Valley Forge Music Fair
Encyclopedia
The Valley Forge Music Fair was an entertainment venue located in Devon, Pennsylvania
, outside of Philadelphia, constructed in theater in the round style with seating for 3,000. Initially established in a tent in 1955, a permanent structure was constructed that closed in 1996. The Valley Forge site became a model that led to the creation of a series of venues located in suburban locations on the East Coast of the United States
that became a means to present top performers and productions of popular theatrical musicals at reasonable prices outside of the big cities.
were returning home with their wives after attending a 1954 musical performance presented in a tent. After the two kept commenting on how they could improve on the show they had just seen, Ford's wife told them "Well, why don't you". They went ahead with the idea, leading the creation of Music Fair Enterprises, Inc. Together with Shelly Gross
, a television news anchor who had become disenchanted with his profession, the three raised $100,000 to lease the Devon, Pennsylvania site of what they named the Valley Forge Music Fair, which brought in profits exceeding $50,000 in its inaugural season in 1955.
The first facility in Devon was a tent, a not uncommon sight in the mid-1950s. The exposure to the elements, including heat, cold, rain and snow was a problem, and the tent had even been blown down once by strong wind. A permanent structure was constructed on the site in 1973.
The final performance was a Kenny Rogers
Christmas show in December 1996.
After the closing was announced, with site to be replaced by a Giant supermarket, Gross recalled being conflicted, feeling that it was "like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your brand-new Mercedes - mixed emotions." The supermarket closed down after 16 months in business.
, a Long Island
suburb of New York City
, became the site of their second facility, the Westbury Music Fair
, established in 1956, also originally housed in a tent, developed on an investment of $150,000.
1957 brought the Camden County Music Fair, also a tent, by the Cooper River in Haddonfield, New Jersey
, on an investment of $135,000. Such shows as "Damn Yankees" and "No Time for Sergeants," played to sold out audiences. In 1959, the group invested an additional $135,000 to create the Storrowton Music Fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts
. In later years they would open facilities near Atlantic City, New Jersey
and two in the Baltimore
area, Painters Mills Music Fair as well as the Shady Grove
Music Fair as well as operating theaters in Philadelphia, Cleveland Ohio Front Row Theater and in the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, outside of Philadelphia, constructed in theater in the round style with seating for 3,000. Initially established in a tent in 1955, a permanent structure was constructed that closed in 1996. The Valley Forge site became a model that led to the creation of a series of venues located in suburban locations on the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
that became a means to present top performers and productions of popular theatrical musicals at reasonable prices outside of the big cities.
History
Radio broadcaster Frank Ford and nightclub owner Lee GuberLee Guber
Lee Guber was an American theater impresario, who produced several Broadway theatre productions and developed a chain of entertainment venues in suburban locations along the East Coast.-Early life and education:...
were returning home with their wives after attending a 1954 musical performance presented in a tent. After the two kept commenting on how they could improve on the show they had just seen, Ford's wife told them "Well, why don't you". They went ahead with the idea, leading the creation of Music Fair Enterprises, Inc. Together with Shelly Gross
Shelly Gross
Sheldon Harvey "Shelly" Gross was an American producer and promoter of concerts and theatrical performances, who developed a number of venues in suburban areas outside major cities on the East Coast together with Lee Guber, bringing major stars and diverse entertainment options to local areas that...
, a television news anchor who had become disenchanted with his profession, the three raised $100,000 to lease the Devon, Pennsylvania site of what they named the Valley Forge Music Fair, which brought in profits exceeding $50,000 in its inaugural season in 1955.
The first facility in Devon was a tent, a not uncommon sight in the mid-1950s. The exposure to the elements, including heat, cold, rain and snow was a problem, and the tent had even been blown down once by strong wind. A permanent structure was constructed on the site in 1973.
The final performance was a Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
Christmas show in December 1996.
After the closing was announced, with site to be replaced by a Giant supermarket, Gross recalled being conflicted, feeling that it was "like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your brand-new Mercedes - mixed emotions." The supermarket closed down after 16 months in business.
Other projects
The success of their facility in Devon led to efforts to replicate the model, and the creation of other music fairs in suburban locations on the East Coast. An abandoned lime pit in Westbury, New YorkWestbury, New York
Westbury incorporated in 1932 as a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead....
, a Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
suburb of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, became the site of their second facility, the Westbury Music Fair
Westbury Music Fair
The NYCB Theater at Westbury is an entertainment venue located in Westbury, New York constructed in theater in the round style with seating for 3,000 that was originally developed as a means to present top performers and productions of popular theatrical musicals at a series of venues located in...
, established in 1956, also originally housed in a tent, developed on an investment of $150,000.
1957 brought the Camden County Music Fair, also a tent, by the Cooper River in Haddonfield, New Jersey
Haddonfield, New Jersey
Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 11,593....
, on an investment of $135,000. Such shows as "Damn Yankees" and "No Time for Sergeants," played to sold out audiences. In 1959, the group invested an additional $135,000 to create the Storrowton Music Fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield, Massachusetts
The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,391 at the 2010 census...
. In later years they would open facilities near Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
and two in the Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
area, Painters Mills Music Fair as well as the Shady Grove
Shady Grove, Maryland
Shady Grove is an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland. It has a population of 5,000-7,000, between the cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg, mostly in zip codes 20850 and 20855, though the exact boundaries are not officially defined. Shady Grove is one of Montgomery County's upper...
Music Fair as well as operating theaters in Philadelphia, Cleveland Ohio Front Row Theater and in the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
.
Performers
The following musicians, actors, and comedians are among those who have appeared at the Valley Forge Music Fair:- The Jacksons
- Jermaine Jackson
- Stevie Wonder
- Gladys Knight and The Pips
- The Four Tops (with The Temptations)
- The Temptations (with The Four Tops)
- Tina Turner
- The Beach Boys
- The Monkees
- Chaka Khan
- George Benson
- Diana Ross
- Mitzi Gaynor
- Ashford & Simpson
- Donna Summer
- Natalie Cole
- James Brown
- George Carlin
- Bette Midler
- The Carpenters
- The Whispers
- Bill Cosby
- Sammy Davis, Jr.
- DeBarge
- Millie Jackson
- The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem
- Cherish the Ladies
- Jefferson Starship
- Anita Baker
- The 5th Dimension
- Kenny G
- Marvin Gaye
- Engelbert Humperdink
- The Jackson 5
- Jan & Dean
- Chaka Khan with Rufus
- B. B. King
- Liberace
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Little Richard
- Teena Marie
- Isley Brothers
- The Ohio Players
- Con Funk Shun
- New Kids On The Block
- Liza Minelli
- Pointer Sisters
- Aretha Franklin
- Richard Pryor
- Kenny Rogers
- Diana Ross
- Shalamar
- Frank Sinatra
- The Three Stooges
- Tower of Power
- Donna Summer
- Ike Turner
- Roger Troutman
- Luther Vandross
- Dionne Warwick
- Grover Washington, Jr.
- Teddy Pendergrass
- Frank Zappa
- Holly Dunn
- Tim Allen
- Michael Franks
- Phyllis Hyman
- Chicago
- Neil Diamond
- Hiroshima
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Andy Kaufman
- KC and the Sunshine Band
- The Lennon Sisters
- Tom Jones
- Rick James
- Benny Goodman
- The Oakridge Boys
- Kenny Rogers
- Crystal Gayle
- Dan Seals
- Martina McBride
- Restless Heart
- Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
- Sha-Na-Na
- Ravi Shankar
- Rudy Vallee
- The Sylvers
- The Spinners