The Fulton Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 210 West 46th Street in Manhattan, New York City, that was opened in 1911. It was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in 1955. The theatre was demolished in 1982. After the former Little Theatre on 44th Street became the current Helen Hayes Theatre, the Fulton Theatre was sometimes referred to as the First Helen Hayes Theatre.
History
Built by the architects Herts & Tallant for Henry B. Harris and Jesse Lasky, it was originally opened on April 27, 1911, under the name Folies-Bergere as a dinner theatre with vaudeville.[1] The building featured three murals and a color scheme by leading American muralist William de Leftwich Dodge. Eighteen-year-old Mae West was discovered here by The New York Times at her Broadway debut on September 22, 1911.[2][3] Closing after that,[4] the theatre reopened on October 20, 1911, as the Fulton Theatre, a conventional playhouse.[5] The theatre was managed by Abraham L. Erlanger from 1921, until his death in 1930.
In 1955, the theatre was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in honor of the renowned actress Helen Hayes and re-opened under that name on November 21.
Since Helen Hayes was still living at the time of her namesake theater's demolition, the nearby Little Theatre at 240 West 44th Street was renamed in her honor in 1983.[8]
Performers
Besides Mae West, the Fulton has also had English actor Robert Morley in the title role of the play Oscar Wilde by Leslie and Sewell Stokes in 1938. The play ran for 247 performances and its success launched Morley's career as a stage actor on both sides of the Atlantic.
Audrey Hepburn starred in the Gilbert Miller production of Gigi, which opened at the Fulton on November 24, 1951, and ran for 219 performances.
Selected runs
Notable runs in excess of 100 performances include:
^"New Skit Shown at Folies Bergere", The New York Times. September 23, 1911 via Newspapers.com . Quote: "A girl named Mae West, hitherto unknown, pleased by her grotesquerie and snappy way of singing and dancing."