The Knickerbocker Theatre opened as Abbey's Theatre, named for producer and theatre manager Henry Abbey, on November 8, 1893. Located at 1396 Broadway at 38th Street, the theatre was designed by architects Carrere & Hastings. After Abbey鈥檚 death, the theatre was renamed the Knickerbocker when Al Hayman, co-owner of the Empire Theatre, took over in 1896. His new partners included Charles Frohman, Marc Klaw, and Abe Erlanger. The Knickerbocker presented George M. Cohan鈥檚 The Yankee Prince and Rodgers and Hart鈥檚 musical Dearest Enemy. During one of its notable productions, The Red Mill in 1906, producer Charles Dillingham built a large windmill outside of the theatre to advertise the musical. This was the street鈥檚 first moving electrical sign. The Knickerbocker Theatre was demolished in 1930 following the 1929 Wall Street crash.
