After 20 seasons of presenting plays, the Sombrero "went dark" after the 1968 season,[7] became an art film house in 1976,[8] before being sold and demolished in 1982.[9]
Founding
William W. Merrill and Richard Charlton formed a partnership in June 1948 to explore the possibility of a theater in Phoenix.[10] Merrill owned the summer stock Will-o-Way Playhouse in Birmingham, Michigan,[11] while Charlton operated the Music Hall in Detroit.[12] Charlton met Ann Lee at Sardi's in October 1948, where they discussed the idea of "winter stock" theater in the Southwest. She was a Texas-born Broadway actress who had founded a summer stock venue in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[13] Merrill purchased property at 3535 East MacDowell Road in Phoenix, which held a barn that could be converted to a rustic theater.[11] The new venue would be called Sombrero Playhouse, since it would be a western version of a "straw hat" (summer stock) theater.[14] However, Merill lacked the funds to proceed with development.[14]
Charlton and Lee took a long-term lease for an empty two-acre lot on Seventh Street near Camelback Road, on which a new theater would be built.[15] He and Ann Lee formed a corporation with local notables as officers to fund the project, while he and Lee would be co-producers.[12] Charlton went to Hollywood to recruit name talent for the opening season,[16] while Lee persuaded the Phoenix City Council to clear scrub vegetation from the lot at no charge using city jail inmates as labor.[17] The property actually lay outside the then city limits, but as a reporter covering the council noted, when Lee smiled none of the councilmen said "No".[17] Ground-breaking at 4747 North Seventh Street for the $100,000 building began February 22, 1949, with the building completed in late March.[12]
Merrill filed an injunction with Maricopa Superior Court to stop the use of the name "Sombrero Playhouse", which he had registered with the state in February 1949.[14] Charlton countered with his own suit asking to dissolve his partnership with Merrill and for an accounting of the remaining assets.[10] The name stayed on the theatre,[18] which had its opening on March 29, 1949, with a performance of Born Yesterday, starring William Bendix, Audrey Totter, and Whit Bissell.[19]
Seasonal activities
Winter drama
The Sombrero's season ran from January through March. The first three seasons, plays opened on Tuesdays and closed Sundays, generally with Wednesday and Saturday afternoon matinees, for a one-week run of eight performances.[20] Beginning with the fourth season (1953), opening night was switched to Mondays, with Saturday night the closer. This lasted two seasons then reverted to the original Tuesday thru Sunday scheme for the remainder of its performing seasons.
The first season, originally advertised as 12 weeks,[16] was revised to five weeks due to the theater's construction,[21] then cut to four weeks.[22] For subsequent years, the Sombrero's season usually ran for ten weeks, with a limited engagement of one week per production. This was part of the appeal for Hollywood stars, who wanted the cachet of a stage credit but didn't want to commit to an open-ended run. Seasons in the 1950s would sometimes be extended with bonus programs.[23][24]
Cast and crew
Charlton formed American Productions Inc. to provide casts and plays for the Sombrero Playhouse Corporation. Ann Lee left the Sombrero before the 1957 season to resume acting full-time.[25] Charlton then brought in associate producers to share production tasks. Directors, set designers and other technical crew were recruited seasonally, generally from outside Arizona since the state then had few opportunities for those crafts.[26]
Bit parts and walk-on roles were filled by local actors, drama school apprentices, and an occasional Phoenix notable. A resident group of professional actors, directors, and technical crew were hired each season to support the name stars.[27] While the stars stayed at nearby deluxe resorts, the others were housed first at the Echo Lodge in the Camelback Inn area.[27] Later, adobe stables just south of the theater were converted into fourteen apartments, for use by the resident actors and crew.[28][29] These were rented out on nine-month leases during off-season.[28]
The facility
The playhouse had limited clearance above the proscenium arch backstage, no more than four feet, so sets couldn't be "flown", they had to be struck for changes.[30] Special twelve-foot flats were designed for the limited space, instead of the usual fourteen-feet.[31] A set workshop and storage facility was built behind the Sombrero Playhouse during winter 1953–1954; prior to that sets were stored outdoors as there was no room backstage.[31]
A $15,000 rehearsal hall addition was built after the Sombrero's application for a liquor permit triggered a dispute with the nearby Silver Spur restaurant where casts had previously rehearsed.[2][32] Just prior to the 1953 winter season, the theatre floor was remodeled to replace aisle steps with smooth concrete ramps.[33] The entire playhouse complex had air-conditioning installed two months later.[34]
By 1959 the city limits of Phoenix had expanded to encompass the Sombrero Theatre, which was renovated and hooked up to city water and sewer lines. Acoustics remained a problem throughout the Sombrero's existence, one reason why so few musicals were booked there.
