Charles W. 'Chuck' Bryant

Yeah. So that's the street. Broadway, the theater district, is between Times Square to 53rd Street and then the side streets from 6th to 8th Avenues. And like I said, it's 41 theaters. And with that smallest one, the Hayes being 597, they're all at least 500, almost 600 theaters.

And like I said, the Gershwin is the largest at 1933. And, you know, that's where theater happens. And we're going to talk a little bit about sort of the early theater days, because if you're talking New York theater, you're going to have to go back to 1732 to see the first – or at least the first record of a performance of a play there. It was called The Recruiting Officer.

And like I said, the Gershwin is the largest at 1933. And, you know, that's where theater happens. And we're going to talk a little bit about sort of the early theater days, because if you're talking New York theater, you're going to have to go back to 1732 to see the first – or at least the first record of a performance of a play there. It was called The Recruiting Officer.

And like I said, the Gershwin is the largest at 1933. And, you know, that's where theater happens. And we're going to talk a little bit about sort of the early theater days, because if you're talking New York theater, you're going to have to go back to 1732 to see the first – or at least the first record of a performance of a play there. It was called The Recruiting Officer.

And that was some Londoners traveling through town. And it was the new theater on Nassau Street. But that was near Broadway, but not anywhere close to the theater district. It was way, way downtown in what would now be the financial district.

And that was some Londoners traveling through town. And it was the new theater on Nassau Street. But that was near Broadway, but not anywhere close to the theater district. It was way, way downtown in what would now be the financial district.

And that was some Londoners traveling through town. And it was the new theater on Nassau Street. But that was near Broadway, but not anywhere close to the theater district. It was way, way downtown in what would now be the financial district.

Governor Rip Van Dam.

Governor Rip Van Dam.

Governor Rip Van Dam.

Yeah, that's good. Included, just with the governor?

Yeah, that's good. Included, just with the governor?

Yeah, that's good. Included, just with the governor?

Yeah, and we'll get to that. That was sort of the way it went for a while. It was sort of like songs and sketches and stuff like that. That was what a musical was. But we wouldn't have any of this stuff. It hadn't been for some pretty notable people. The first one, well, he's actually the first Oscar Hammerstein of what would be two notable Oscar Hammersteins.

Yeah, and we'll get to that. That was sort of the way it went for a while. It was sort of like songs and sketches and stuff like that. That was what a musical was. But we wouldn't have any of this stuff. It hadn't been for some pretty notable people. The first one, well, he's actually the first Oscar Hammerstein of what would be two notable Oscar Hammersteins.

Yeah, and we'll get to that. That was sort of the way it went for a while. It was sort of like songs and sketches and stuff like that. That was what a musical was. But we wouldn't have any of this stuff. It hadn't been for some pretty notable people. The first one, well, he's actually the first Oscar Hammerstein of what would be two notable Oscar Hammersteins.

yeah this is oscar hammerstein i that's right uh he moved from germany of course to new york city in 1864 and was a cigar factory floor sweeper until he invented a cigar machine and made quite a bit of money doing so such that he could start funding the opening of uh his passion which was opera so he opened the harlem opera house first in 1889

yeah this is oscar hammerstein i that's right uh he moved from germany of course to new york city in 1864 and was a cigar factory floor sweeper until he invented a cigar machine and made quite a bit of money doing so such that he could start funding the opening of uh his passion which was opera so he opened the harlem opera house first in 1889

yeah this is oscar hammerstein i that's right uh he moved from germany of course to new york city in 1864 and was a cigar factory floor sweeper until he invented a cigar machine and made quite a bit of money doing so such that he could start funding the opening of uh his passion which was opera so he opened the harlem opera house first in 1889

And then that very first one in Longacre Square, which will be notable in about a minute and a half because you will learn what that became. Hammerstein's Olympia Theater at Broadway and 43rd and 44th. And then after that, the Republic Theater was in 1899, which is still there, but is now the new Victory Theater.