Have you ever noticed that some old theatres, now movie houses, are named Empire? And, if so, have you wondered why? Nigel Fountain was curious enough to begin researching old theatres and digging into the theatrical development of Great Britain and the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This resulted in his newly-published book, “Lost Empires: The Phenomenon of Theatres Past, Present & Future.” It was published in Great Britain in 2005 by Cassell Illustrated, a division of Octopus Publishing Group Limited.

Fountain’s first theatrical experience was a production of “Cinderella” at the Southhampton Empire in England at age five. As an adult, he began looking at other Empire theatres, starting off with an Empire with which he had a personal involvement, the Edwardian Hackney Empire in the East End of London (www.hackneyempire.co.uk).

“I approached the topic as a journalist following a story, not as a theatre historian,” Fountain says. As he began asking questions, he became more fascinated by the theatre tradition of musicals and vaudeville through the years. He found out that many theatres named “Empire” were built during the reign of Queen Victoria during the height of the British Empire.

“By the end of the 19th century, the music hall and vaudeville theatre had become the first mass media,” says Fountain. “Millions of people in Europe and the United States were attending productions in theatres. They could physically escape the squalor of their daily lives, and the theatres were warmer, too.”

In the 1800s, Americans were learning from British performers, and vice versa. And there was a cross fertilization of ideas. Back in 1904 it was American producer Charles Frohman who facilitated the first London production of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. A year later, the great American star Maude Adams opened the play at the (now demolished) New York Empire in Manhattan. The British theatre gave the U.S. Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.

“The same thing happens today,” he says. “American acts sometimes go to England to become popular and then come back to America.” And British comedy is on the Broadway stage now, in the production of Monty Python’s Spamalot. This illustrated 160-page book is available on Amazon.com.

Hugh Hardy, FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects), has created a reference for anyone interested in the design of theatres. The book contains twelve chapters, by ten experts, on auditorium design, acoustics, lighting, historic restoration, code issues, management, and other relevant topics. “This is not a how-to or formula book,” says Hardy. “It is meant to be a reference, to provide general principles and ideas rather than formulae and prescriptive rules. It is intended to expand people’s curiosity about the way theatres work, because building them is complicated,” he continues. “We make clear the need for working with a variety of consultants, because the architect can’t do the work alone. There are so many types of theatres, you can’t generalize and must consider each on its own terms.” The 195-page hardcover is illustrated with drawings and black-and-white photographs as well as color plates. “The bibliography is among the most important parts of the book, because it is an extraordinary compendium of sources that can be investigated to pursue all aspects of theatre design,” he says. “Building Type Basics for Performing Arts Facilities” is published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. It is available on Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble and other bookstores. For more information, log on to http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471684384.html.

Whether you realize it or not, Irving Berlin’s story is the story of American musical theatre and Hollywood film musicals. From Simple Melody in his first Broadway score in 1914 for Watch Your Step, to An Old Fashioned Wedding from the 1966 revival of Annie Get Your Gun, Berlin’s talent permeated American life. 

“Berlin’s success began with sheet music, when the piano was the home entertainment center,” says author David Leopold,” and continues today through CDs, DVDs, and I-Pods. His songs are fun to listen to and fun to sing. Everyone knows at least five Berlin songs like God Bless America, White Christmas, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Easter Parade, and Alexander’s Ragtime Band. 

The book covers Berlin’s life from 1888 to 1989, and an Epilogue brings his story up to the present day. Each of the 12 chapters covers a specific time period, indicated either as Broadway, Hollywood or America. Illustrated with numerous photographs, from posters to stage and movie scenes, the reader gets a real sense of how this country has evolved over the years, as reflected in its entertainment. 

“Part of Berlin’s success was that he had a great sense of American vernacular,” says Leopold. “One of the reasons his God Bless America is so popular is because everyone can sing it, unlike The Star Spangled Banner, which is very difficult to sing.” 

The book is an accompaniment to two exhibitions with Leopold as the curator. “Show Business! Irving Berlin’s Broadway” was recently exhibited at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in Manhattan. The exhibit examined Berlin’s more than 50-year career on the Broadway stage and included sheet music, set designs and popular cartoons. “Show Business! Irving Berlin’s Hollywood,” recently exhibited at The James A. Michener Art Museum in Bucks County, PA, examined his long career in filmmaking. 

Irving Berlin’s Show Business – Broadway, Hollywood, America contains 239 pages and is published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. It is available through Amazon.com.