Manteo in Dare County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

A Show Boat

Photographed by Ray Gurganus, July 17, 2024

1. A Show Boat Marker

Inscription. Edna Ferber was on a mission. After bats disrupted the premiere of her play Minick, its producer wryly suggested chartering a showboat. Inspired, she researched the vanishing vessels and found the James Adams Floating Theatre, which had given mid-Atlantic towns, including Manteo and Skyco, "A NEW Show Every Night" since 1914.

Beulah Adams and Charles Hunter, the managers and lead actors, invited Ferber to the 1925 season opening in Bath, NC. Four days with the troupe led to Ferber's novel Show Boat, set on the Mississippi river. The 1927 stage adaptation by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein is widely considered the first modern American musical.

(caption) The James Adams Floating Theater brought live performances to North Carolina and the Chesapeake Bay region for a generation and provided raw material for a hit musical.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 35° 55.029′ N, 75° 42.273′ W. Marker is in Manteo, North Carolina, in Dare County. It can be reached from the intersection of Airport Road and Old County Road, on the right when traveling south. On the grounds of the North Carolina Aquarium, near the waterfront. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 374 Airport Rd, Manteo NC 27954, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Outer Banks.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

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one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Lower Lights (a few steps from this marker); A Big Deal (a few steps from this marker); Waterman's Workhorse (within shouting distance of this marker); A Moveable Feast (within shouting distance of this marker); Richard Etheridge, 1842-1900 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Richard Etheridge, 1842-1900 (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Richard Etheridge, 1842-1900 (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Richard Etheridge, 1842-1900 (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manteo.

Photographed by Ray Gurganus, July 17, 2024

2. A Show Boat Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2024, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 353 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 21, 2024, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.