Former Names of Theaters

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 7:30pm

Does anyone have information on what current theater's names used to be?
Likewise, things that aren't theater's anymore (like the Times Square Church - - what did that use to be?)
I'm sure Lois Botto's book "At This Theatre" would help, but I thought maybe someone would know a site or could help out here!
Thanks!
-david

[magruder]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 7:45pm

The Times Square Church opened as a movie palace, the Hollywood, but was later a Broadway theatre known as the Mark Hellinger. Notable shows that played there were the original My Fair Lady, Jesus Christ Superstar, On a Clear Day, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Coco, Sugar Babies, Rags, Grind and Legs Diamond, the last show to play the theatre prior to it becoming the Times Square Church.


Mark Hellinger Theatre

Updated On: 5/27/05 at 07:45 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 9:40pm

Re the Hellinger/Hollywood, an interesting footnote

What is now the entrance was originally a side entrance. The main entrance was around the corner on Broadway. The entrance was a different style than the interior (french baroque). They were being charged a humongous rent for the entrance so they gave it up & the side entrance became the main entrance

The architect was Thomas Lamb. He designed the Capitol across the street (demolished) , the Palace, the little theater next to it (Now home to the visitors & convention bureau) & the State where Virgin megastore is now

Updated On: 5/27/05 at 09:40 PM

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 10:51pm

I just looked into IBDB and looked for theatres on 42nd Street. This is what I got (the first number is the address and the year the theatre was named follows):

201 Venetian Terrace Roof Garden(1899)
201 Victoria Theatre(1899)
201 Paradise Roof Garden(1900)
201 Rialto Theatre(1916)


207 Theatre Republic(1900)
207 Belasco Theatre(1902)
207 Theatre Republic(1910)
207 Victory Theatre(1942)
207 New Victory Theatre(1995)


213 Lyric Theatre(1903)
213 Ford Center for the Performing Arts(199
213 Hilton Theatre(2005)


214 New Amsterdam Theatre(1903)
214 Aerial Gardens(1904)
214 Danse de Follies(1915)
214 Dresden Theatre(1923)
214 Frolic Theatre(1924)
214 New Amsterdam Roof(1943)


219 Times Square Theatre(1920)


223 Bryant Theatre(1910)
223 Apollo Theatre(1920)
223 New Apollo Theatre(197
223 Academy Theatre(1983)


226 Candler Theatre(1914)
226 Cohan and Harris(1916)
226 Sam H. Harris Theatre(1921)


229 Selwyn Theatre(191
229 American Airlines Theatre(2000)


234 Liberty Theatre(1904)


236 Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre(1912)
236 Laff Movie(1942)
236 Empire Theatre(1954)


254 Lew M. Fields Theatre(1904)
254 Hackett Theatre(1906)
254 Harris Theatre(1911)
254 Frazee Theatre(1920)
254 Wallack's Theatre(1924)
254 Anco Cinema(1940)

260 American Theatre(1892)
260 American Theatre Roof Garden(1893)
260 American Music Hall(190

This is just 42nd Street and I went through it so fast I'm sure I left some off. Doing all of them would be an interesting project. (Those little smiley faces are the number 8.)

[pab]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 11:10pm

The Helen Hayes theatre used to be called The Little theatre but after the original Helen Hayes theatre was demolished to make room for the Marriott Marquis Hotel they renamed the Little Theatre for the First Lady of the American Theatre.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 1:46am

The Al Hirschfeld theatre (renamed in 2000, I believe, after the Broadway sketch artist) used to be called the Martin Beck theatre (after the man who managed the vaudeville Orpheum circuit and who was credited with "discovering" Harry Houdini.)

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 2:27am

The current Neil Simon was originally built in 1927 by ALex Aarons and VINton Freedly and named the ALVIN. It opened with the Gershwin show FUNNY FACE. Ethel Merman made her debut there in 1930 in the Gershwins' GIRL CRAZY. Other shows that opened at the Alvin: ANYTHING GOES (1934), PORGY AND BESS (1935), LADY IN THE DARK (1941), A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1951), WILDCAT (1960), A FUNNY THING....FORUM (1962), COMPANY (1970) and ANNIE (1977.) The owners booted ANNIE out in 1981 to make way for the new Sondheim-Furth show MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (1981) which lasted through 6 weeks of previews and two weeks of performances. After that the theatre was considered jinxed: All subsequent musicals that opened there were fast flops (LITTLE JOHNNY JONES, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, DO BLACK PATENT LEATHER SHOES REALLY REFLECT UP?) until Neil Simon's play BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS opened in March 1983. A few months later the theatre was renamed for Neil Simon. This was considered a strange choice, since until BRIGHTO BEACH no Neil Simon show had played in that theatre. Many felt that since it opened with a Gershwin show and house two other major Gershwin premieres it should have been named The Gershwin. (That same season the URIS theatre was renamed The Gershwin!)

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 7:04am

The show VIA GALACTICA opened at the URIS Theatre before it
flopped. It's original title was UP! But (for obvious reasons)
they had to change it... lol

(The Marquee read: UP! URIS)

[magruder]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 7:41am

Of those 42nd Street theatres, Mamie, the Rialto was demolished, the Times Square is being converted into an Ecko clothing store, the Bryant/Apollo/New Apollo/Academy and the Lyric Theatre were torn down to build the Ford Center/Hilton, with the Lyric's 42nd Street and 43rd Street facades retained as entrances, the Candler/Harris was torn down, the Liberty's facade is covered with a billboard, while the marooned auditorium still exists behind a wall for the former food court on the south side of the street, the Eltinge/Empire was moved down the street as the entranceway for the AMC Movie Theatres, although the attempt at a "restoration" for the badly ravaged house is completely laughable, the Selwyn/American Airlines is still with us, although the lovely Selwyn office building and original lobby for the theatre mysteriously "collapsed" one day between Christmas and New Year's in the middle of the night with no one looking, the American, the first theatre on 42nd Street, was torn down, and the Fields/Anco, as the worst of the 42nd Street grind houses, was demolished as much of its exterior and interior detail was stripped over the years, leaving it a complete shambles.

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 7:47am

Oh - I know. In fact, I think only 3 or 4 of those are still operating theatres. I was just pointing out how many names are recorded in IBDB for the same addresses on 42nd Street. (Another big exception - and I should have mentioned this - is the New Amsterdam Theatre. I believe at the time it was built there were multiple theatres and roof top gardens in the same theatre space. In other words, those weren't actually 're-namings' of the same theatre.)

[magruder]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 7:54am

Yeah, all of those other names are for the roof theatre, which I don't think was ever restored. But the main theatre has always been the New Amsterdam. I do remember that the original production of Nine rehearsed at the roof theatre, and Peter Brook wanted it for his producton of La Tragedie de Carmen, until rotted steel beams were discovered in the structure, and the space was declared structurally unsound. It had a seating capacity that was around 750 seats.

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 8:00am

I'm convinced that I'm REALLY strange, but this is the kind of 'behind-the-scenes' Broadway tour I'd love to be able to take! (Magruder - you'd be a great guide!) Only I'd want to go inside and crawl around and see those spaces for myself. Old buildings hold a mystique for me. I believe they're haunted with the spirits of those who have occupied them in the past. And where would you find more spirit than in a theatre?