| Palace Theatre | |
 | |
| Whistle Down the Wind in June 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| City | |
| Designation | Grade II* |
| Architect | Thomas Edward Collcutt |
| Owned by | Really Useful Theatres |
| Capacity | 1,400(4 levels) |
| Type | West End theatre |
| Opened | January 1891 |
| Rebuilt | 1892 Walter Emden (conversion) |
| Previous names | Royal English Opera House Palace Theatre of Varieties |
| Production | Monty Python's Spamalot |
| www.rutheatres.com/venueinfo/pce.htm | |
| Coordinates: | |
The Palace Theatre, is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster. Cambridge Circus is a London traffic intersection (not actually a roundabout) at the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance Thomas Edward Collcutt ( 16 March 1840 - 7 October 1924) was an English architect in the Victorian era who designed several The Really Useful Group (RUG is an international company set up in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Walter Lawrence Emden (1847 &ndash 1913 was one of the leading English theatre and Music hall Architects in the building boom of 1885 to 1915 Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus, and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. A brick is a block of Ceramic material used in Masonry construction laid using mortar. Cambridge Circus is a London traffic intersection (not actually a roundabout) at the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road For the racehorse see Shaftesbury Avenue (horse Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in London, England, Charing Cross Road is a London street which runs immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles' Circus (the intersection with Oxford Street The Palace Theatre's current capacity is 1,400.
Contents |
History
Early years
Commissioned by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte in the late 1880s, it was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt. Richard D'Oyly Carte (3 May 1844 &ndash 3 April 1901 was an English talent agent theatrical Impresario and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian Thomas Edward Collcutt ( 16 March 1840 - 7 October 1924) was an English architect in the Victorian era who designed several Carte intended it to be the home of English grand opera, much as his Savoy Theatre had been built as a home for English light opera, beginning with the Gilbert and Sullivan series. Grand Opera is a genre of 19th-century Opera generally in four or five acts characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras and (in their original productions lavish and The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London England Comic opera, or light opera, denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature usually with a happy ending Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W The foundation stone, laid by his wife Helen in 1888, can still be seen on the façade of the theatre, almost at ground level to the right of the entrance. Helen Carte or Helen Lenoir ( May 12 1852 &ndash May 5 1913) was the second wife of impresario and hotelier Richard D'Oyly Carte The theatre's design was considered to be novel. The upper levels are supported by heavy steel cantilevers built into the back walls, removing the need for supporting pillars that impede the view of the stage. A cantilever is a beam supported on only one end The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and Shear stress. The tiers, corridors, staircases, landings are all constructed of concrete to reduce the risk and damage that might be done by fire. [1]
The theatre opened as the "Royal English Opera House" in January 1891 with Arthur Sullivan's Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is a romantic Opera in three acts based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott, with Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic Ivanhoe is a romantic Opera in three acts based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott, with Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and No expense was spared to make the production a success, including a double cast and "every imaginable effect of scenic splendour[2]. It ran for 160 performances, but when Ivanhoe finally closed in July, Carte had no new work to replace it, and the opera house had to close. One opera is not enough to sustain an opera house venture. It was, as critic Hermann Klein observed, "the strangest comingling of success and failure ever chronicled in the history of British lyric enterprise!"[3] Sir Henry Wood, who had been répétiteur for the production, recalled in his autobiography that "[if] Carte had had a repertory of six operas instead of only one, I believe he would have established English opera in London for all time. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Henry Joseph Wood, CH ( 3 March 1869 Towards the end of the run of Ivanhoe I was already preparing the Flying Dutchman with Eugène Oudin in the name part. Der fliegende Holländer ( The Flying Dutchman) is an Opera, with Music and Libretto by Richard Wagner. Eugène Esperance Oudin ( 24 February 1858 - 4 November 1894) was an American Baritone, Composer and Translator He would have been superb. However, plans were altered and the Dutchman was shelved. "[4]
