Koster and Bial's Music Hall was an important vaudeville theatre in New York City, located at Broadway and Thirty-Fourth Street, where Macy's flagship store now stands. It had a seating capacity of 3,748, twice the size of many theaters. Ticket prices ranged from 25¢ for a seat in the gallery to $1.50 for one in the orchestra.[1] The venue was founded by John Koster (1844-1895) and Albert Bial (1842-1897) in the late 19th century and closed in 1901.
The music hall featured many top performers of its day and is famous in cinema history as the site of the first public exhibition of the Vitascope on April 23, 1896.[2]
Koster and Bial's Music Hall was the successor to Koster and Bial's Concert Hall on 23rd Street. At that location, Koster and Bial had taken over Bryant's Opera House, a venue for minstrel shows. They offered food and drink along with vaudeville, circumventing a law against serving alcohol in theatres by replacing the curtain with a folding fan.[3]
The last Koster and Bial's Music Hall originated when they moved uptown into the former Manhattan Opera House, a huge theatre built in Herald Square in 1892 by Oscar Hammerstein I in pursuit of his passion for grand opera.[citation needed] Quickly running into financial problems, Hammerstein decided to convert his theatre to a vaudeville format. He offered Koster and Bial a partnership under which he would manage the entertainment and they would manage the food. The new Koster and Bial's Music Hall opened on August 28, 1893 and proved to be very successful. Hammerstein however quarreled with his partners and lawsuits ensued. Ultimately Koster and Bial bought out Hammerstein and operated the theater solely on their own.[4] The theatre finally closed in 1901 and was demolished to make way for Macy's Department Store.[5]
The first Vitascope exhibitionedit
A small advertisement, mixed in with dozens of other theatre ads in The New York Times on April 19, 1896 read:
The Vitascope had actually been invented and developed outside of the Edison organization by Thomas Armat, but by mutual agreement Edison's Kinetograph company acquired, manufactured, and marketed it, and presented it as having been invented by Edison. Pictures were projected on a twenty-foot screen in an ornate gilded frame.[2] On April 24, the Times reported:
EDISON'S VITASCOPE CHEERED. "Projecting Kinetoscope" Exhibited for First Time at Koster and Bial's. ... The ingenious inventor's latest toy is a projection of his kinetoscope figures in stereopticon fashion on a white screen in a darkened hall. In the center of the balcony of the big music hall is a curious object, which looks from below like the double turret of a big monitor. In the front of each half of it are two oblong holes. The turret is neatly covered with ... blue velvet brocade... The moving figures are about half life size.
...a buzzing and roaring were heard in the turret, and an unusually bright light fell upon the screen. Then came into view two precious blonde young persons of the variety stage in pink and blue dresses,[7] doing the umbrella dance with commendable celerity. Their motions were clearly defined. When they vanished, a view of an angry surf breaking on a sandy beach near a stone pier amazed the spectators. A burlesque boxing match between a tall, thin comedian and a short, fat one, a comic allegory called "The Monroe Doctrine"; an instant of motion in Hoyt's farce, "A Milk White Flag," repeated over and over again, and a skirt dance by a tall blonde completed the views, which were all wonderfully real and singularly exhilarating.[8]
A later Times article mentioned that "[Mr. Edison] has bought, for about $5,000, two ancient, but still serviceable locomotives and several dozen flat cars. He has built about a quarter of a mile of railroad track in a secluded spot, not far from his laboratory. In a few weeks he will start a train from each end of the track, and will run them to a crash... all the incidents of a train wreck will be caught by machines stationed at short intervals near the track."[9]
^Cahan, Julius (1897). Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide. New York. p. 67.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ abRamsaye, Terry (1926), A Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture Through 1926, Simon and Schuster Essandess paperback reprint, 1964. Location at Broadway and Thirty-Fourth: p. 117; 20-foot screen and gilded frame, p. 232.
^Mary C. Henderson and Gerald Schoenfeld (2004). The City and the Theatre: The History of New York Playhouses. Watson-Guptill. ISBN0823006379., p. 128, includes photo of theatre
^Gordon, John Steele (November 1997). . American Heritage. Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2008-05-26., Volume 48, Issue 7
^Anonymous (July 22, 1901). "Koster and Bial's Music Hall Closed". New York Times.
^A second article published April 26 said that "in only two of the pictures shown Thursday were the colors brought out," and noted that "the [hand-]tinting of the pictures is one of the most delicate tasks that confronts [Edison]....
^Anonymous (April 24, 1896). "EDISON'S VITASCOPE CHEERED.; Projecting Kinetoscope" Exhibited for First Time at Koster and Bial's". The New York Times, p. 5.
^"EDISON'S LATEST INVENTION; With It He Will Show Us a Railroad Wreck and the Pope Saying Mass". The New York Times. April 26, 1896. p. 10.