Subscriptions
From the second season subscription tickets were offered.[27] Subscriptions carried with them membership in the Backstage Club, a small private lounge added onto the theater building in 1952.[32] Subscriptions were available in blocks of ten performances, which could be used for any production. By 1959 the Sombrero had over a thousand subscribers,[35] and by 1961 had nearly doubled that figure.[36]
Sidelines
The Backstage Club was enlarged and redecorated in 1953 to include a buffet supper area and piano bar.[37] It was expanded into a full-service restaurant and nightclub for the general public during February 1956.[34]
A drama school, the American Foundation for Theatre Arts was established during late 1958 at the Sombrero, with free tuition for up to ten apprentices.[38]
The Backstage Club's Galaxy room was used for original local art exhibits starting in 1959.[39] During the 1960s this became a separate business enterprise called Galaxy Galleries.
Apogee
The Sombrero's reputation had grown with the Hollywood community, helped in part by the producers opening an office in the Los Angeles area.[2]The New York Times ran a half-page article profiling the success of the producers in recruiting, not only for their own theater but also for Broadway productions that needed a name star in a hurry.[2]Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis watched ZaSu Pitts in Ramshackle Inn at the Sombrero on their honeymoon in March 1952.[40]Frank Lloyd Wright, Clare Booth Luce, and Ethel Merman were attendees at first nights.[41][42] So was then first lady Mamie Eisenhower and her sister, accompanied by the Secret Service.[43]
Several notable opera productions also appeared on the stage of the Sombrero in these years: Tonight at the Opera with Kathryn Grayson and David Poleri in 1960, [45] and in 1961 Madame Butterfly with Maralin Niska,[46] and Boris Godunov with Jerome Hines and John Gurney.[47] All three productions were directed by Vladimir Rosing.
Later seasons
The Phoenix Center for the Performing Arts was launched with large newspaper ads in January 1965.[48] This offered two subscriptions: the Broadway Series, of plays at the Sombrero, and a Carnegie Hall Series of concerts and dance at Phoenix Union High School. A local columnist reported Charlton's plans for a new performing arts complex, but it appears the only outcome was Charlton styling himself artistic director and hiring others to take over production chores at the Sombrero.
Charlton was provoked by a scorching review of the 1965 season opening, that indicted "the Sombrero attitude". Critic William J. Nazzaro took exception to the slapdash production schedule of the Sombrero:
"What we saw last night was what one should expect at a theater that operates on the star system, where the management does not know what it will present even two or three weeks before the actual event... But what really needs correction is the Sombrero's attitude that a star can be engaged at the last minute, thrown into a vehicle with limited rehearsals, and come up with a winner".[49]
Charlton responded with a letter to the Arizona Republic editor, acknowledging problems with the opening night performance, but denying that the Sombrero production method itself was at fault.[50] However, Nazzaro was hardly the first local critic to make these observations.[22][51]
Off-season activities
During the off-season the Sombrero was leased out for private and public use. The theater was used for a private children's drama group[52] and city public theatre workshop programs during the late spring and summer,[53] while the co-producers returned to Santa Fe to open Ann Lee's El Teatro for the summer season.[54] During the late spring and fall first-run foreign films, sans concessions, were run.[55] The Backstage Club was open year-round to members, and often featured entertainment and art shows.[56][57]
Last years
Regular stage seasons ceased on March 31, 1968, with a production of The Torch-Bearers starring Cornelia Otis Skinner, Mildred Natwick, and Joe Flynn.[58] Thereafter the facility was used intermittently for showing films, as a summer stock workshop, and for special events. During April and May 1976 there was an attempt to revive legitimate drama with a production of Sleuth, but there was no follow-up.[59] Summer 1976 saw the theater leased out to an art house business which showed second-run and classic films.[8] As with many US art house cinemas at that time, it largely survived off midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.[8] Richard Charlton, who owned both the theater and the adjacent restaurant, tangled with the art house leasees during 1978 over access to a dirt parking lot on the premises and what Charlton characterised as "x-rated films". A Maricopa Superior Court judge ruled the ten-year lease was valid and the art house could continue showing films, but its patrons would have to park elsewhere.[60]
Charlton filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 1980, and the theater and restaurant were purchased by AJ Properties in July 1981.[61] The two buildings were to be demolished in favor of a multi-structure office complex.[62] The Sombrero Theatre was torn down in 1982, with the property remaining an empty lot into 1983.[9] Furnishings, antiques, paintings, and other artwork from the Sombrero Theatre were sold at a bankruptcy auction in November 1983.[63]