The theatre re-opened in November 1891, with André Messager's La Basoche (with David Bispham in his first London stage performance) at first alternating in repertory with Ivanhoe, and then La Basoche alone, closing in January 1892. André Charles Prosper Messager ( December 30, 1853 - February 24, 1929) French composer and musician was born at Montluçon David Scull Bispham ( January 5, 1857 – October 2, 1921) was the first American –born Operatic Baritone Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Carte had no other works ready, and so he leased the theatre to Sarah Bernhardt for a season and sold the opera house within a year at a loss. Sarah Bernhardt (October 22 1844 &ndash March 26 1923 was a French stage actress and has been referred to as "the most famous actress in the history of the world" It was then converted by Walter Emden into a grand, clubby music hall and renamed the Palace Theatre of Varieties, managed by Charles Morton, known as the 'Father of Music Halls', who made it into a successful enterprise. Walter Lawrence Emden (1847 &ndash 1913 was one of the leading English theatre and Music hall Architects in the building boom of 1885 to 1915 Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Charles Morton ( 15 August 1819 &ndash 18 October 1904) was a Music hall and Theatre manager [5]
In March 1897, the theatre began to screen films from the American Biograph Company as part of its programme of entertainment, these films pioneered the 70 mm format which helped give an exceptionally large and clear image filling the proscenium arch. The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928 Proscenium theatre is a Theatre space whose primary feature is a large Archway (the proscenium arch) at or near the front of the stage, through The performances included early newsreels from around the world, many of them made by film pioneer William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, including film of the Anglo-Boer War (1900). A newsreel is a Documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed News stories William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 &ndash 28 September 1935 was an Anglo - Scottish Inventor who devised an early motion picture See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: The Palace continued to shows films as part of its variety and musical programmes[6].
20th and 21st centuries
In 1904, Morton was succeeded by manager Alfred Butt, who introduced many innovations to the theatre, including dancers, such as Maud Allan (including her famous Salomé)[7] and Anna Pavlova, and elegant pianist-singer Margaret Cooper. SALOME (pronounced in English using the French sah-loh-may is the Open Source Integration Platform for Numerical Simulation Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Maud Allan (born Beulah Maude Durrant circa August 27, 1873 in Toronto Ontario, Canada; died October 7, 1956 SALOME (pronounced in English using the French sah-loh-may is the Open Source Integration Platform for Numerical Simulation Anna Pavlovna Pavlova (А́нна Па́вловна Па́влова (&ndash 23 January, 1931) was a famous Russian Ballerina of the late [8]
The name of the theatre was finally changed to The Palace Theatre in 1911. Herman Finck was musical director at the theatre from 1900 until 1920,[9] with whose orchestra he made many recordings. Herman Finck ( November 4, 1872 - April 21, 1939) was a British composer of German extraction The theatre was famous not only for its orchestra, but also for the beautiful Palace Girls, for whom Finck composed many dances. In 1911, the Palace Girls performed a song and dance number, which was originally called Tonight but became very popular as a romantic instrumental piece In The Shadows. In 1912, the theatre hosted a Royal Command Performance. [10]
On March 11, 1925, the musical comedy No, No, Nanette opened at the Palace Theatre starring Binnie Hale and George Grossmith, Jr. The run of 665 performances made it the third longest running West End musical of the 1920s. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. No No Nanette is a Musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach Binnie Hale ( 22 May, 1899 &ndash 10 January, 1984) was an English actress and musician George Grossmith Jr (11 May 1874 &ndash 6 June 1935 was a British actor theatre producer and manager director playwright and songwriter best remembered for his work West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" The Palace Theatre was also the venue for Rogers and Hart's The Girl Friend (1927) and Fred Astaire's final stage musical Gay Divorce (1933). Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership consisting of the composer Richard Rodgers (1902 &ndash 1979 and the lyricist The Girl Friend is a Broadway Musical comedy that opened December 27, 1926, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award Gay Divorce (1932 is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. Later musical theatre works that played at the theatre included Anything Goes, Flower Drum Song, Cabaret, and many others. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Flower Drum Song is a musical written by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein, based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Chinese American Cabaret is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. In the 1960s, The Sound of Music ran for 2,385 performances, opening on 18 May 1961. The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [11]
