The Players Celebrate Edwin Booth's 186th Birthday. Click on the image below for video of the evening.
According to Elizabeth, The Players have celebrated Booth's birthday every year since 1889. The park expedition with the wreath only dates to 1917 when the club gave the statue to Gramercy Park. It depicts Booth as Hamlet, which was his signature role.
The two piano pieces are from the digital database of Library of Congress. The "Edwin Booth Schottische" by James E. Magruder was published in 1875 and dedicated to Mrs. Edwin Booth. The "Petruchio Waltz" is by W.K Batchelder and dates from 1860. I doubt that either has been heard since around 1880.
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