Mr. Bluebeard in America opened at the Knickerbocker Theater in New York City on January 21, 1903, and closed on May 16, 1903, after 135 performances.  The top-most newspaper article appeared in advance of the premier.  The second article appeared after the opening.  An unenthusiastic review appeared in the New York Times the day after the premier.

At the corner of 1396 Broadway and West 38th St., the 1,500-seat Knickerbocker opened in 1893 and closed in 1930.

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Daniel McAvoy performed in a half dozen plays 1901-1906. He played the lead role as Mr. Bluebeard on Broadway. Harry Gillfoil picked up the part when Mr. Bluebeard went on the road to Chicago. McAvoy was also a composer and lyricist. He adapted his tune, The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous," promoting Schlitz beer, for Mr. Bluebeard.  Inserting products and advertising was common in musical comedies and vaudeville.  In addition to beer, Mr. Bluebeard hawked cereal and medicines.

The Schlitz brand was in its heydays in the early 1900s. In 1902 it produced more beer than Pabst and by 1934, with Prohibition ended, Schlitz became the top-selling beer. Its popularity had grown since 1871 when the Great Chicago fire destroyed many Chicago breweries. Schlitz sent wagons full of beer from Wisconsin to Chicago, creating a large fan base in the Windy City.

McAvoy's performance in Mr. Bluebeard on Broadway was so poorly reviewed that he was replaced by Harry Gilfoil when the show went on the road. He married actress Jessie May Kibbler (b. 1872) in 1890. She died in 1901, leaving nothing to her husband who reportedly cheated her out of her earnings held in a joint account. McAvoy stopped performing in 1905 after suffering a stroke that left one side of his body paralyzed and cripled. In Nov 1908 fellow performers held a benefit at the Majestic Theatre in New York to raise money for him. Dan died of heart disease in his home at 1690 Broadway, Oct 1909.

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