The Lambs

The Lambs, Inc., (aka The Lambs Club) is one of America's oldest theatrical organizations and is based in New York City.

History

Infobox_nrhp | name =Lamb's Club
nrhp_type = nrhp


caption =
location= 128 W. 44th St., New York, New York
lat_degrees = 40
lat_minutes = 45
lat_seconds = 23
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 73
long_minutes = 59
long_seconds = 7
long_direction = W
locmapin = New York
area =
built =1904
architect= White,Stanford; Freeman,George
architecture= Classical Revival
added = June 03, 1982cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = Private
refnum=82003382It was originally founded in 1868 in London by actors looking to socialize with like-minded people. Several of those, most notably Henry James Montague, came to the US and formed The Lambs of NY during Christmas week of 1874. It was later incorporated in 1877 in New York City, and shortly afterward, the London Lambs folded. The club's name honors the essayist Charles Lamb, and his sister Mary, who during the early 1800s played host to actors and literati at their famed salon in London.

Until 1975 the Club occupied a building at 128 West 44th Street. The building was designed by architect Stanford White, and was erected in 1904–1905. When the club relocated to its current nine-story quarters at 3 West 51st Street adjacent to Rockefeller Center, it sold its own quarters to the Church of the Nazarene which intended to use the old building as a mission in Time Square. The church leased part of the building for what would become the Off Broadway Lamb's Theatre which is not related to the Club except for the name of the building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1982.

In 2006 the Nazarenne Church sold the building and theatre and is being turned into a hotel.

Current activity

The Lambs, Inc. is still active today in its nine-story quarters at 3 West 51st Street adjacent to Rockefeller Center, where it has been for 35 years. Its members have been instrumental in the formation of ASCAP, Actors' Equity and The Actors' Fund of America. Historically, The Lambs has been the spawning ground of plays, friendships and partnerships. "Mark Twain Tonight" (with Hal Holbrook) and Stalag 17 were first performed at The Lambs prior to their national successes.

Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe first met at the Club and teamed to make theatrical history, often trying works-in-progress on their fellow Lambs. Since its founding, there have been more than 6,000 Lambs including Fred Astaire, Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, John Philip Sousa, Fred Waring and Albert Hague. Current luminaries include the Academy Award winning actor Cliff Robertson, James Karen, Abe Vigoda, Joyce Randolph, and the award-winning conductor/arranger, Donald Pippin.

External links

* [http://www.the-lambs.org The Lambs, Inc. website]
* [http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?isbn=0-7864-2321-8 "The Lambs Theatre Club", a book about the history of The Club]