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. The building featured three murals and a color scheme by leading American muralist William de Leftwich Dodge. 18-year-old Mae West was discovered here by the New York Times at her Broadway debut on September 22, 1911. Closing after that, the theatre reopened on October 20, 1911, as the Fulton Theatre. 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.
In 1982, the theatre was demolished, along with the Morosco, Bijou, Gaiety and Astor Theatres, to make way for the Marriott Marquis Hotel, which now houses the Marquis Theatre. Parts of the Helen Hayes Theatre were salvaged before the theatre's demolition and were used to build the Shakespeare Center, home of the Riverside Shakespeare Company on the Upper West Side, which was dedicated by Miss Hayes and Joseph Papp in September 1982.
Since Helen Hayes was still living at the time of the demolition of the theatre that bore her name, it was decided to rename the nearby Little Theatre at 240 West 44th Street in her honor.
Read more about this topic: Fulton Theatre
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