Guy Lombardo and the Marine Theater

At the eastern end of Jones Beach State Park, a theater sits on the water, and for two decades in the middle of the twentieth century it was one of the most famous outdoor entertainment venues in the country. The Jones Beach Marine Theater was first built in nineteen thirty, shortly after the park opened, and was substantially rebuilt in nineteen fifty two to accommodate larger audiences and more elaborate productions. The figure most associated with the theater's golden era is Guy Lombardo, the Canadian-born bandleader whose orchestra had been a staple of American radio and ballroom entertainment since the nineteen twenties.

Beginning in nineteen fifty four, Lombardo served as the theater's executive producer and transformed it into a summer destination for musical spectaculars. He described his programming philosophy as good, clean entertainment, and for more than two decades it drew enormous audiences from across the metropolitan area. His annual Fourth of July fireworks shows became a Long Island institution.

Lombardo produced elaborate theatrical productions at the park through the nineteen fifties, sixties, and into the seventies, and his association with Jones Beach was so strong that many Long Islanders of that generation still refer to the venue by his name. Lombardo died in nineteen seventy seven. The theater continues to operate today as a major outdoor concert amphitheater, holding fifteen thousand people and drawing major touring artists through the summer season.