London theatreland can serve up a classy cocktail, so why does New York abstain when it comes to booze on ? and off ? Broadway?
The Drunkard, a melodrama that debuted in New York in 1844, was once the most popular play in America. Like an upended keg, it ran and ran. But it preached temperance ? and so, it seems, do most New York theatres. They don't ban alcohol outright, but by serving it at such high prices, in such cramped conditions, and now often in a sippy cup, they certainly take the fun out of it.
I was reminded of this on my spring trip to London, a city abounding with enviable, grownup theatre bars. I'm a little shy about naming my favourites, as I know they're the ones any tourist cites: the King's Head, with its wooden bar, red walls and faded photographs; the bar at the Young Vic, a slick space full of chrome and blond wood; and of course there's the National, a building only a brutalist could love, but with multiple counters that demand you sit and enjoy a stiff one before the curtain lifts. (I used to love the Royal Court bar, too, before it became impossible to get a seat there.)
And maybe the bars in the West End playhouses aren't all I would desire, but they're tucked away into cozy siderooms or mezzanines, not shoved near a souvenir stall or next to the toilets as on Broadway, where buying a drink can feel tacky and a little unsanitary.
Why can't New York get the hang of cocktails before comedy? Isn't it time we put the "dram" back in drama? Perhaps we ought to remember that the US has a history of banning both booze and theatre. In 1774, with war approaching (you English remember the one), Congress passed a resolution discouraging "exhibitions of shows, plays and other expensive diversions". Nearly 150 years later, a rather larger House forbade the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. Neither prohibition lasted very long ? only a decade or so in each case ? but perhaps a whiff of those puritan impulses still lingers.
I should say, I don't often have a drink before a show, particularly when I'm reviewing (not least because alcohol's diuretic effect can make it difficult to concentrate), but I do long for one afterwards. Unfortunately, not only do New York theatres lack attractive in-house bars, but they're also frequently grouped in areas starved of a decent watering hole. (For those venturing to our theatre district, do yourselves a favour and note the coordinates of Jimmy's Corner ? at 140 West 44th Street.)
But perhaps that will change. As the Public undergoes a renovation, as PS122 prepares for remodelling, as Theatre for a New Audience breaks new ground in Downtown Brooklyn, and Lincoln Centre and BAM announce new black boxes, perhaps their architects can dream up convivial spaces that allow you to anticipate a great show with a glass of bubbly or salve the pains of a terrible performance with something rather stronger. It's a way of expanding the event, of savouring a shared experience. I'd raise a glass to that.
Please do tell me which British theatre bars are you favourites (I'll try to stop in next spring) ? and which New York bars I'm treating unjustly.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/aug/04/new-york-theatre-bars
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