Buck's County Playhouse

The building that houses "America's most famous summer theatre" began its life as a gristmill called The Hope Mills. When they burned to the ground and were rebuilt in 1790 by local businessman, Benjamin Parry, they became The New Hope Mills. In the 1930s, the playhouse was almost torn down; purchased within the dramatic nick of time by playwright Moss Hart who used it expressly for the purpose of live theatrical productions. The first show performed was in 1939. A drama entitled Springtime For Henry, it starred the very well known actor, Edward Everett Horton.

The Playhouse is many wonderful things for those fortunate enough to fall within its orbit, including a national landmark rich in theatrical history. Some of the biggest and brightest names in show business got their start on its stage. Some notables include: Grace Kelly, Helen Hayes, Kitty Carlisle, Lillian Gish, Farley Granger, Robert Redford, Leslie Nielson and Roddy McDowell. The playhouse also became well known as a pre-Broadway theatre premiering some of the most famous theatrical dramas. Memorable productions include Harvey, Nobody Loves Me, (Barefoot in the Park) and Give 'Em Hell, Harry.

It does not stand alone in the heart of downtown New Hope, although its reputation certainly does. It has had at least nine neighbors over the years, including The Playhouse Inn, Club Zadar and even a liquor store. A proposed Museum of Art may soon bask in the sunlight of its celebrity, but it is not likely to have any affect on the playhouse in one way or another. According to Ralph Miller, who has managed the Buck's County Playhouse for the last 28 years, "if customers can benefit from the adjacent stores, that's just fine, but neighbors in the past have had no impact on the playhouse, which is and always will be the main attraction to the spot."

For the last 64 years, theatre lovers have always been able to count on fifteen top-notch performances per year, starting the week before Easter and continuing until just before Christmas. For the most part, the playhouse concentrates on musicals and revivals, such as Smoky Joe's Café, a song and dance celebration featuring famous hits of the 50's and 60's created by the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Even though there was talk that the concept would never catch on and that competition was too keen with slick Broadway productions, these shows are a big draw to the playhouse today and to quote Fred Astaire and Mr. Miller, "look who's got the last laugh now?"

"Maybe people think that the playhouse is not as good as it once was because the big stars are no longer there, but that is simply not so," says Miller. A star, after all, is a relative term, whether it be twinkling in the sky or sweating as the hard working component of a quality production.

According to Mike Naylor, Director of Marketing and Communications, there are many more premieres this season than in the past. Titanic, which came out earlier this year was a virtual smash, as was the Scarlet Pimpernel, Victor Victoria and Nunsense..Amen, the funny musical starring an all male cast as nuns who put on a talent show to raise money to bury their dearly departed sisters who died of food poisoning. Naylor says "as a local himself, he didn't visit the playhouse a lot over the years. Many people might forget we are here, but we are just as big and wonderful as we once were."

The show will always go on at the Bucks County Playhouse, whether their neighbors sell coffee, rooms to let, liquor or culture. And that's the way it should always be! Break a leg, Bucks County Playhouse. Break a leg!