Erlanger Theatre

Erlanger Theatre was a major live-performance and motion-picture venue at the northwest corner of 21st and Market Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1927 by theatrical producer Abraham L. Erlanger, it was intended to restore a prominent entertainment presence after the original Forrest Theatre on South Broad Street was demolished. Erlanger initially worked with the Shubert Organization on the project, but the partnership ended before completion; the Shuberts subsequently developed a separate Forrest Theatre on Walnut Street. The Erlanger opened on October 23, 1927, with the musical Criss Cross. From its beginning, the building was designed to accommodate both stage productions and films. Its 1,890-seat auditorium was supported by multiple lobbies, grand staircases, lounges, and extensive audience amenities. Philadelphia architects Hoffman-Henon designed the building in a Georgian-inspired exterior style, while the interior used imported marble, gold leaf, murals, tapestries, crystal chandeliers and mirrors, antique woodwork, hand-wrought iron, and French-inspired furnishings. A particularly noted feature was the richly decorated Spanish Lounge. Motion pictures became an important part of the venue's business. RKO began leasing the theater in September 1929 for first-run film exhibition, and the venue hosted the premiere of Street Girl, identified as RKO's first talking picture. Nevertheless, the Erlanger became especially associated with stage entertainment and pre-Broadway engagements. Productions linked with the theater included Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, and My Fair Lady, among other musical-theater presentations. Changing entertainment economics and urban conditions led to later reinvention. Beginning in 1968, the building was adapted for use as a restaurant, nightclub, rock-concert venue, and Broadway theater. During this period it was known as Café Erlanger. The redesigned venue reportedly remained socially successful but did not achieve financial sustainability. It closed and was demolished in 1978, ending roughly five decades of operation. The site remained vacant for many years before the Murano condominium tower was constructed there in 2008. The Erlanger is therefore best understood as a historically significant Philadelphia entertainment venue rather than an operating contemporary brand.

The Erlanger Theatre was developed during a period when Philadelphia remained an important market for touring theater, musical productions, and increasingly popular motion pictures. Its principal promoter was Abraham L. Erlanger, a theatrical producer and a founding member of the Theatrical Syndicate. The project was conceived partly in response to the loss of the original Forrest Theatre, which had stood approximately twenty blocks southeast on South Broad Street before being demolished in 1927. Erlanger initially worked with the Shubert Organization, another major American theater operator. The two organizations later separated their interests. The Shuberts went on to build a new Forrest Theatre on Walnut Street, while the Erlanger project proceeded at the northwest corner of 21st and Market Streets. Hoffman-Henon designed the building. Its exterior drew on Georgian architecture, while the interior was planned as an elaborate luxury environment for audiences. The venue contained three lobbies, grand stairs, lounges, and a 1,890-seat auditorium. Decorative elements included imported marble, gold leaf, murals, tapestries, crystal lighting and mirrors, antique woodwork, ironwork, and French-inspired furniture. The Spanish Lounge, intended as a smoking lounge, was among the interior spaces noted for its opulence. The theater opened on October 23, 1927, with the musical Criss Cross. Although it was fundamentally a live-performance venue, its construction allowed it to show motion pictures as well. This flexibility became commercially important as cinema developed rapidly at the end of the 1920s. On September 29, 1929, RKO began a lease for first-run films. The Erlanger subsequently hosted the premiere of Street Girl, identified in the historical account as RKO's first talking picture. The venue's longer-term reputation, however, rested particularly on its theater programming. It presented pre-Broadway engagements and musical productions associated with the American stage, including Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, and My Fair Lady. These productions positioned the Erlanger as part of the distribution and tryout network through which major musicals were developed and presented before or around Broadway runs. By the late 1960s, traditional theater and cinema operations were no longer the only basis for the building's use. Starting in 1968, the property was adapted into a more varied entertainment complex. It operated as a restaurant and nightclub, hosted rock shows, and continued to serve as a venue for Broadway theater productions. During this phase it was called Café Erlanger. The new format was described as socially successful, attracting attention and activity, but it was not financially successful enough to continue. The building closed and was demolished in 1978. The property did not immediately receive a replacement building. The site remained vacant until 2008, when the Murano condominium skyscraper was completed. The Erlanger Theatre's historical importance consequently lies in its combination of architectural spectacle, theatrical programming, early sound-film exhibition, and repeated attempts to adapt a large downtown entertainment building to changing consumer and financial conditions.

• 2008

  Redevelopment of the site

  [1]Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The long-vacant site becomes the location of the Murano condominium skyscraper.

• 1978

  Closure and demolition

  [1]Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Café Erlanger closes and the former theater is demolished.

• 1968

  Conversion to Café Erlanger

  [1]Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The building begins a mixed-use entertainment phase involving dining, nightlife, rock concerts, and theater.

• 1929

  RKO begins film operations

  [1]Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  RKO starts a lease for first-run films, broadening the venue's operating model.

• 1929

  Street Girl premiere

  [1]Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The theater hosts the premiere of Street Girl, associated with RKO's early talking-picture program.

• 1927

  The theater opens

  [1]Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Erlanger Theatre opens on October 23 at 21st and Market Streets with the musical Criss Cross.

A grand, multipurpose Philadelphia entertainment venue combining theatrical productions, cinema, concerts, dining, and nightlife.

• Performing arts · 1927

  Live theater

  The Erlanger's core offering was live theatrical entertainment in a large 1,890-seat auditorium. Its programming included touring and pre-Broadway musical productions, making the theater part of the commercial pathway through which major stage works reached wider audiences.

• Cinema · 1929

  Motion-picture exhibition

  The building was equipped for film presentation as well as stage work. After RKO began leasing the venue in 1929, it showed first-run motion pictures and hosted the premiere of Street Girl, an early talking picture associated with RKO.

• Restaurant and nightlife venue · 1968

  Café Erlanger

  Beginning in 1968, the theater was adapted under the Café Erlanger name for restaurant and nightclub operations, while also hosting rock shows and theatrical productions. The format was socially popular but did not prove financially sustainable.

• 1968

  Convert the venue into a mixed entertainment complexStrategy

  Background

  Changing entertainment patterns created pressure to use the large building for more than conventional stage productions and cinema.

  Action taken

  The property was adapted for restaurant, nightclub, rock-show, and Broadway-theater uses and operated as Café Erlanger.

  Aftermath

  Although the venue was socially successful, the operating model was not financially sustainable; it closed and was demolished in 1978.

  Source

• 1929

  Expand into first-run cinemaStrategy

  Background

  The theater had been designed to support both live performance and film exhibition as cinema became an increasingly important part of the entertainment business.

  Action taken

  RKO began leasing the Erlanger for first-run motion pictures in September 1929.

  Aftermath

  The venue added a significant film role and hosted the premiere of Street Girl, while remaining known for live theater.

  Source

1. 1Erlanger Theatreen.wikipedia.org