The Bowery Amphitheatre was a building in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City. It was located at 37 and 39 Bowery, across the street from the Bowery Theatre. Under a number of different names and managers, the structure served as a circus, menagerie, and theatre. It became an armory in 1866. The Bowery is a very well-known street in Manhattan that more or less marks the boundary between Chinatown and Little Italy on one side and the Lower East Side on the other — running from Chatham Square in the south to Astor Place in the north. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location [[Image:|250px|250px|Location of City of New York, New York]] Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R... Cigarette trading card featuring the Bowery Theatre, New York City. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Free monkeys islands at the São Paulo Zoo Panda enclosure at Chiang Mai Zoo Visitors feeding and petting tamed marmots at the Parc Animalier des Pyrenées Aquarium with a dolphin at the Barcelona Zoo Sea lions at the Melbourne Zoo For other uses of the term Zoo... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... An armory is a military depot used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. ...

Formation through the minstrel craze

A group of New York businessmen known as the Zoological Institute or the Flatfoots built the structure in 1833 as the site for a menagerie and circus performances. In 1835, the site was converted into an amphitheatre with a stage and a circus ring, and the name changed to the Bowery Amphitheatre. June, Titus, Angevine & Co. took up residence with their equestrian show. Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location [[Image:|250px|250px|Location of City of New York, New York]] Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R... Free monkeys islands at the São Paulo Zoo Panda enclosure at Chiang Mai Zoo Visitors feeding and petting tamed marmots at the Parc Animalier des Pyrenées Aquarium with a dolphin at the Barcelona Zoo Sea lions at the Melbourne Zoo For other uses of the term Zoo... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... The name amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is given to a public building of the Classical period (being particularly associated with ancient Rome) which was used for spectator sports, games and displays. ... A junior horse riding event at the Melbourne Show Equestrianism relates to the riding of horses. ...

The owners changed the name again in November 1842 to the Amphitheatre of the Republic. John Tryon leased the building the following year, remaining its operator until 1848. Following a performance by the Virginia Minstrels on 6 February 1843, Tryon gave the structure over largely to minstrel shows, renaming it the New Knickerbocker Theatre in 1844. The Virginia Minstrels was a group of 19th Century American entertainers known for helping to invent the entertainment form known as the Minstrel show. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843. ...

Later management

In 1849, the building once again became a menagerie, this time under the management of June & Titus. The new endeavor failed to perform up to expectations, so in 1851 the amphitheatre became a circus instead. Seth B. Howe's circus company became a standard feature. During the 1852-1853 season, regular acts included the Richard Sands & Co. and John J. Nathans & Co. circuses. The next season saw a return to equestrian exhibitions under the management of Henry P. Madigan and Den W. Stone.

During the summer of 1854, Germans Seigrist and Otto Hoym leased the amphitheatre and rebuilt it. It opened on 20 October 1854 as the Stadt Theatre. The Stadt specialized in German-language fare, but it also staged American and English drama. A succession of managers sustained this mixture until the 1863-1864 season. October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

On 3 September 1864, the theatre became known as The Varieties, making variety shows its main draw. This form lasted until mid-October 1865, when A. Montpelier became the manager and owner. He renamed the building Montpelier's Opera House, although he kept its emphasis on variety and melodrama. Montpelier changed the name once more on 20 November 1865. The New National Circus stayed open for six weeks for its final stint as an entertainment venue. The structure was converted into an armory in 1866. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... A variety show is a show with a variety of acts, often including music and comedy skits, especially on television. ... Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... An armory is a military depot used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. ...

References

• Brown, T. Allston (1903). A History of the New York Stage: From the First Performance in 1732 to 1901. Dodd, Mead and Company.
• Henderson, Mary C. (2004). The City and the Theatre. New York: Back Stage Books.
• Lawrence, Vera Brodsky (1995). Strong on Music: The New York Music Scene in the Days of George Templeton Strong, Vol. I: Resonances, 1836-1849. University of Chicago Press.