January 23, 1984
I know I speak for Nancy when I say this has been an evening of thrills from the moment that we
walked through the theater doors. The show we've just seen is one of those big, bright Broadway
productions that starts on a peak and then keeps on going up. [Laughter]
And before I say anything else, I want to thank the very talented ``42nd Street'' cast. Watching
them sing and dance as they did made me wonder if I was seeing the reason why my own career in
show business took a different turn. [Laughter]
The National Theatre opened, as you were told, on this site in 1835 when the occupant of the
White House was Andrew Jackson. Americans perched on the roof and peered through the
windows of this building to watch the horseback inaugural parades of McKinley and Teddy
Roosevelt. They saw the face of the National when they watched newsreels of the inaugural
parades of Wilson, Coolidge, and F.D.R. -- parades that took place when American admirals still
wore cockeyed hats. And through all those years, the National was staging productions that
entertained and delighted the people of this city.
In recent years, though, the National fell on hard times. Some even talked of tearing her down.
And then a year and a half ago, an army of designers, electricians, and carpenters went to work to
save it. They cleaned the exterior. They've refurbished the interior, as we have been able to see
tonight, installed a new lighting and a sound system, and added a whole new building four stories
high for dressing rooms and storage. And they did it all without a penny of government money.
[Laughter]
And tonight we're among the lucky first to enjoy the results. A special thanks to J. Adams, the
chairman of the National Theatre, to the Schuberts, Gerald Schoenfeld and Bernard Jacobs, and,
of course, to Carol Laxalt and Betty Wright, the cochairmen of tonight's gala. I know we want to
applaud everyone who had a hand in this wonderful restoration. With this reopening, downtown
Washington has a splendid theater and a living link with the past.
And speaking as two who live in the neighborhood -- [laughter] -- we're all delighted. One more
thing: Now that the National has reopened, even those of us in Washington will be able to hear
``The Lullaby of Broadway.''
Thank you. God bless you all.
Note: The President spoke at 9:25 p.m. at the theater.