The Broadway Theatre Pitman New Jersey

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2018:

Mod Betty is always excited when she sees life in older downtowns, and the glorious sight of the neon marquee ablaze at the Broadway Theatre is just the sign that something is going on in Pitman. If you’re able to tear your eyes away from that fab marquee, you’ll spy the more classically inspired architectural details like the broken pediment atop the carved pilasters and columns that flank the exterior lobby.

Originally opened in 1926 for movies and vaudeville, throughout the decades well known names performed at the Broadway including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby - even Abbott & Costello.

While no longer showing movies, nothing is more encouraging than to see an old theater building busy and alive, and the Broadway’s current calendar is chockablock full of live stage shows and musical acts year ‘round. Shows are selected to appeal to almost every generation, with a mix of classics, musicals and childrens performances. As its historic name would infer, the Broadway strives to bring New York City quality shows to town.

For those of us who like to “Nancy Drew” around and spot architectural details from the earlier eras, you’ll be pleased to know the renovation in the 2000s preserved many. You’ll see glass block from the 1930s at the box office and stepping inside notice the decorative wrought iron along stairs leading to the balcony. The auditorim is a delight with the original coffered ceiling, crystal chandeliers and confectionery plasterwork everywhere. What a delight for us all that the Broadway remains.

Original 2011 writeup:

Built in 1926 the Broadway theatre was restored to its original splendor in 2006, and is a perfect venue for this authentic recreated vaudeville show - with period precise case, costuming, makup and music, no less.

(From the Press Release)

“Vaudeville at the Broadway” is a true-to-life, live Vaudeville show, with eight all-star acts, nickel peanuts and popcorn, shoeshines and newsboys -- the likes of which has not been seen since 1930. The show invites audiences to step back in time 85 years, and experience what they would have seen on this stage in June 1926.

Producers are awakening a creature, dormant for nearly a century--music stands; feature signs; backdrops; and the first lighting board, all rediscovered, restored and reused with original 1926 artifacts and pieces of the theatre’s Vaudeville roots.

“If there are ghosts in the eighty-five-year-old theater, they’re smiling,” believes Director/Production creator, Dambra Sabato.

An extraordinary group of headliners and showcase musicians, from Philadelphia, New York, Atlantic City and Baltimore have immersed themselves in the culture and fabric of 1926, resurrecting the passion and spirit of Vaudeville performers of the past.

The acts are:

• “The Give and Take Jugglers"
• The song stylings of “The Baybee Sisters”
• Ray Croce as Cyrano De Bergerac
• “The Chris Sooy 5” band
• The comic banter of “Clancy & Muldoon”
• “The Valentino Tango”
• The escape artistry of Doug Young featuring Houdini’s suspended straight jacket escape
• The big, beautiful voice of Caroline Kearney