Early history of Theatres in Memphis

Early History of Memphis THEATRES

...and the famous artists who "trod the boards"

Judge J. P. Young edited this "Standard History of Memphis, Tennessee" in 1912. Among it's parts are this section on The "Drama" which was the first of the arts to receive serious attention in the city. By 1929, there was a Memphis "theatrical society. The first building used for theatrical performances was on the NW corner of Jackson and North Front. In 1838 a more commodious theatre was fitted up on Market Street when an old frame building was converted into a theatre. In 1841, a large stable on Main, near Adams, was converted into a "genteel looking theatre" by John S. Potter, where good scenery was introduced. This theatre grew in popularity until 1845, Shakespearian plays were performed and prominent actors came to the city. In 1849, Thomas Lennox converted a church at Washington and Center Alley into a good theatre. During the existence of this Washington Street Theatre, a building was erected by James Wickersham at 82 Jefferson for the express purpose of a theatre. This was called the "New Memphis Theatre" and opened October 19, 1859 by W. H. Crisp. Plays were now produced by a Stock Company.


"Blue Ruin"	New Memphis	Olympic	Green Law Opera		Leubrie's Theatre


Lyceum - Grand	Auditorium-Lyceum	Auditorium -Bijou	East End Park	Jefferson	Jefferson - Lyric

See individual listings of each theatre in THEATRE SECTION of the website.

The first theater productions in Memphis were presented in 1831 in a section of buildings called "The Blue Ruin" located on the Northwest Corner of Jackson and Chickasaw (now Front Street). In 1838-40 a second theatre began operating on Market, near Front Street. It was an old frame building with a rough stage, scenery and a Drop Curtain used to change scenes.


*Front-Jackson*	*First Theatre*		*Front-Jackson*	*Jackson-Market-Front*

New Memphis . Crisp's Gaiety . Memphis . Leubrie's The location of the Memphis Theatre was "on Jefferson, near 3rd, or on NE corner of Jefferson/3rd", according to the Memphis Directories. It was built around 1857 and opened as Crisp's Gaiety Theatre. The theatre's name changed every time a new manager took over or when the theatre was renovated. The sequence of names was Crisp's Gaiety . New Memphis Theatre . Memphis Theatre . Leubrie's Theatre . New Memphis Theatre. It's no wonder that the newspapers gave up and simply called it "The old Memphis Theatre", But of course that caused more confusion because of that OTHER "Old Memphis" Theatre on Washington.


*Theatre location ...today*	*Memphis Theatre*	*Memphis Theatre?*	*Memphis Theatre? No!*

Auditorium . Bijou The Auditorium Theatre opened 1894 at the corner of Main and Linden, where the Chisca Hotel building is located. It had originally been a trolley barn and was converted into a theatre. By 1903 after a renovation, it was renamed The Bijou. It burned in 1911 and was not replaced.


*Auditorium -1900*	*Bijou*	*Mozart Festival at the Auditorium...1901*			*Paderwerski 1908*	*UCV 1909*

Lyceum The Lyceum Theatre was built by Hugh Brinkley around 1894 at the corner of 2nd and Jefferson . It seated 2010 and was the first Memphis theatre to feature electric lights. Although considered the finest theatre in the South, it was demolished in 1935.



*Lyceum 1900*	*Lyceum 1907*	*Loew's Lyceum*	*Lyceum 1935*

East End Park . Grand Opera House . Greenlaw Opera House East End Park originally opened in 1889. It was an amusement park with rides, midway, beer gardens, and a theatre-playhouse. After it closed in 1913, the land was sold and the lake was filled in. The Grand Opera House opened in 1890 at Main and Beale. It became the Hopkins Opera House in 1900 and the Orpheum in 1907 . The Greenlaw Opera House opened in 1860 and was listed in the Memphis Directories from 1865-1883.


*East End Park*	*East End Park*	*Grand Opera House*	*Greenlaw Opera*

Jefferson . Lyric The Jefferson Theatre opened in 1906. By 1911, it had been renamed The Lyric and was one of the city's prominent theatres. The Lyric closed in 1962.


*The Jefferson*	*The Lyric - 1929*	*Lyric 1916*	*Program 1919*	*Program 1920*

World Renown Artists . The list of world-class performers who came to Memphis in the early years is very impressive - if not totally astounding. Below are pictured just a few of the major artists who appeared at these early Memphis theatres during the period before Vaudeville or Motion Pictures became "big". It's literally a "Who's Who" of entertainment. The artists names were taken from the pages of "The Standard History of Memphis" at the top of this page. If you don't recognize them, just "Google them". Among the group, you'll find stage actors, vocalists, pianists, violinists, poets, lecturers, dancers, comedians, and magicians. (The names are not listed in alphabetical order).


Annie Podley	Ben DeBar	Blind Tom	Carlotta Patti	Charles Dillon	Christine Nilsson


Clara Morris	Edwin Adams	Edwin Booth	Edwin Forrest	Ellen Terry	Frank Mayo


*Frank Daniels*	*George D. Chaplin*	*Graziella Ridgeway*	*Heni Vieuxtemps*	*Horace Greeley*	*Jenny Lind*


*John Wilkes Booth*	*Josef Hoffmann*	*Joseph Jefferson*	*Kathryn Kidder*	*Laura Keane*	*Lawrence Barrett*


*Little Dolly Theobold*	*Lydia Thompson*	*Marie Wainwright*	*Mary McVicker*	*Maude Adams*	*Mrs. Fiske*


*Ole Bull*	*Oscar Wilde*	*Paderwski*	*Pasquale Brignoli*	*Prof. Haselmayer*	*Robert Houdin*


*Sarah Bernhardt*	*Feranti Rosnati*	*Sol Smith Russell*	*Lillian Lewis*	*James O'Neill*	*Harry Lacy*


*Margaret Mather*	*Maude Jeffries*	*Otis Skinner*	*Patti Rosa*	*W. H. Crane*	*Cora Tanner*


*Metropolitan Opera*	*World Opera Companies*	*World Ballet Companies*	*Helen Butler Ladies Brass Band*

See individual listings of each theatre above in THEATRE SECTION of the website.




Credits

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