A Playbill in the Attic

While cleaning out the attic at the family home in Albany, New York, I found this copy of Playbill.

The Playbill is dated March 1971 (Volume 8, Issue 3) and includes the program for the musical 1776 which played at the St. James Theater at 246 West 44th Street (between 7th & 8th Avenue) in New York City.

1776 opened at the St. James Theater on 28 Dec 1970. It’s interesting to note that the musical to appear at the St. James just prior to 1776 was Hello Dolly! which played at the St. James from 16 Jan 1964 – 27 Dec 1970, a total of 2844 performances.

1776 originally opened at the 42nd Street Theater from 16 Mar 1969 – 27 Dec 1970, played at the St. James from 28 Dec 1970 – 24 Apr 1971, and then moved to the Majestic Theater from 27 Apr 1971 – 13 Feb 1972, a total of 1217 performances. It won three Tony Awards in 1969 for Best Musical, Best Featured Actor (Ronald Holgate for his portrayal of Richard Henry Lee), and Best Direction of a Musical (Peter Hunt).

I obtained this copy of Playbill when I attended a performance of 1776 with the English Club at Vincentian Institute High School during my Sophomore year. Though I don’t know the exact date I attended the performance, this issue of Playbill proves that I saw this performance in March 1971. Notable actors in the performance I saw were William Daniels as John Adams and Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin.

The previous year, I attended a revival performance of The Front Page with the Vincentian English Club at the Ethyl Barrymore Theater in New York City. During that revival, the play ran from 18 Oct 18 1969 – 28 Feb 1970. I don’t know the date I attended the performance and I don’t have a copy of the Playbill, but I probably saw The Front Page at the end of the run in February 1970. I do remember that the role of Hildy Johnson was played by Bert Convy.

For other posts on the Vincentian Institute, see:

• The Vincentian Institute in Albany, New York
• Photos of the Vincentian Institute in Albany, New York
• For My Mother – Part 4: The Final Years
• An October Day in Second Grade, 1962
• Halloween 1962 at the Vincentian Institute, Albany, New York

For posts on the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, see:

• The Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Albany, New York
• The Annunciation
• The Nativity
• The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
• Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple
• The Wedding at Cana
• Jesus Blessing the Children
• The Agony in the Garden
• The Resurrection
• The Angel Raphael
• Midnight Mass and Incense
• It Was a Tough Decision but the Award Goes to…

For posts on the Pine Hills Branch of the Albany Public Library, see:

• Mrs. Katzman, Children’s Librarian

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko