A Touch of History
Originally opened in May 1926, the Broadway operated as a fully equipped movie and vaudeville theater with 1,090 seats, including the balcony and eight boxes. The opulent New Jersey theatre was created in a French Revival motif by the Philadelphia firm of Eberhard, Magaziner, and Harris.
Two crystal chandeliers still light the house and inner lobby of the Broadway, and much of the original cast plaster detail remains intact today, with the original molds still on the premises. The theatre also retains a small orchestra pit, four private dressing rooms, a common room, two bathrooms, and a pipe organ blower room in the basement. The Broadway Theatre of Pitman still has its original 3/8 Kimball theatre pipe organ — a unique instrument for its size — restored to full concert status by the South Jersey Theatre Organ Society.
The Broadway Today
Over the years, the Broadway has hosted an impressive list of performers, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Abbott & Costello, George Burns & Gracie Allen, Harry Blackstone Sr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogers, Herman’s Hermits, the Flamingos, the Coasters, George Carlin, The Amazing Kreskin, and many more!
The theatre was purchased at a sheriff’s sale in 2006 by Peter Slack and later reopened with the Bring Back Broadway Gala, marking the start of its modern era. Today, the Broadway Theatre of Pitman continues to delight audiences with live performances, concerts, special events, and movies — preserving a cherished piece of Pitman’s history.