Broadway Theaters - how do they work?- Page 2

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:07pm

That's it.She did mention the facade was landmarked.Thanks for the info.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:23pm

The Hilton Theatre also used the facade of an older theater (and is te combination of two theatres, if I recall correctly). Also, the AMC on 42nd Street was an older theatre that was "moved" (at $1 million per fott or something like that). You can tell when you are going up the escalator.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:32pm

The Ford Center/Hilton is on the site of the demolished Lyric and Apollo Theatres, and uses the facade of the Lyric on 42nd Street and 43rd Street as its entrance. A few elements here and there were preserved in the new theatre, but the Lyric's interior was mostly destroyed from years of abuse and neglect. The Apollo had a brief return to legitimacy in the early 80s, housing On Golden Pond, Bent and Fifth of July, before becoming a movie theatre, nightclub and concert hall.

The AMC Theatre was originally the Eltinge, named for Julian Eltinge, a famous female impersonator! Later in its history, it was renamed the Empire. (A more famous Empire Theatre that used to be at 40th and Broadway was torn down in the 1950s after the run of The Time of the Cuckoo). You can see some of the Eltinge/Empire, pre AMC, in The Last Action Hero, that awful Schwarzenegger film.

Updated On: 9/28/05 at 02:32 PM

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:36pm

I went to the AMC Empire 25 to see a movie on my first trip to New York last September ( Ironically, I saw Farenheit 9/11).That facade and lobby is breathtaking.I can only imagine what that was like as a theatre.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:39pm

The facade was beautifully restored. They did a cheap job on the interior, though. Here's what it originally looked like.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:41pm

Absolutely beautiful.A shame it was lost to progress.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:51pm

Of the 42nd Street theatres, that one was the most far gone as far as condition. It had been stripped of most of its ornamentation over the years, so there wasn't much left to save.

But the real pity on 42nd Street is that:

- The Times Square Theatre was still fairly intact, but because it had a relatively small seating of 1,000 seats, no Broadway theatre owner wanted to snatch it up after Livent went bankrupt. It's now going to be an Ecko clothing store.

- The Harris Theatre (once the Candler), was in decent enough shape that the Nederlander Organization had plans to renovate it at one time and return it to theatrical use. But when its interior wasn't landmarked, it was demolished.

- The Selwyn (now the American Airlines) had a beautiful facade and seven story building that collapsed one evening in the middle of the night, mysteriously, when no one was around to see it happen. The Duke building that went up is great, and the rehearsal spaces were very much needed, but I do miss that old graceful building.

- The Liberty, which has one of the most unusual proscenium arches of any Broadway theatre, had its facade restored, but then covered with billboards, and the auditorium is sitting marooned behind the abandoned food court and Applebee's.

Ironic that the New 42nd Street had to strive so hard to come up with other uses for the theatres, but the only businesses that seem to be thriving on that street are the four theatres (New Amsterdam, New Victory, American Airlines, Hilton).

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 2:55pm

Here's the Selwyn building, that "fell down".

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 3:59pm

Another beautiful theatre.It it really a shame these beautiful theaters were lost.

On the tour, I also learned about the theaters that were demolished to build the Marquis hotel and Theatre (Gaiety, Astor, Helen Hayes (46th St), Morosco, and Bijou).I looked those up on IBDB.It was a shame to lose those too.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 4:36pm

Yeah, that sucked, especially since the Marriott Marquis is such a butt ugly hotel. (The Marquis Theatre, too, fairly screams 1980s).

The Morosco and the original Helen Hayes were still quite active up through 1982. The Morosco was a little bit on the plain side, but the Helen Hayes really was a lovely house to the end. The Bijou was kind of a dump, drab and I think it was an industrial shade of blue inside, if I remember correctly.

The Astor and the Gaiety were both long gone as legitimate theatres. The Astor's interior had been canibalized years earlier, and the Gaiety received a disastrous makeover as a movie theatre in the 1950s or early '60s that really wrecked the interior.

Updated On: 9/28/05 at 04:36 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 5:40pm

This is a great thread and I am enjoying reading all of your posts. Very interesting and VERY informative. Thanks!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 6:01pm

The Mark Hellinger is now a church, but still very beautiful inside. Perhaps one of the most beautiful theaters left.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 6:13pm

The Times Square Church has apparently outgrown the Mark Hellinger space and may be looking to move at some point. I wonder if the Nederlanders (who sold it to them in the first place), Shuberts or Disney might be interested in buying it back?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 6:21pm

why did they tear down the Henry Miller if they're just going to rebuild it again?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 6:47pm

she was wrong and needs to be replaced.

or boiled in oil...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 6:47pm

They're building a HUGE skyscraper on the spot. They kept the facade, but there was no way to keep the theatre AND build the office complex, so they're putting a new theatre behind the facade and incorporating that into the first floors of massive project.

[tagiunagi]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 7:21pm

Out of curiosity, why would investors put their money into non-profit shows if they don't get any financial return?

[bially082]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 8:11pm

They do get financial return on theie investsments. But anything they make over the investment they put into the show is not theirs to keep, but for the theatre to use to fund new productions.

Updated On: 9/28/05 at 08:11 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 10:51am

The Mark Hellinger is a gorgeous venue, and I hope it becomes a theatre again soon.

It's where they filmed the movie "A Chorus Line" (not that ANYONE should have to sit through that flick to check it out).

This is a really cool thread!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 11:07am

As far as the question asked about why rebuild Henry Miller's Theatre, the building was in precarious shape during the runs of Cabaret and Urinetown. Given the theatre's economically unpopular second balcony, and the lack of bathroom space and tight, uncomfortable configuration for patrons, the owners decided to build from scratch and solve all of those problems, rather than trying to salvage what was there.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 11:08am

There are no "investors" in not-for-profit theatres -- just donors (and no, they don't get the money they "invest" back).

All contributions to not-for-profits are 100% tax deductible which is the main reason many people and corporations contribute (check out the donor list next time you see a show at MTC, Roundabout, Lincoln Center, The Public -- they go on for PAGES in small type). Not-for-profits also get funding from the federal, state and local governments (chiefly The NEA, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs) various private trusts and charities that are set up to aid the arts.

Also, not-for-profits make it their business to get rich individuals to make HUGE contributions in return for getting stuff named after them. Oftentimes when you see a name you don't recognize plastered on a theatre or a lounge or a cabaret room or something, just assume it was some wealthy person who wrote out a check for a million or two in exchange for that honor (eg Vivian Beaumont, Mitzi Newhouse, Alice Tully etc .....)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 11:31am

Interesting. So the new "henry miller" will open in 08? That's cool. Anyone have a picture of the August Wilson Theater? I really wanna see the Marquee.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 11:50am

It gets renamed on October 17th. So there isn't an August Wilson marquee up yet.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 12:34pm

The Mark Hellinger is a gorgeous venue, and I hope it becomes a theatre again soon.

The Hellinger really is beautiful because above the proscenium is a huge crown with two angels flanking it. Beautiful architecture like that is not seen in theaters today.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 3:07pm

"As far as the question asked about why rebuild Henry Miller's Theatre, the building was in precarious shape during the runs of Cabaret and Urinetown. Given the theatre's economically unpopular second balcony, and the lack of bathroom space [...] the owners decided to build from scratch and solve all of those problems, rather than trying to salvage what was there."

Well, if that's not ironic . . .

BTW, thanks for the cool thread, guys. It would have taken me hours upon hours to look this stuff up, but here it is in a nice little threaded package for me. Thanks!