The first Audience Conference was held in the Hudson Theater.
The Hudson Theatre was built in 1903 by Henry B. Harris, an up and coming producer who later died on the RMS Titanic. The theatre was then managed by his wife, Irene Harris, the last known Titanic survivor to be rescued in a lifeboat, who went on to become the first woman to produce theatre in New York. With over 90 plays performed in the Hudson in 20 years, it was one of the finest playhouses in the city. One such play, Hot Chocolates in 1929 introduced the world to Louis Armstrong.
In the 1950′s, the Hudson Theatre was home to “The Tonight Show” with Steve Allen and legends such as Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, Ernie Kovacs, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbara Streisand and Vincent Price have graced the stage. Long-running game show, The Price is Right also made its debut at the Hudson Theatre.
The Millennium Broadway Hotel’s management were hoping to recapture the elegance of turn-of-the-century New York City when they embarked on the restoration of their 102-year old historic landmark. During restoration they discovered beautiful turquoise Tiffany glass mosaics that had been plastered and painted over and been forgotten over the years, all now beautifully restored.
