The Alhambra / New Theatre / Bush St. Theatre

325 Bush St. | map |

Opened: May 22, 1868 as the New Alhambra Theatre. William H. Smith was the proprietor. Note his name partially visible on the side of the building. The photo is one half of a stereo card attributed to Eadweard Muybridge that's in the California State Library Collection.

The theatre was on the south side of the street between Montgomery and Kearny. Across the street was the Standard Theatre, a venue also known at various times as Congress Hall, Temple of Music, Sheils' Opera House, Gray's Opera House and Maguire's Opera House.

Architects: Alonzo Gray was the builder who designed the structure. The interior was designed by Robert Stackhouse. The Alhambra was included in the 1868 city directory on a list of buildings completed that year. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting this copy: 

"The Alhambra Theater — On Bush street, above Montgomery, covers an entire lot eighty-six by one hundred and thirty-seven feet in dimensions. It is three stories high, the front being used for saloons, stores, etc. The building cost $56,000; fitting up, $20,000; and the lot upon which it stands, $63.000 — making for the entire establishment an expenditure of $139,000. The place, since its opening in the early part of the summer, has been in successful operation, giving delineations of negro character, and other light performances."

Seating: 1,404 when it opened, assuming 6 chairs in each of the 4 proscenium boxes. It had 420 in the orchestra section and 500 in the parquet section at the rear of the main floor. The single balcony, called the dress circle, held 460.  

Sometime before 1900 they had changed the names of the seating sections and added another level of boxes, bringing the total to 8. According to the 1900 seating chart the orchestra section sat 158, the dress circle at the rear of the main floor held 335. The balcony sat 328. The total capacity at that time was down to perhaps 869, assuming 6 patrons in each of the 8 boxes.

Proscenium width: 35'

The newly completed theatre was surveyed by a writer for the San Francisco Examiner. This account that was located by Art Siegel was published May 21, 1868:

 Thanks, Art!

 

An opening ad located by Jack Tillmany. Smith was still listed as the proprietor in the 1871 city directory. 

 

 

An undated view, presumably from the 1870s. Note the Alhambra name on the pediment. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for providing the photo. A smaller version is is on the San Francisco Public Library website. When this photo appeared in the San Francisco Examiner in 1940 they noted: "Here David Warfield got his start -- as usher, program dispenser and call boy."

In 1874 the Alhambra was rebuilt by Tom Maguire and advertised as Maguire's New Theatre. This ad from the 1874 Langley city directory noted that it was "recently erected." In the 1875 city directory Maguire still has it but he didn't hold onto it long. He was forced to relinquish it in 1877 following financial reverses connected to the Comstock crash.

This March 1877 article reflects Maguire's financial problems both at this venue and at the theatre across the street at 318, later known as the Standard Theatre. He had to give up his leases on both of these theatres. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article. 

At the time, Maguire was also operating the Academy of Music, later known as the Baldwin Theatre, on Market St. at Powell. Lawrence Estevan discusses the career of Maguire in detail in his "Tom Maguire; Dr. David G. (Yankee) Robinson; M.B. Leavitt," completed in 1938 as part of a Works Progress Administration project. The copy in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library is reproduced on Internet Archive. In his chapter titled "A Deal With 'Lucky' Baldwin," he comments on Maguire giving up the two theatres on Bush St.:

"But the trend was still downward and Tom Maguire could decipher the handwriting on the wall in 1877. After spasmodic offerings at his three theatres during the first months of the year, he announced retrenchments. On April 1st he reported that his Opera House had been leased to Billy Emerson on a two-year lease, and was to be known as Emerson's Opera House. Here Emerson opened on April 23, offering his minstrels. On April 1st it was announced that the Alhambra was also to be re-titled. The Bush Street Theatre opened on April 7 under the management of Titus and Locke. The first offering was burlesque by the Salisbury Troubadours. 

"The Shut-Down of Baldwin's - Baldwin's Academy had closed ingloriously by April, and young Belasco, former right-hand man of Maguire, had in February been enlisted by a new variety house known as Egyptian Hall to write, direct, and act in specialty plays in conjunction with 'illusions.' Maguire was deserted by fortune and the public. On and off, however, Maguire continued to produce plays at the Baldwin until 1882. During this period the relations between Maguire and Baldwin became more and more strained. Baldwin was forced to cover heavy losses at the theatre and Maguire was continually gambling in an effort to keep the enterprise going. Baldwin finally withdraw his support and Maguire's management was at an end. From that time until his death in 1896, his activities in the theatre world became increasingly negligible."

 

Earlier Maguire had the Jenny Lind Theatre on Portsmouth Square and the Academy of Music on Pine St., the latter running from 1864 until 1867. His gem, Maguire's Opera House on Washington above Montgomery, was lost in 1873 for the street project that resulted in what is now called Columbus Ave. 

In the 1878 city directory Maguire was gone and this theatre was listed as the Bush St. Theatre.

 

Haverly's Minstrel's played the Bush St. in 1878. Thanks to Mark Reed for locating this May 5 item in the Daily Alta California. 

James Madison, in a 1926 article titled "San Francisco Theatrical Memories" that appears on a Virtual Museum of  the City of San Francisco page, commented on the Bush St. He reported: 

"After Charles E. Locke gave up the house in the late seventies, Mike Leavitt took charge and it was under his regime that Jos. Gottlob, Charles P. Hall and George Broadhurst received their early theatrical training."

