2 Antique Zeiterion Theatre Poster Pirates of Penzance Genuine Gouache Paintings

Description

2 Antique Zeiterion Theatre Poster Pirates of Penzance Genuine Gouache Paintings. The wood frames measure 23 1/4" x 33 1/8", the art is about 20" x 30" each. We acquired these from an estate collection of old posters in Hingham MA. The person collected mostly World War I posters but also had a few items from the same era such as this pair. I liked these as they reminded me of the work of N C Wyeth. Not signed but certainly a talented illustrator most likely known and listed. Not prints or lithographs - guaranteed genuine hand painted oil or gouache paintings unique one of a kind. They have been professionally framed in classic appropriate wood black & gold frames under glass. The paintings have some edge wear and old dampness edge marks but display fine. Please see my 12 detailed photos. These date to 1923 and are nearly 100 years old.
On April 2, 1923, New Bedford opened its last new theatre in the city’s downtown area – THE ZEITERION. Built for the “live performance of vaudeville”, it opened with “Troubles of 1922” starring and written by George Jessel. Barney Zeitz and his brothers built the 0,000 Zeiterion with the intention it be the biggest and best theatre in New Bedford. The two story tapestry brick building, designed by Frank Leary and Frank Walker, is an adaption of the Georgian Revival style. Inside, the decorative shield with the family’s “Z” logo and marble columned walls dominated the lobby. The Morning Mercury described the auditorium as “Impressive in its beauty.” The color scheme was ivory and old rose; silk tapestry on the walls, a frieze of gold leaf Grecian dancing figures; a large oval sunset scene on the ceiling, an orchestra rail of solid gum wood, and a ,000 cut glass Czechoslovakian chandelier.
The theatre did not meet with immediate success and by September 1923 it had closed briefly and reopened that month as the STATE, a silent movie house. Its first film was the New England premiere of D. W. Griffith’s, “The White Rose”. From this point on the STATE would feature only occasional live performances.
Marble walls were covered with wood paneling, chandeliers in the lobby were removed, contemporary rocking seats replaced original leather and black paint replaced ivory and old rose.
On December 31, 1981, the Penler Brothers of Paragon Travel donated the theatre portion of the building to the Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) who provided 0,000 for the first phase of restoration and commissioned a feasibility study.
Once one of 17 operating theatres in New Bedford, the Zeiterion has been restored to its original grandeur. It is reborn as the symbol of an age when theatres were truly palaces for the people.
The ZEITERION held it’s gala-reopening on September 25, 1982 starring Shirley Jones in Concert.
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences and critics. Its London debut was on 3 April 1880, at the Opera Comique, where it ran for 363 performances.
The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his 21st year, is released from his apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates. He meets the daughters of Major-General Stanley, including Mabel, and the two young people fall instantly in love. Frederic soon learns, however, that he was born on the 29th of February, and so, technically, he has a birthday only once each leap year. His indenture specifies that he remain apprenticed to the pirates until his "twenty-first birthday", meaning that he must serve for another 63 years. Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully.
Pirates was the fifth Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration and introduced the much-parodied "Major-General's Song". The opera was performed for over a century by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Britain and by many other opera companies and repertory companies worldwide. Modernized productions include Joseph Papp's 1981 Broadway production, which ran for 787 performances, winning the Tony Award for Best Revival and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and spawning many imitations and a 1983 film adaptation. Pirates remains popular today, taking its place along with The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore as one of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan operas.