Wallack's Theatre formally came on the scene in 1852 when James William Wallack (1891-1864), known as "the elder Wallack,"
took John Brougham's two year old theatre on the corner of Broome Street and Broadway, lavishly redecorated and refurbished it,
and christened it Wallack's Lyceum. From that time until 1887, Wallack's Theatre was a prominent fixture in New York.
Hammerstein had lost control of the theatre and following the opening show it was turned over to James K. Hackett. After Hackett’s management,
it went on to be owned by William B. Harris in 1911 and H. H. Frazee in 1920. Following Frazee’s ownership and a lack of success, the theatre
was reopened in 1924 by John Cort. He renamed the theatre “Wallack's” in honor of the original 19th-century playhouse
built by J. Lester Wallack at Broadway and 30th St. which had been razed for office buildings in 1915.
John Cort managed the theatre and kept it in business until the 1930’s, when the Great Depression
forced Wallack's to become a movie house. It underwent renovation and was renamed the Anco.
In the late 1980’s, the theatre was stripped to its bare brick foundation to rebuild the location for retail areas.