Pitman's Broadway Theatre at 100: The Story of a Beloved Landmark and the New Jersey Town That Saved It - Paperback

by Richard L. Eldredge (Author), Paolo Aguila (Designed by), E. a. Axelberg (Editor)

Set for a Fall 2025 release, "Pitman's Broadway Theatre at 100" takes readers on an unforgettable tour of the century, chronicling the first-ever history of Pitman, New Jersey's beloved show place. First opened in May 1926 as a silent movie house and vaudeville stage, the Broadway Theatre debuted as an opulent 1,090-seat two-level theatre, created in a gorgeous French Revival motif by Philadelphia architects Magaziner, Eberhard & Harris. The Broadway has survived the death of silent film, vaudeville, the invasion of mall cinema chains, multiple bankruptcies and a global pandemic. In 2006, Pitman native and businessman Peter Slack bought the ailing Broadway at a sheriff's sale and then poured $1 million into its restoration performed by volunteer Pitmanites, who rallied to save their performing arts crown jewel. In 2025, the Broadway is thriving, attracting over 100,000 visitors a year to its popular line-up of live concerts and Broadway musicals. Deeply researched and featuring over 40 interviews, "Pitman's Broadway Theatre at 100" is a love letter to anyone who has ever chucked a Milk Dud from the Broadway balcony during a Saturday matinee. Author Richard L. Eldredge is an Atlanta-based arts reporter and fourth-generation Pitmanite. He saw his very first film, "Disney's The Jungle Book," at the Broadway. He has been in love with storytelling and his hometown theatre ever since.