Camden County Music Fair (original site)

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An outdoor amphitheatre "in-the-round" from May thru Sept every year. First opened in 1961(?). It was under a large 3-pole tent providing seating for approx 2000 people per show. Hosted Broadway shows, musicals, and rock groups. (Acts and Shows: Judy Garland (1967), Sound of Music (1966), Man of La Mancha , Mame, This was Burlesque, West Side Story, Robert Goulet & Carol Lawrence, ... ) (Groups: Cream (1968), Iron Butterfly, CCR, ... ). Closed in the early 70's. Sat idle for years. Torn down for the current park area shown.
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Coordinates:   39°53'57"N   75°1'0"W

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  • I grew up 1 block from this place. 1966 on. I saw every show as a kid, I snuck under the tent when the shows began. I hung out all day with CCR, the cast from Hair and others as there was no place for the acts to wait until their show started. There was a restaurant called The Farm just across the street where the performers and acts would have dinner, including Judy Garland, Angela Lansbury and more. I accosted all of them at the front door for change to use the cigarette machine inside. This place was amazing and the celebrities it drew were always the top of the heap. A shame the place ever shut down. I have great memories of this place. During the winter, after the tent was pulled down, the levels in the round made for a great place to ride your bike.
  • This was the 1st of "The Music Fairs" certainly erected before the 60s as I was Technical Director of the 5 tents in 1960 including this 1 & "Valley Forge" in Devon PA, "Westbury" on Long Island, "Storrowton in W Springfield Mass & the new top in 1960 "Painter's Mill" in Owings Mills Maryland. There were a few more under contract in later years but I believe the only remaining venue is "Westbury" that was hard topped many years ago My name is Chic Silber & I have been a Broadway Stagehand & a circus showbum for over 55 years I can be found in a simple Bing search The "Camden County Music Fair" tent was the only 1 of it's style of rigging with 2 center poles like each of the others but the quarter poles attached to the center poles "umbrella" style Other tops started with standard quarter poles that angled towards the ground until in later years were replaced by outside overhanging arms called "nopoles" All summer tented theaters were copied from St John Terrell's "Lambertville Music Circus" More than anyone cares to now I'm sure
  • I worked there in 1966 thru 1968 as a stage hand. I was part of the crew that erected the crew under the direction of guy who said he was the stunt double for Johnny Weissmuller for the diving sequences. Does that ring a bell? One of things I did in 1967 was carry Judy Garland up from the stage to her dressing room when they mobbed the stage at the end of the concert.
  • I worked at the Camden County Music Fair for the 1961, 1962 and 1963 seasons. I was brought up in Haddonfield about a mile away. As I recall it opened I think in 1957 as the Camden County Music Circus. It was originally owned by St.John Terrell, who, started the Lambertville Music Circus. At that time he had three tent summer theatres. One in Lambertville, on in Neptune New Jersey and the Camden tend in Cherry Hill just outside of Haddonfield. I think in 1959 or 1969 it was taken over by the Guber, Ford and Gross organization and renamed the Camden County Music Fair. The original tent was of an umbrella design and seated around 1200 as I recall. I started as an apprentice. The first year I was there the theatre manager was Jim Hay who had just been on a bus and truck tour with the G F G orgnization in a production of Andersonville Trial. As a sheltered 18 year old Jim was the coolest guy and the sharpest dresser I ever met. The guy in charge of keeping the tent in shape was an old Mexican circus acrobat named Phil Escalante. His wife Betty ran the concession stand. His title was Boss Canvas Man and he really knew his stuff. He also worked the Shrine Circus as a rigger. He did work in the Weissmiller Tarzan films and was also a technical advisor for the film Trapeze. This was the most wonderful experience of my life, though I was quite clumsy and insecure about that. In 1962 the tent was greatly expanded to a three pole outrigger tent with, as I recall, a capacity of about 2500. For a second year I was an apprentice, though people were generally impressed with the skills I had acquired. In 1963 I became the head apprentice, the title of which was "Tent Technician." In my three years there I worked a total of 36 different shows. It had a star system and many TV stars at the time were headliners. Christopher Walken was in the company as dancer back when nobody knew who he was. Stephanie Peters was also in the company before she became a star. She french kissed me. Lee Grant once sat on my lap in the back seat of a car when we were all headed to a party after a performance. I was a driver for Mamie Van Doreen and Milton Berle. So many other celebrities. Bob Cummings. Phillys McGuire when she was in the Rat Pack and mobster Sam Giancona's girl friend. Giancona used to hang out back stage and he was really scary. Hugh O'Brien. George Gobell. At 73 they were the best years of my life and the best memories of my life, though some were quite painful. In 1962 and 1963 Don Antonelli was the Theater manager. I became quite close to Don. He went through a rough time, but ultimately became the house manager at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway, one of the best venues in New York. Joan Baez did a concert at the Music Fair in 1963. She brought in Bob Dylan as a guest before anyone knew who he was. I wish I could contact anyone who worked at the Camden County Music Fair in those days. I know several people have passed away, but they were the best years of my life.
  • At the time I worked there the Camden County Music Fair was part of a six tent circuit, which included Valley Forge Music Fair, Westbury Music Fair on Long Island, Shady Grove Music Fair and Painters Mill Music Fair in Maryland and another in West Springfield Massachussetts. There were six companies. Each company would play a tent for a week and then move to another tent for a six week tour. While it was touring it would reherse a second show which it would do for the second half of a twelve week season. The dance and vocal chorus would be the same for the two shows, but the principals would change.
  • I was the stage manager for Top Banana starring Milton Berle that year, 1963, at the Camden County Music Fair. I was only 21 at the time. Early on a Saturday morning I got a call from the theater manager telling to report to the theater to facilitate an appearance by a new performer, Joan Baez, whom I had never heard of. Up until that time there had never been concerts performed at the music fairs, only musical comedies. I met Joan at the theater and went over the lighting and the entranceand exit aisles and answered whatever questions she had. She motioned to a young man, a kid actually, who was sitting on the dressing room steps, apparently absorbed in his thoughts. She told me she wanted to bring him onstage when she finished her set list. No problem. She came off stage and I took Joan and the kid, who also had a guitar, to the main aisle and told them to go on. She introduced him as a friend of hers and I remember the kid singing a song called Only A Pawn in their Game about a man named Medgar Evers who was murdered.. It was my first brush with this kind of political music and it made a lasting impression on me. Needless to say, the kid was Bob Dylan.
  • I lived down the street from the music fair and saw bands like cream and shows like hair.I know I saw Joan Baez,but,it couldnt have been in 63.Did she play again at a later date?
  • I saw The Dave Clark Five here in mid 60's.
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This article was last modified 8 years ago