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- On Pennsylvania Avenue, "The Avenue of the Presidents," in Washington, DC, stands the National Theatre, "The Theatre of Presidents." For 160 years the National Theatre has been a part of the history of the United States. This historic playhouse has seen Pennsylvania Avenue grow from the muddy main street of a fledgling capital, to the ceremonial avenue of a great world power. In 1835, President Andrew Jackson paid off the national debt... the last time that has happened. That same year the Liberty Bell cracked, P.T. Barnum organized his first circus, and the National Theatre opened its doors. - The National Theatre has operated longer than any other major touring house in the United States. Subsequent to its opening on December 7, 1835, the Building was destroyed by fire and rebuilt on the same site five times during the 1800's. Part of the original foundation can still be seen in the basement of the present structure, which was rebuilt in the 1920's, and given a major renovation which was completed in 1984. - Among the celebrated stars of the theatre who have appeared here are: Helen Hayes, Jenny Lind, John Barrymore, Ethel Merman, Joan Rivers, Carol Channing, Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Cab Calloway, Pearl Bailey, Sarah Bernhardt, Spencer Tracy, and Katharine Hepburn. Playwright John Guare was an assistant manager here. Shirley MacLaine was an usher and her brother, Warren Beatty, was the stage doorman at one time. - For almost a century the National has been haunted by the friendly ghost of actor John McCullough, who reputedly shot and killed by a fellow performer. The two men argued while washing clothes in the Tiber Creek, which then flowed through the basement backstage. A rusty pistol, perhaps the murder weapon, was unearthed under the stage in 1982, near where McCullough's remains are rumored to lie in the earth beneath the stage. According to legend, his spiritroams the theatre on the eve of opening nights, and was once seated in the audience. Related Categories: Performance Arts Theaters Upcoming Events:
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