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.