Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 20 november 2019
A tour inside a Broadway theater is the place to geek out

By MARK KENNEDY some of the biggest names
Associated Press in show business, including
NEW YORK (AP) — Walking Ethel Barrymore, Douglas
into a Broadway theater Fairbanks, Sidney Lumet,
at show time is something Mae West, Lena Horne and
special — the electricity, Maureen Stapleton. "The
the excited murmurs, the Price Is Right" with Bob Bark-
shared anticipation. But, it er once originated from the
turns out, walking into an Hudson, and "American
empty Broadway theater Idol" auditions have been
can be just as fun. held on its stage.
A newly launched tour of After 1960, it narrowly es-
the Hudson Theatre offers caped a wrecking ball
a rare chance to wan- four times — the existence
der around the interior of of a family in the top floors
Broadway's oldest theater probably helped — and
and hear some of the fas- went through many hands
cinating stories that have and incarnations, including
happened over its 116 stints as a radio and TV stu-
years. dio, burlesque theater and
"I would encourage you to porn movie house.
bask in the rare moment Jack Paar's variety show
of being in a Broadway was broadcast from the
theater by yourself with no Hudson and it was where
other audience members," This Oct. 29, 2019 photo shows a close-up of one of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass and Streisand made her first TV
says tour leader Tim Dolan, bronze lights in the lobby of the Hudson Theatre on West 44th Street in New York. appearance. Steve Allen's
moments before opening Associated Press show was housed at the
the Hudson's inner doors. and architectural knowl- orchestra seats, up into the how I look at a building like Hudson for a time, and he
Over the next 90 minutes, edge and convey it from balcony and into a private this," he says. was responsible for an in-
Dolan weaves real stories a performer's perspective. bar area. Dolan shows pho- The Hudson was built by the- famous episode in which
about Hudson Theatre vet- Whenever he can, Dolan tos he took of the empty ater producer Henry Harris, Elvis sang "Hound Dog" to a
erans like Barbra Streisand, will also get his tour group top two floors, which once who perished aboard the real hound dog. You'll also
Louis Armstrong and Elvis up onto the Hudson's stage, housed a family and are Titanic. His widow, Rene, see what Jake Gyllenhaal
with historical events like a very rare feat. now sealed off from the rest who was the last Titanic — who reopened the Hud-
the sinking of the Titanic Highlights of the tour in- of the theater. Dolan's in- passenger to be rescued, son in a ribbon-cutting cer-
and the Iroquois Theatre clude wandering the 100- fectious energy, insight and managed the Hudson for emony in 2017 — left as a
fire of 1903 in Chicago. foot green marble lobby, handle on history makes another 20 years, staging permanent mark: His hand-
"The stories are crazy. admiring the turquoise, the tour a Broadway visit more than 90 plays. written notes of a Stephen
Across all boards — trag- orange and mauve lumi- must-do. Among them was the 1929 Sondheim lyric have been
edy, American history, TV nescent mosaic tiles by To find his stories, Dolan musical revue "Hot Choco- turned into a neon sign at
and film, pop icons, and Louis Comfort Tiffany and has scoured the Library of lates," noteworthy for mu- one of its bars.
then Broadway, of course, spotting the ghost light on Congress, The Shubert Ar- sic by Thomas "Fats" Waller As an actor, Dolan can
which I'm obsessed with," the stage. You'll learn that chive, The Museum of the and for launching the ca- explain technical stage
Dolan says after the tour. the best seats cost just $2 City of New York, The New reer of a then little-known details, from the way
Dolan, an actor who has when the theater opened York Public Library for the Louis Armstrong, who stole backdrops move to the
performed on Broadway, in 1903, and you'll find out Performing Arts, memoirs the show with his singing of staggering price each pro-
off-Broadway, cruise ships, why women's theater bath- and biographies. He filters it "Ain't Misbehavin'." duction pays to get ev-
national tours — and who rooms are so crowded to- through his own show busi- The Hudson operated as erything loaded into the
had one line on an epi- day. ness life. "I'm going to try a theater on and off until theater. He reveals that
sode of "Boardwalk Empire" The tour takes you to the and make you understand 1960, with shows starring actors carefully listen to the
that he's happy to deliver number of coughs in the
when prompted — runs the audience — a sure sign of
Broadway Up Close tour boredom. And if you're the
company, which prides it- kind of person who dares
self on hiring working actors to record a show on your
and stage managers for phone, he warns you that
authenticity. his fellow actors can spot
It has taken him years to the tiny red light and will tell
convince Hudson's owner, an usher.
the Ambassador Theatre "We see everything," he
Group, to let him bring tours jokes. "We pretend we
into the Hudson during lulls don't but we're watching
between shows. He uses an everything you do."
iPad filled with period pho- Dolan hopes his tour can
tos and video clips to bring demystify Broadway and
the place alive. reveal the rich history of
While there are other walk- buildings we often enter
ing tours of Broadway — without much thought. Ul-
and one that also can timately, he's a Broadway
get you inside a theater — This Oct. 29, 2019 photo shows the interior of the 961-seat Hudson Theatre on West 44th Street in fan and wants more peo-
none match Broadway Up New York. Associated Press ple to want to come back
Close's ability to mix history and see a show.q