|
The Valley Forge Music Fair was an entertainment venue located in Devon, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, constructed in theater in the round style with seating for 3,000. Initially established in a tent in 1955, a permanent structure was constructed that closed in 1996. The Valley Forge site became a model that led to the creation of a series of venues located in suburban locations on the East Coast of the United States that became a means to present top performers and productions of popular theatrical musicals at reasonable prices outside of the big cities. ==History== Radio broadcaster Frank Ford and nightclub owner Lee Guber were returning home with their wives after attending a 1954 musical performance presented in a tent. After the two kept commenting on how they could improve on the show they had just seen, Ford's wife told them "Well, why don't you". They went ahead with the idea, leading the creation of Music Fair Enterprises, Inc. Together with Shelly Gross, a television news anchor who had become disenchanted with his profession, the three raised $100,000 to lease the Devon, Pennsylvania site of what they named the Valley Forge Music Fair, which brought in profits exceeding $50,000 in its inaugural season in 1955.〔Naedele, Walter F. ("Sheldon Gross, a founder of Valley Forge Music Fair" ), ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', June 23, 2009. Accessed June 26, 2009.〕 The first facility in Devon was a tent, a not uncommon sight in the mid-1950s. The exposure to the elements, including heat, cold, rain and snow was a problem, and the tent had even been blown down once by strong wind. A permanent structure was constructed on the site in 1973.〔 The final performance was a Kenny Rogers Christmas show in December 1996.〔Staff. ("FAREWELL TO A FAIR TO REMEMBER \ VALLEY FORGE TO CLOSE DOORS AFTER 41 YEARS" ), ''Philadelphia Daily News'', December 30, 1996. Accessed June 26, 2009.〕 After the closing was announced, with site to be replaced by a Giant supermarket, Gross recalled being conflicted, feeling that it was "like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your brand-new Mercedes - mixed emotions."〔Raftery, Kay ; Gordon, Suzanne . ("Giant Food Inc. to Raze Philadelphia Music Theater" ), ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', May 13, 1996. Accessed June 26, 2009.〕 The supermarket closed down after 16 months in business.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Valley Forge Music Fair」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|