Establishing the New York Hippodrome as an Intrinsically 'American' Entertainment Venue Through Publicity & A Yankee Circus on Mars 's Performance Practice.

This article examines the New York Hippodrome's opening in 1905 under managers Elmer Dundy and Fred Thompson, who promoted it as America's "National Theatre" based on its unprecedented size and commercial vision. Central to their nationalistic strategy was the incorporation of circus—a form widely regarded as a distinctly American popular entertainment—into the opening production, *A Yankee Circus on Mars*, which used circus spectacle and patriotic imagery to embody a populist Americanness and to fill the vast theatre space efficiently. The Hippodrome's circus acts, presented end-on rather than in the traditional circular ring, created a visual spectacle that differed from conventional circus experiences, privileging visual awe over the communal, visceral engagement typical of circus in the round. Ultimately, Thompson and Dundy's vision linked large-scale, democratised entertainment consumption with American identity and economic progress, though their management ended in 1906 amid financial and competitive challenges, after which the Hippodrome continued as a major venue reflecting mass national tastes.