Theatre: Palace of Pleasure

Manhattan is proud of its clear, sea-born air, which, especially in the first days of fall, Manhattanites find as heady as a new vintage. Manhattan is also proud of its nightspots, where the atmosphere, though equally shady, is not so crystal-pure. When Repeal put an end to Prohibition's frowzy summer, Manhattan's undercover nightclubs, legally uncorked at last, popped and fizzed into a boom-de-ay of business gaiety. When the egregious Billy Rose converted a theatre into his Casino de Paree, where hundreds instead of scores could wine, dine, dance and watch a show, he...

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