External linksedit
Koster and Bial's Music Hall at Cinema Treasures
January 01, 1970
koster, bial, music, hall, koster, bial, music, hall, important, vaudeville, theatre, york, city, located, broadway, thirty, fourth, street, where, macy, flagship, store, stands, seating, capacity, twice, size, many, theaters, ticket, prices, ranged, from, sea. Koster and Bial s Music Hall was an important vaudeville theatre in New York City located at Broadway and Thirty Fourth Street where Macy s flagship store now stands It had a seating capacity of 3 748 twice the size of many theaters Ticket prices ranged from 25 for a seat in the gallery to 1 50 for one in the orchestra 1 The venue was founded by John Koster 1844 1895 and Albert Bial 1842 1897 in the late 19th century and closed in 1901 Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Contents 1 History 1 1 The first Vitascope exhibition 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory editThe music hall featured many top performers of its day and is famous in cinema history as the site of the first public exhibition of the Vitascope on April 23 1896 2 Koster and Bial s Music Hall was the successor to Koster and Bial s Concert Hall on 23rd Street At that location Koster and Bial had taken over Bryant s Opera House a venue for minstrel shows They offered food and drink along with vaudeville circumventing a law against serving alcohol in theatres by replacing the curtain with a folding fan 3 The last Koster and Bial s Music Hall originated when they moved uptown into the former Manhattan Opera House a huge theatre built in Herald Square in 1892 by Oscar Hammerstein I in pursuit of his passion for grand opera citation needed Quickly running into financial problems Hammerstein decided to convert his theatre to a vaudeville format He offered Koster and Bial a partnership under which he would manage the entertainment and they would manage the food The new Koster and Bial s Music Hall opened on August 28 1893 and proved to be very successful Hammerstein however quarreled with his partners and lawsuits ensued Ultimately Koster and Bial bought out Hammerstein and operated the theater solely on their own 4 The theatre finally closed in 1901 and was demolished to make way for Macy s Department Store 5 The first Vitascope exhibition edit A small advertisement mixed in with dozens of other theatre ads in The New York Times on April 19 1896 read KOSTER AND BIAL S MUSIC HALL 34th st TO MORROW MONDAY NIGHT THE ONLY CHEVALIER 2 NEW SONGS 2 Together with all the other GREAT FOREIGN STARS EXTRA Due notice will be given of the first public exhibition of Edison s latest marvel THE VITASCOPE 6 The Vitascope had actually been invented and developed outside of the Edison organization by Thomas Armat but by mutual agreement Edison s Kinetograph company acquired manufactured and marketed it and presented it as having been invented by Edison Pictures were projected on a twenty foot screen in an ornate gilded frame 2 On April 24 the Times reported nbsp EDISON S VITASCOPE CHEERED Projecting Kinetoscope Exhibited for First Time at Koster and Bial s The ingenious inventor s latest toy is a projection of his kinetoscope figures in stereopticon fashion on a white screen in a darkened hall In the center of the balcony of the big music hall is a curious object which looks from below like the double turret of a big monitor In the front of each half of it are two oblong holes The turret is neatly covered with blue velvet brocade The moving figures are about half life size a buzzing and roaring were heard in the turret and an unusually bright light fell upon the screen Then came into view two precious blonde young persons of the variety stage in pink and blue dresses 7 doing the umbrella dance with commendable celerity Their motions were clearly defined When they vanished a view of an angry surf breaking on a sandy beach near a stone pier amazed the spectators A burlesque boxing match between a tall thin comedian and a short fat one a comic allegory called The Monroe Doctrine an instant of motion in Hoyt s farce A Milk White Flag repeated over and over again and a skirt dance by a tall blonde completed the views which were all wonderfully real and singularly exhilarating 8 A later Times article mentioned that Mr Edison has bought for about 5 000 two ancient but still serviceable locomotives and several dozen flat cars He has built about a quarter of a mile of railroad track in a secluded spot not far from his laboratory In a few weeks he will start a train from each end of the track and will run them to a crash all the incidents of a train wreck will be caught by machines stationed at short intervals near the track 9 See also editWhite Rats of AmericaReferences edit Cahan Julius 1897 Julius Cahn s Official Theatrical Guide New York p 67 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link a b Ramsaye Terry 1926 A Million and One Nights A History of the Motion Picture Through 1926 Simon and Schuster Essandess paperback reprint 1964 Location at Broadway and Thirty Fourth p 117 20 foot screen and gilded frame p 232 Mary C Henderson and Gerald Schoenfeld 2004 The City and the Theatre The History of New York Playhouses Watson Guptill ISBN 0823006379 p 128 includes photo of theatre Gordon John Steele November 1997 Cigars and Broadway How a tireless impresario parlayed a cloud of smoke into several fortunes American Heritage Archived from the original on 2009 01 09 Retrieved 2008 05 26 Volume 48 Issue 7 Anonymous July 22 1901 Koster and Bial s Music Hall Closed New York Times The New York Times April 19 1896 p 11 A second article published April 26 said that in only two of the pictures shown Thursday were the colors brought out and noted that the hand tinting of the pictures is one of the most delicate tasks that confronts Edison Anonymous April 24 1896 EDISON S VITASCOPE CHEERED Projecting Kinetoscope Exhibited for First Time at Koster and Bial s The New York Times p 5 EDISON S LATEST INVENTION With It He Will Show Us a Railroad Wreck and the Pope Saying Mass The New York Times April 26 1896 p 10 External links editKoster and Bial s Music Hall at Cinema Treasures Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Koster 26 Bial 27s Music Hall amp oldid 1162661913, 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