Only Vincent Price and Sally Brophy emerged unscathed. The reviewer was not pleased with other cast members, chose not to name them, but credited the prompter with having the most spoken lines on opening night.[51]
Lani Miyazaki, Jack Ryland, Alan Marshal, Victor Sen Yung, Harvey Stephens, Sally Fraser, Joe Wong, Chuck Lee, Jack Song, Tiko Ling, Judy Wong, Linda Ho.[184]
^Her banker father Frank C. Brophy was the president of the Sombrero Playhouse Corporation. Her many credits at Sombrero had her first name as "Sallie".
^Pemberton had produced the original Broadway production of this play. Six days after this run completed he died at home from a heart attack.
^Dee was unable to perform on opening night, her place was taken by resident actress Jacqueline Paige.
^This was the stage name for Jimmy Conlin's wife, Dorothy Ryan Conlin.
^This was an original performance, written by married couple Lenore Coffee and William Joyce Cowen.
^During one of her performances Yurka suffered a heart attack on stage. She recovered and was released from hospital two weeks later.
^Director Cliff substituted for Arlen on opening night due to the latter's illness.
^Val Rosing used his birth name for directoral credit and his stage name Gilbert Russell for performing the final scenes from Faust with Jean Cook.
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^Cutts, Anson B. (January 31, 1956). "Phoenix Folk Wowed By ZaSu's Needling of Business Big Wigs". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (February 7, 1956). "Zaney Plot, Master Comedian Score Here In 'Fifth Season'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (February 14, 1956). "'White Sheep' Entertain Sombrero Crowd". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (February 21, 1956). "Linda Darnell Makes Debut". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (February 28, 1956). "'Anastasia' Grand Tear Jerker-- Tale Will Be Long Remembered". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 6, 1956). "'Seven-Year Itch' Radiates Charm, Top Stage Finesse". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 13, 1956). "Rudy Vallee Stars In Sombrero Play". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Phoenician To Star In Next Sombrero Play". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. March 18, 1956. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 27, 1956). "Sombrero Play Brings Fresh Sparkle". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
^"June Havoc Heads Cast At Sombrero". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. April 1, 1956. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (January 9, 1957). "Artistic Set Provided For 'Little Hut'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (January 16, 1957). "'The Sleeping Prince' Fairy Tale In Modern Dress, Circa 1911". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (January 23, 1957). "Professionals Enliven Sombrero Production". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (February 6, 1957). "'Anniversary Waltz' Enjoyable Experience". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (February 13, 1957). "'Trap' Disappointing, But Excellent Cast". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"'The King of Hearts'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 18, 1957. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (February 27, 1957). "Sombrero's Audience Loves 'Chalk Garden'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (March 6, 1957). "'Reluctant Debutante' Whimsical Play". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (March 13, 1957). "Gracie Wows 'Em In Sombrero Show". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (March 20, 1957). "'Janus' Two-Faced Laughter Farce". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (March 27, 1957). "'Witness' Best Play Of Sombrero Season". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Silverman, Ron (April 3, 1957). "'Rock Hunter' Snickers Up Hem At Blase, Tinseled Hollywood". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (November 27, 1957). "Sombrero Crowd Vastly Enjoys Ethel Waters's 'Old Rusty Pipes'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Leopold, Marilyn (December 4, 1957). "Coca, Munshin Great In 'Great Sebastians'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Leopold, Marilyn (January 15, 1958). "Time Hasn't Dimmed Effervescent Comedy". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
