1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (musical) 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (musical) 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a 1976 musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It is considered to be a legendary Broadway flop, running only seven performances. It was Bernstein's last original score for Broadway. The musical opened on May 4, 1976, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and closed on May 8, 1976, after 7 performances and 13 previews. It was co-directed and co-choreographed by Gilbert Moses and George Faison. The musical examined the establishment of the White House and its occupants from 1800 to 1900. Primarily focusing on race
White House Reconstruction Family moved into the White House guest house across Pennsylvania Avenue. There were multiple contributing factors that led to the White House's pending collapse in 1948, including original and subsequent design flaws, improper materials, multiple small and major renovations carried out by many presidents to accommodate differing tastes, needs, and advances in technologies. Collectively they were described as a "slow murder" of the White House. Fire: In August 1814 the White House was gutted by a fire set by British troops during the War of 1812; only a heavy rainstorm prevented the entire structure from being destroyed. By 1817 the