The last decades of the twentieth century saw two further exceptional runs at The Palace: Jesus Christ Superstar (3,358 performances from 1972 to 1980) and Les Misérables. Les Misérables ( in French, le mize'ʁaːbl colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz, is a musical composed Jesus Christ Superstar is a Rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Les Misérables ( in French, le mize'ʁaːbl colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz, is a musical composed The latter ran at the theatre for nineteen years, having transferred from the Barbican Centre on December 4, 1985. Barbican Centre is the largest Performing arts centre in Europe "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The show is still running at the Queen's Theatre, nearby on Shaftesbury Avenue, having transferred there in April 2004. The Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. On October 8, 2006, it became the longest running musical in the world, overtaking the former record set by Cats. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T
In August 1983, Andrew Lloyd-Webber announced that he had purchased the freehold of the theatre for £1. Andrew Lloyd Webber Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948 is a British Composer of Musical theatre, the elder son of William Lloyd Webber 3 million and subsequently set out on a series of works to restore the theatre. During work on the auditorium, a layer of plum-coloured paint was removed, revealing the famous marble and onyx panels to be untouched. Following the transfer of Les Miserables in 2004, the theatre was greatly refurbished and restored, its marble walls uncovered, and new chandeliers installed, among other efforts. Les Misérables (pronounced /le miːzeʁabl(ə translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched This was followed by a short 6-week season of illusionist Derren Brown following his successful UK tour. Derren Victor Brown (born 27 February 1971 is an English magician, psychological Illusionist, Mentalist, painter and
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White received its world premiere on September 15, 2004 and ran for 19 months to February 25, 2006. Andrew Lloyd Webber Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948 is a British Composer of Musical theatre, the elder son of William Lloyd Webber The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones based on the novel The Woman in White Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The show outlived the Broadway production. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Bill Kenwright's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's musical Whistle Down The Wind played from March 15 - August 12, 2006. James Richard "Jim" Steinman (born November 1 1947 in New York City New York is an American record producer Composer, and lyricist responsible for several hit songs Whistle Down the Wind is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1961 Film Whistle Down the Wind. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Monty Python's Spamalot opened on September 30, 2006 and is still running at the theatre. Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
The theatre was Grade II* listed by English Heritage in June 1960[12]. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of
Recent notable productions
- Song and Dance (April 7, 1982 - March 31, 1984)
- Les Misérables (December 4, 1985 - March 27, 2004)
- The Woman in White (September 15, 2004 - February 25, 2006)
- Whistle Down The Wind (March 15, 2006 - August 12, 2006)
- Monty Python's Spamalot (September 30, 2006 - January 3, 2009)
References
- ^ Arthurlloyd.com feature on the theatre.
- ^ "Hesketh Pearson, Gilbert and Sullivan
- ^ Hermann Klein's 1903 description of Ivanhoe
- ^ My Life of Music, Victor Gollancz Ltd, London (1938)
- ^ Pages about Morton's management in feature on the theatre (Arthur Lloyd) accessed 27 March 2008
- ^ Victorian Cinema venues accessed 21 Jun 2007
- ^ First page about Butt's management in feature on the theatre
- ^ Second page about Butt's management in feature on the theatre
- ^ Palace Theatre Feature
- ^ Page about the Royal Command Performance
- ^ Thumbnails of programmes from musicals that played at the theatre
- ^ English Heritage listing details accessed 28 Apr 2007
- Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950, John Earl and Michael Sell pp. Song and Dance is a musical entertainment comprised of two acts one told entirely in "Song" and one entirely in "Dance" tied together by a Les Misérables ( in French, le mize'ʁaːbl colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz, is a musical composed The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones based on the novel The Woman in White Whistle Down the Wind is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1961 Film Whistle Down the Wind. Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 130 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN 0-7136-5688-3
Nearby tube stations
External links
- Really Useful Theatres
- Theatre Reviews from musicOMH.com
- Palace Theatre London
- Theatre History
- Palace Theatre History Feature
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