The 1884 Social Manual of San Francisco noted: 

 

"...The entrance is through a handsome vestibule, on the left of which are the box-office and manager's private office. The seats are chairs of the latest pattern. The parquette and dress circle can easily accommodate seven hundred. The theatre furnishes light dramatic entertainment including opera bouffe and the more refined kinds of variety performance. The present lessee is M.B. Leavitt. The acting manager is Jay Rial." 

 

 Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing the copy from the book that's in his collection.

 

 

A drawing of the theatre appearing in the January 1, 1887 issue of the Chronicle. It was with a spread headlined "The Theatres - The Efforts of Our Local Impresarios - A Year Among the Actors" that also profiled the Alcazar, Baldwin and Vienna Garden. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the article. The comments about the Bush Street, which they called "A Fashionable and Popular Resort with Theater-Goers": 

 

"All the world's a stage, and it may be added that San Francisco stages furnish the most varied performances in all the world... The snug Bush-street Theater offers to its patrons performances which cannot be excelled... Every San Franciscan is familiar with the many advantages set forth in this temple of amusement, well-arranged stage, handsome scenery and perfect acoustics, making it second to no theater in the West. Being situated on Bush street, between Kearny and Montgomery, it is easy of access, being a few minutes' walk of the leading hotels.   

"No man is better known to the profession and public than M.B. Leavitt, the lessee and proprietor, a gentleman who has done much to place San Francisco in the enviable position regarding the drama which it now occupies. Mr. Leavitt's headquarters are in New York, where he selects attractions best suited to the tastes of California audiences, and arranges dates for their appearance here. It is in this especial line that Mr. Leavitt excels, as is evidenced in fact by the growing popularity of the house. 

"During this season the following combinations will appear at the Bush-Street Theater, presenting, as they do, a list of first-class attractions rarely offered: H.C. Minor's 'Zitka' Company; Charles H. Hoyt's 'A Train of Cars'; Professor Herrman; the Carleton Opera Company; Roland Reed in his new play, 'Humbug'; Hallen and Hart's Great Specialty Company; Charles H. Hoyt's 'A Rag Baby'; Dan Sully in his new play; Willian J. Scanlan and company; the great Kellar; Charles H. Hoyt's 'A Hole in the Ground'; John T. Raymond in his new play; Edward Harrigan, and his entire New York Park Theater Company and stage artisans, forty-four persons, in his greatest successes. 

"On Monday evening, January 3rd, the Howard Athaneum Star Specialty Company of Boston begins an engagement at the Bush Street, and, embracing, as it does, a splendid array of talent, is sure to meet with big success. No expense is spared in producing attractions at this theater, the local management being in charge of Charles P. Hall, who is fully competent and a most popular gentleman with the people of this city. Strangers visiting San Francisco will always find an entertainment at the Bush Street suitable to their tastes, and attend the theater without stopping to ask 'What's on to-night?' Mr. Leavitt is at present in the city, but will remain for a short-time only. in conversation with a reporter he pointed with pride to the record of the Bush Street, and promised great things for the future. He is determined to keep his theater in the first rank, which it now occupies, and what Mr. Leavitt says goes."

 

The Bush St. and the Standard Theatre across the street are seen in this detail from image 24 of the 1887 Sanborn Insurance Map in the Library of Congress collection.

An October 21, 1889 ad for the theatre as the New Bush Street. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it.  

The main floor seating layout that appeared in the 1890 San Francisco Bluebook. Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing the image from a copy of the book in his collection. Also see the seating charts for various theatres in the 1889 San Francisco Blue Book. It's on Internet Archive. We don't get a balcony chart in either the 1889 or 1890 editions as the assumption was that the readers of this publication wouldn't be interested in sitting in the cheap seats.

A c.1894 photo from a book in the Glenn Koch collection.

The theatre had a reopening as the Comedy Theatre on September 14, 1895. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the research. He notes that an ad in August 1898 refers to it as the New Comedy Theatre ("formerly the popular Bush"). The ad noted that it was under the direction of M. B. Leavitt with Alf Ellinghouse as the resident manager. The 1898 city directory still listed it as the Bush St. Theatre, with an address of 323 Bush.

At some point the house was renamed the Deutsche Theatre and operated under the direction of Mme. I. Fabri-Mueller and with A. Hoffman as manager. This seating chart under that name is from the 1900 edition of the San Francisco Blue Book. Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing the image from a copy in his collection. 

 

Note that they had done some seating revisions. A second level of proscenium boxes had been added, for a total of 8 instead of the earlier 4. When the theatre opened the two main floor sections were called orchestra and parquet with the balcony called the dress circle. Here it's orchestra and dress circle on the main floor and the balcony actually called a balcony.

 

Closing: The theatre was destroyed in a spectacular fire on December 15, 1899. The Examiner devoted a full page to it in their December 16 issue.  

More information: The theatre is mentioned on pages 105-06 of James R. Smith's 2005 book "San Francisco's Lost Landmarks" where he also includes a copy of the Muybridge photo. It's on Google Books.

Maguire's adventures, and those of M.B. Leavitt, are discussed at length in the 1938 monograph by Lawrence Estevan titled "Tom Maguire; Dr. David G. (Yankee) Robinson; M.B. Leavitt." It was completed as part of a Works Progress Administration project. The copy in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library is reproduced on Internet Archive. 

A later Alhambra Theatre at Eddy and Jones was destroyed in 1906. The Esquire Theatre on Market St. was once known as the Alhambra. The current Alhambra Theatre on Polk St. (now a gym) opened in 1926.

Jack Tillmany's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco" can be previewed on Google Books. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller. 

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