Early Years

The Duplex originally opened in 1951 on 55 Grove Street, between 7th Avenue and Bleecker Street, founded by then-owner Jimmy di Martino. In 1955, he leased the second-floor bar to singer Lovelady Powell, pianist Brooks Martin, and actor Hal Holbrook. The trio began transforming the second floor into a nightclub performance venue which opened in September 1955 with the name “Upstairs-at-the-Duplex.”

The three performers and co-managers used the performance space as a place to workshop and try out new material. They performed a show in which Powell sang dramatic renditions of songs by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Bart Howard, and others accompanied by Morton. After an intermission followed a routine in which Holbrook impersonated Mark Twain. Holbrook’s act, Mark Twain Tonight!, later moved to Broadway in 1966, earning a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play by Holbrook and an Emmy nomination for its CBS TV special. The trio performed their 90-minute show three times a night for tourists and locals alike, as Greenwich Village had been experiencing a resurgence as a center for night life in New York City.

Within months, Upstairs-at-the-Duplex had gained notoriety as a popular hotspot, including reviews in the New Yorker and Variety magazines, the latter often mentioning celebrities spotted enjoying shows there. According to TV-Radio Mirror, “It is a quiet intimate little place, so delightful that following the premiere of Guys and Dolls, Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Wally Cox, and a group of friends came in for ‘a few minutes, and stayed for hours.’” Powell and Morton also released an album of songs they performed there titled ‘’Lovelady: Upstairs at the Duplex with Lovey Powell and Brooks Morton.’’ Noticing the success of his upstairs bar, owner di Martino wished to be more involved. The three managers objected to many of his proposed changes and left The Duplex in 1956. Though little information is available about performances in the three years that followed, listings in The Village Voice suggest that di Martino continued booking acts or leasing the space as he had done previously until 1959, when Jan Wallman took over as manager of the venue.