2012-12-20 12:47:37

THE HARLEM OPERA HOUSE


I frequently take pleasure in visiting the museums, galleries, theatres, archaeological sites and concert halls of my adopted home in Rome. I also enjoy researching some of the cultural institutions in the United States, where I was born. To my dismay, I recently discovered that the Harlem Opera House was demolished. The area of 125th street in upper Manhattan was at one time, home to a large number of theatres. Except for the Apollo, all which now survive have either been reallocated or sealed up.

Oscar Hammerstein invested in this theatre district when he opened his first New York theatre, the Harlem Opera House, in 1899, as a legitimate venue for opera. The theatre ultimately succumbed to vaudeville, movies and finally the wrecking ball. Among those who performed on The Harlem Opera’s stage were Edwin Booth, Lillian Russell and Sophie Tucker. For many years the venue presented big name jazz acts. Ella Fitzgerald made her professional debut there.








All the contents on this site are copyrighted ©.