^Leopold, Marilyn (January 22, 1958). "Sombrero Play, 'Claudia', Tells Of Young Bride Tied To Mother". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Leopold, Marilyn (January 29, 1958). "Sombrero Theater Picks Winner With Keaton, '3 Men On Horse'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Leopold, Marilyn (February 5, 1958). "'Separate Tables' Finest Treat Given During Sombrero Season". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (February 12, 1958). "'Bus Stop' Presented With High Distinction". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (February 19, 1958). "Cast Of 'Holiday For Lovers' In Well-Rounded Performance". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Duke Ellington Opens Tonight At Sombrero". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 25, 1958. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 5, 1958). "Blackmer Magnificent In 'Inherit the Wind'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 12, 1958). "Miriam Hopkins Returns Here In 'The Time of the Cuckoo'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 19, 1958). "Play Murder Mystery With A Difference". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^Cutts, Anson B. (March 26, 1958). "Actors Shine At Sombrero Despite Poor Play Choice". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Throngs Of Theater Enthusiasts Open Sombrero's New Season". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. January 21, 1959. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Novelist Ruth Chatterton Becomes Actress Again In Sombrero's 'Jane'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. January 28, 1959. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Pidgeon Makes Debut At Sombrero Theater". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 4, 1959. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Music, Laughter Mix In Sombrero Offering". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 11, 1959. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Sombrero Star Defies Superstition". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 18, 1959. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Suspense Play, 'The Bad Seed', Opens At Sombrero Playhouse". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 25, 1959. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^"'Fallen Angels' Bubbles With Humor". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. March 11, 1959. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Edward Everett Horton Stars, In Pre-Broadway Opening Here". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. March 18, 1959. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (March 25, 1959). "Denise Alexander Gives Strong Performance As 'Anne Frank'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (January 20, 1960). "Shirley Booth, Don Beddoe Delight Large Sombrero Opening Audience". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (January 27, 1960). "Adler, Mixon, Kathleen Widdoes Impressive In Emotional Roles". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (February 10, 1960). "Fay Bainter Shines As New Type". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
^Folger was secretary to star Faye Emerson as well as an actress. While performing in Phoenix, she was arrested for drunk driving, recklesss driving and resisting arrest. She was bailed out by Emerson the next morning. See Arizona Republic, February 21, 1960, page 3.
^"Faye Emerson's Presentation Keeps Audience In Suspense". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 17, 1960. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Four 'Stars' Make Sombrero Comedy A Hit With Patrons". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. February 24, 1960. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (March 2, 1960). "Havoc, Cliff Provide Laughs At Sombrero". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Joe E. Brown Still Gets Laughs". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. March 16, 1960. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (March 23, 1960). "Ruth Roman Is Magnificent In 'Two for the Seesaw' Role". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (March 30, 1960). "Fine Cast In Sombrero Comedy Gets Some Messages Across". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (February 1, 1961). "'Candida' Falls Short Of Shaw's Meaning". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^Buchen, Charlotte (February 8, 1961). "'Marriage-Go-Round' Uproariously Funny". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 54 – via Newspapers.com.
^Backer, Helen H. (February 15, 1961). "'Suzi Wong' Staging Deft, Competent". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^Breitner, Bina (January 31, 1968). "'Generation' Opens To Audience Favor". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
^Breitner, Bina (February 14, 1968). "'Fantasticks' Misses Fragile Note Of Theme". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
^Breitner, Bina (February 21, 1968). "'Odd Couple' Very, Very Funny Show". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
^Breitner, Bina (March 6, 1968). "Sothern Shines In 'Tidings'". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
^Bennett, Nancy (March 13, 1968). "'Owl and Pussycat' a Major Success". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
^Breitner, Bina (March 20, 1968). "'Guardsman' Cheerful but Dated". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
^Breitner, Bina (March 27, 1968). "'Torchbearers' Closes Season At Sombrero". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
^Petryni, Mike (March 21, 1976). "Theater: Sombrero Plans A Month-Long Opening In April". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 129 – via Newspapers.com.