Posted: 8/28/19 at 5:47pm
I just read in one of the chat groups that there is a rumor that the church is looking for a larger space. Can we get the theater back? Anyone know anything real about this?
Posted: 8/28/19 at 5:52pm
I swear I read an article that said they were turning the Mark Hellinger Theatre into retail space but I can't find it now. Did I imagine that? Was it a different theatre?
Posted: 8/28/19 at 5:53pm
You're probably thinking of the Times Square Theater. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2018/09/18/jinxed-times-square-theater-to-reopen-as-retail-space/#d97fb9a5072d
Posted: 8/28/19 at 5:56pm
Oh dear. Well what I read was talking about the church. I hope they didn't get it confused.. and wouldn't it be wonderful if true? Such a wonderful theater. I worked there frequently during Sugar Babies and Merlin.
Updated On: 8/28/19 at 05:56 PM
Posted: 8/28/19 at 5:57pm
Where did you read it?
Posted: 8/28/19 at 5:59pm
I think it was in the group Broadway Remembered.
Posted: 8/28/19 at 6:06pm
Posted: 8/28/19 at 6:21pm
I will try to find it and post it. I am in like 8 groups and it just had popped up in my feed.
Posted: 8/28/19 at 7:24pm
Posted: 8/28/19 at 7:32pm
I feel like this rumor goes around every couple of years with nothing ever coming of it.
Posted: 8/28/19 at 7:39pm
Broadway Flash said: "That would be amazing. I’m still not over the fact that the Times Square theatre is being turned into stores. Hopefully one day it will go back to being a broadway house."
Agreed, but almost never going to happen....
Posted: 8/28/19 at 8:42pm
I think the Hellinger is a pipe dream, but I won't wake anyone up from it because it is not 100% impossible. Although it has been altered, the basic skeleton is still in place.
The Times Square, on the other hand, is basically a bag of mashed potatoes at this point. There is no there there.
Posted: 8/29/19 at 1:01am
Posted: 8/29/19 at 4:12am
You can walk inside when the church is open. I've gone in a few times over the years, The one virtue is that the church has taken better care of it than the Nederlander Organization ever did.
Posted: 8/29/19 at 4:18am
Exactly.. and with the recent return of the Hudson, anything seems possible. Hopefully if this all ends up ringing true, the Ambassador Group will scoop it up to give them a large musical house to utilize while the Lyric is tied up with Harry Potter. I'd rather it go to ATG or Jujamcyn rather than the Shuberts or Nederlanders, but without the Church vacating, we wait.
I wonder if the church could reconfigure the Playstation/Best Buy Theatre space opening up into a higher capacity room for their services..? Unless that will be turned into MORE desperately needed Underground Mall Retail space in Times Square.
I do wish there had been some consideration in 1995/1996 to include a 43rd St. access point to the Times Square in the construction that combined the Apollo and Lyric into the Ford Center, alas, at least it won't be sitting there rotting away anymore..
Posted: 8/29/19 at 10:29am
Posted: 8/29/19 at 10:44am
Posted: 8/29/19 at 11:12am
Posted: 8/29/19 at 11:23am
SouthernCakes said: "Surprised it’s closing too re: PlayStation. Always seems to be putting on shows etc. "
The lease is up so I'm guessing they were asking for an unreasonable increase in rent to the point where it's not viable to put shows on anymore.
Posted: 8/29/19 at 11:41am
Posted: 8/29/19 at 11:46am
Yeah NYC is basically bank bank bank bank drug store bank bank bank chain store bank bank bank chain restaurant bank bank.
Posted: 8/29/19 at 12:05pm
Posted: 8/29/19 at 12:31pm
Prob a Chase.
Posted: 8/29/19 at 12:38pm
Jordan Catalano said: "The Paris Theater closed down yesterday. Can’t wait to see if it’ll be a CVS or Duane Reade."
That is so sad. It was always such a New York treat to see a flick at the Paris.
Posted: 8/29/19 at 12:41pm
RippedMan said: "Yeah NYC is basically bank bank bank bank drug store bank bank bank chain store bank bank bank chain restaurant bank bank."
NYC covers over 300 square miles of land (not counting the water), and you are basically describing 1% of it. That's fine, but it is important to remain mindful that the history of NYC is one of resilience and adaptability, and to not understand her dynamic evolution is to misapprehend the essence of the place. Yes we have cherished landmarks, but so does Rome, the eternal city, and they are not diminished by the juxtaposition with a pizza joint. It's about priorities.
