Adelphi Theatre (New York City)

General information
Location	Manhattan, New York
Opened	1928
Closed	1970
Demolished	1970

TheAdelphi Theatre(1934–1940 and 1944–1958), originally named theCraig Theatre,opened on December 24, 1928. The Adelphi was located at 152 West54th StreetinManhattan,with 1,434 seats.The theater was taken over by theFederal Theater Projectin 1934 and renamed the Adelphi. The theater was renamed theRadiant Centerby The Royal Fraternity of MasterMetaphysiciansin 1940. It was then theYiddish Arts Theater(1943), and renamed the Adelphi Theater on April 20, 1944, when it was acquired byThe Shubert Organization.

It became aDuMont Television Networkstudio, known as the Adelphi Tele-Theatre in the 1950s. The "Classic 39" episodes ofThe Honeymoonerswere filmed in this facility by DuMont using theirElectronicamsystem for broadcast on CBS later during the 1955–56 television season. The theater returned to legitimate use in 1957, was renamed the54th Street Theaterin 1958, and finally theGeorge Abbott Theaterin 1965. The building was demolished in 1970 for theNew York Hilton Midtownhotel after hosting several expensive flops.

Some interiors were decorated with murals painted by JosephMortimer Lichtenauer.The artistic cycle was dismembered after its demolition.

Notable productions

Poster by Aida McKenzie forFederal Theatre Projectpresentation ofSing for Your Supperat the Adelphi Theatre. (between 1936 and 1939)

• Revolt of the Beavers(May 20, 1937 – June 19, 1937)
• On the Town(December 28, 1944 – February 6, 1945)
• Around the World(May 31, 1946 – March 8, 1946)
• Street Scene(January 1, 1947 – May 17, 1947)
• Life Is Worth Living
• The Honeymooners(October 1, 1955 – September 22, 1956)
• Damn Yankees(May 6, 1957 – December 10, 1957)
• Bye Bye Birdie(October 24, 1960 – January 14, 1961)
• 13 Daughters(March 1, 1961 – March 25, 1961)
• No Strings(March 15, 1962 – September 29, 1962)
• What Makes Sammy Run?(February 27, 1964 – December 6, 1965)
• Any Wednesday(February 15, 1966 – June 26, 1966)
• Wait Until Dark(October 3, 1966 – November 26, 1966)
• Darling of the Day(January 27, 1968 – February 24, 1968)
• Gantry(February 14, 1970)

Musical theater starWilliam Gaxtonreferred to it as "the dump of dumps".