Bowery Amphitheatre facts for kids
The Bowery Amphitheatre was a famous building in the Bowery area of New York City. It was located at 37 and 39 Bowery. This was right across the street from the Bowery Theatre.
Over the years, this building had many different names and managers. It was used for all sorts of things! It was a circus, a menagerie (a place with wild animals), a theatre, and even a roller rink for skating. It also served as a branch of the Peniel Mission, which was a religious organization. Today, the spot where it stood is part of Confucius Plaza.
A Place for Animals and Shows
A group of businessmen in New York built the Bowery Amphitheatre in 1833. They were known as the Zoological Institute. Their plan was to create a place for a menagerie and circus performances.
In 1835, the building was changed into an amphitheatre. This meant it had both a stage and a circus ring. Its name was then changed to the Bowery Amphitheatre. A famous group called June, Titus, Angevine & Co. started performing there. They put on amazing horseback riding shows.
The owners changed the name again in November 1842. It became the Amphitheatre of the Republic. The next year, John Tryon took over the building. He ran it until 1848. After a show by the Virginia Minstrels in 1843, Tryon started focusing on minstrel shows. These were popular shows with music, comedy, and dancing. In 1844, he renamed the building the New Knickerbocker Theatre.
Many Changes Over the Years
In 1849, the building became a menagerie once more. It was managed by June & Titus. But this animal exhibit did not do very well. So, in 1851, the amphitheatre went back to being a circus. Seth B. Howe's circus company often performed there.
During 1852 and 1853, other circuses like Richard Sands & Co. and John J. Nathans & Co. also performed. The next year, horse shows returned. Henry P. Madigan and Den W. Stone managed these performances.
In the summer of 1854, two German men, Seigrist and Otto Hoym, rented the amphitheatre. They rebuilt it and opened it on October 20, 1854. It was called the Stadt Theater. This theater mostly showed plays in the German language. However, it also put on American and English plays.
Several managers continued this mix of shows until 1863. Then, the Stadt Theater moved to a new location at 45 Bowery. It stayed there for eight years before returning to its original spot. Adolf Neuendorff directed the Stadt from 1863 to 1867. In 1871, the Stadt Theater hosted the first U.S. performance of Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin.
On September 3, 1864, the theatre at 37 Bowery became The Varieties. It focused on variety shows, which were popular performances with different acts. This lasted until October 1865. Then, A. Montpelier became the manager and owner. He renamed the building Montpelier's Opera House. He still focused on variety acts and melodramas, which are plays with lots of exciting events.
Montpelier changed the name one more time on November 20, 1865. It became the New National Circus. This was its last time as an entertainment venue. The building stayed open for six weeks. In 1866, the structure was changed into an armory. An armory is a place where military weapons are stored.
After the Stadt Theater returned in 1872, it presented the first American performance of Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus (in German). This happened on November 21, 1874. By 1880, the building's name was changed to the Windsor Theater. John A. Stevens managed it then. The Windsor Theater burned down in November 1883.
However, it was rebuilt and by 1885, it became the Windsor Roller Skating Rink. It reopened as the Windsor Theater on February 8, 1886. On March 27, 1893, the theatre reopened as a Hebrew theatre. It was managed by Sigmund Magulesko, Isidore Lindeman, and Joseph Levy.
In December 1897, the building at 39 Bowery became the first East Coast branch of the Peniel Mission. A. W. Dennet directed it. He renamed it the Peniel Josephine Mission to honor his wife. On November 30, 1900, Dennet changed his project to the Ragged Church. However, it closed after only two years. The site is now part of the Confucius Plaza complex.
