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The Pitt Theatre, originally called the (New) Kenyon Opera House, was founded by Thomas Kenyon (12 February 1860 Ireland – 29 August 1922 Pittsburgh), who opened it December 23, 1912, as an opera house and vaudeville theatre, in downtown Pittsburgh, on Penn Avenue near Seventh Avenue. Because of labor problems and illness, Kenyon soon withdrew from active participation in his theatres, and on June 1, 1920, Kenyon gave the Shubert Organization a lease-purchase option. The Shubert Organization leased it for a little more than four years and purchased it in 1925 for about $850,000. Jacob J. Shubert and Lee Shubert were instrumental in the negotiations.

Building history

The Kenyon Opera House achieved a decade of splendor as the Pitt Theatre, one of the city's major legitimate playhouses, after the Shuberts took over in 1919. It was built by Thomas Kenyon (1860–1922) in 2013 at a cost of $215,000 and occupied frontage of 125 feet and a depth of 165 feet. The building was designed by architect Maximilian Nirdlinger (1881–1966), who, from about 1904 to 1908, had been a partner with architect David Simpson (1879–1932), operating as Nirdlinger & Simpson.

Wurlitzer records indicate a large instrument (opus 27 IV/22) was installed at the Pitt Theatre, Pittsburg PA in August 1913. The organ apparently not only had the usual left and right chambers, but also a stage division and a balcony division – seriously deluxe upgrades.

The lighting system in the Pitt Theatre was redesigned by architects Simpson & Isles as part of an early renovation, and the theater and its lighting were described at length and rather effusively in an article in the trade journal Electrical Review of June 20, 1914. The architects Simpson & Isles, of Pittsburgh, dissolved their partnership in 1915. The principals were David Simpson and Andrew Isles (1878–1951).

In a sheriff's sale, The Pitt Theatre was sold at auction on March 7, 1932, to satisfy indebtedness of a $419,085 mortgage on the property by a life insurance company.

George Sharp (né George William Sharp; 1891–1951) became manager of the Pitt Theater around November 1932. He, in 1924, married Danish-born American actress Mabel Kroman (1900–1964), sister of actress Ann Forrest.

In 1941, The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company sold the Barry Theater for less than $200,000 to Pitts, Inc., to a group of New York investors. Manager Manuel Greenwald, a management company of the Skirball brothers, said that the deal includes an understanding for continuance of the status quo between Pitts, Inc., a group of New York investors, and the Skirball Brothers, who operate the theater under the name of the Varsity) Amusement Company.

Sometime around 1949, William (Bill) Norman Skirball (1885–1978), brother of Pittsburgh film man Joseph Skirball, became the owner of the Pitt Theater, and, on January 17, 1949, the Pittsburgh City Council authorized the Bureau of Building Inspection to issue the Skirball brothers permits for the erection of a marquee, in excess of the size ordinace, for the Barry Theatre. The Barry Theater was the second venue, worldwide, to show the Birth of a Baby, which was produced the Jack H. Skirball, William's brother.

Bill Skirball reopened it on September 10, 1936, under its new name, "The Barry Theater." Skirball had it remodeled under the plans of architect Victor Albert Rigaumont (1889–1983). The Barry Theater, as it was known from 1936 to 1951, was was closed June 1, 1951. William N. Skirball of Cleveland, owner at the time, granted a 5-year lease to be used as a parking lot. The auditorium was torn down and a new lot was opened September 1, 1951. However, the building's facade, specifically, its marquee, lingered until 1963, hanging over the sidewalk on Penn Avenue heralding what the property had become: the Barry (surface) parking lot.

The land is occupied now by a theater of a different sort – the O'Reilly thrust-stage theater, Pittsburgh Public Theatre's present home.

Notes

It already had become the Pitt Theatre by the time it played "Birth of a Nation," though not necessarily as part of the silent blockbuster’s initial release.

Later it became the Penn Avenue Theatre and then the Miles.

I believe it might have become the Barry in 1935. Estimates of capacity during this period range from 900-1,000 seats. It closed on or about June 1, 1951.

The Barry played almost exclusively first-run double bills of minor, hour-long movies from distributors such as Republic. Sample bills: “Loaded Pistols” with “Leather Gloves”; “Baby Face Morgan” and “Bad Men of Tombstone”; “Hold That Baby” and “Brothers in the Saddle.” Holdovers were extremely rare.

Notable exceptions: The Marx Brothers' “Love Happy” got a 12-day run as a single feature. And most notably, about a year after “The Red Shoes” had concluded a roadshow (reserved seat) engagement elsewhere, it moved to the Barry for a six-week run that did business far beyond the norm here.

Performance highlights

The Shuberts leased the theater to Anne Nichols for a production of Abie's Irish Rose, which ran for 27 weeks, from about March 19, 1923, to about September 23, 1923, which set a record for locale theaters.

External links

"Kenyon Theatre" (photo, September 7, 1939), Digital Research Library, University of Pittsburgh Library System, University of Pittsburgh (identifier: 715.3950405.CP)

Shubert Pitt Theatre (formerly Kenyon Opera House), Penn Ave. and 7th St., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / AFD 1929.] (architectural drawing), Library of Congress; LCCN 2005-676585