pearl Street, at the time in the heart of New York City.
Performances continued in makeshift spaces until 1750, when the Theater on Nassau Street became New York’s first permanent theater. It lasted only four years. In 1767, the John Street Theater opened around the corner from that site. It remained in business until 1798, when a 2,000-seat theater rose further north, opposite City Hall Park. Originally called the New Theatre, it later became the Park.
In honor of the reopening of Broadway theaters after a long dark spell, we look back on the history of theater in New York.
As far back as colonial times, New York residents enjoyed theater. Then as now, theater often was a British import. The first documented performance by a professional troupe took place on December 6, 1732, when London actors staged the comedy The Recruiting Officer. The venue wasn’t actually a theater but an unused space near Maiden Lane and Pearl Street, at the time in the heart of New York City.
Performances continued in makeshift spaces until 1750, when the Theater on Nassau Street became New York’s first permanent theater. It lasted only four years. In 1767, the John Street Theater opened around the corner from that site. It remained in business until 1798, when a 2,000-seat theater rose further north, opposite City Hall Park. Originally called the New Theatre, it later became the Park.
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We now offer some of our tours virtually. If you cannot take an in-person walk with us, enjoy a virtual walk on Zoom. See the Tours page for more details.
NYC's Pioneering Achievements
From its earliest days, New York has been home to many creative, inventive people. They introduced an amazing array of innovations that were the first of their kind in the nation, and even the world. Discover many of these firsts in Laurie Lewis's Twitter feed, @LLewisNYCfirsts. Presented like a trivia game, each first usually appears in a tweet on two consecutive days. The first tweet poses a question, such as "Tomorrow is the anniversary of.... Do you know what it is?" The next day, a tweet answers the question. Follow @LLewisNYCfirsts to learn about New York's pioneering achievements.
About "Take a Walk New York" Tours
We are a group of New York City licensed tour guides offering a New York experience that is beyond the standard fare. Let us take you on a walk through the greatest city in the world, and discover why New York is a place like no other.
