Prettiest/Ugliest Broadway theaters- Page 3

[jv92]

Posted: 6/24/12 at 9:21pm

Yeah, I always thought, for an older house, the Golden was pretty ugly. Count me in on that one.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/24/12 at 9:34pm

I do love the new façade for the American Airlines

[Jonwo]

Posted: 6/24/12 at 10:23pm

A lot of theatres built in the last thirty years like the Marquis, Minskoff, Gershwin etc do lack charm and look pretty bog standard on the outside. The Gershwin for example does look like a car park which is ironic considering there is a car park alongside both the Gershwin and Circle in the Square.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/24/12 at 11:28pm

THDavis: None of that makes any sense. The interior of the Booth looks like a library or something with it's muted browns and dusty curtains. N2N would have been better suited for something like the Golden, which is small, but feels vast and cold because of its bland interior.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 1:03am

I actually thought N2N was perfect at the Booth. That theater has a very strange 'aura'. I don't believe in ghosts, but if I did, I'd swear that theater is haunted - and how appropriate for N2N?

[Patash]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 8:56am

I'm curious why anyone who doesn't care about how "pretty" or "ugly" a theatre is, or who doesn't think it has anything to do with enjoying a performance, would take the time to read and post on a thread about that topic?

Would someone who is totally uninterested in "the best dress at the Oscars" post to explain what an actress wears doesn't have anything to do with the quality of her performance?

[THDavis]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 9:11am

RippedMan: My entire post doesn't make any sense because you disagreed with one of my statement? I'm not looking to stress a certain point, I just think that the interior of the theatre can play an excellent role in setting the mood for a show prior to the action onstage. Next To Normal could have played many houses I'm sure, but the Booth is very aesthetically appropriate for it, in my opinion. There's an interview in which J. Robert Spencer comments on how he thought the Booth would be the perfect theatre for the show prior to the transfer.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 9:20am

I'm surprised no one has mentioned St James. For me, that is tasteless decor.

and let's not forget the beautiful Mark Hellinger...

[Baby Jack]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 9:50am

I think the Broadway Theatre and the New Amsterdam Theatre are beautiful but I love the theaters at the West End, they are stunning.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 2:33pm

Sorry guys I still keep to my Status Quo, the most important thing is what happens on stage, who gives a toss what the theatre looks like, when you are watching Danny Burstein playing Buddy at the less that aesthetic 'Marquis'.

Despite the irrelevance to the topic, some theatres may also impede a person's enjoyment of a show, regardless the show itself. While the Palace in London is aesthetically gorgeous, my experience of viewing Les Miserables from the balcony resulted in barely seeing anything at all while suffering physical pain in the process. And since most people don't wear blinders when attending the show, they may actually be aware of their surroundings before and after each act of the performance.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 3:04pm

I remember not liking the Nederlander. It was too cramped and I didn't care for the patterned seats. This was after the renovation too.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 3:11pm

I agree with Mister Matt's comment. I found that the beauty of the Belasco added to my enjoyment of seeing End of the Rainbow and Women on the Verge, as did the Richard Rodgers when I saw Porgy & Bess. I have sat twice in the Lunt-Fontanne, for Addams Family and Ghost, and thought the purple walls in the mezzanine were hideous! I felt like I was in public housing rather than a Broadway Theater. The Marquis is hideous - what's with the ugly, chipped parquet floor of the stage, is that permanent or just for Evita?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 4:14pm

chipped parquet floor of the stage, is that permanent or just for Evita?

That is the deck for Evita. It is part of the set and was designed to look like that

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 4:29pm

^What does it signify?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 4:35pm

Christopher Oram on his design concept for the show said...

“The story of a person’s rise to the top means that there must be something underneath to rise above!” continues Oram, about the catacombs on stage. “Knowing that a balcony would play a key role in the design, I knew I needed to come up with a practical use for the space beneath it. It soon became clear that these deep tunnels under our Casa Rosada would be the perfect place to house the disenfranchised lower class, the people on whose backs Evita climbed to reach her infamous balcony.”

This article explains the design. I think the floor looks great, but that's just my opinion. I think the chipped and old tile pattern is supposed to help evoke the feeling of Argentina. I think it looks better than just having a black floor


Link to article

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 4:56pm

It's ugly but gives the stage a little warmth, I guess.

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 5:50pm

some people on here never cease to amaze me. I guess if you're a broadway fan you should know certain things.

in all productions, the stage floor is part of the design, no professional company uses the 'real' stage floor. Most broadway theatres technically dont even have a stage floor, it's all part of the production design. Some more elaborate designs remove the original floor alltogether.

Its like the questions about stage heights. this theatre always has a raked stage, that theatre's stage is always high. Those things are totally based on the design and how technical it gets.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 6:05pm

Justin D - yes, yes and yes. thank you :)

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 6:12pm

Smaxie, I meant the Golden. I realize the size. I sat upstairs for The Normal Heart and that's the feeling I got from it.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 6:24pm

some people on here never cease to amaze me. I guess if you're a broadway fan you should know certain things.

It's not that amazing. People learn different things at different times. It would be far more amazing if everyone already knew specifics of set design before discussing a show they saw. There was probably a point in your life where you didn't know the answer and then one day, you did. Whether through a class, or a book, or a discussion.

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 6:44pm

Wouldn't the stage height be relatively the same for every production in a theatre though? I think they only change the deck (the part they walk on) which wouldn't interfere with its height. Sometimes they go past the deck like in SPRING AWAKENING, but even then it comes down from the top of the stage. I could very well be wrong. I mean you are right about the raked stage and probably know quite a bit more than me.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 6:56pm

bwaydide92- if the theater has its own stage, then the built deck will be at least that high, some decks contain complicated lighting/tracking/special effects and can be 10" thick or so, raising the height of the stage.

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 6/25/12 at 11:50pm

Really? I was under the impression that the stage floor that comes with the theatre was completely removable. Design is so fascinating. Unfortunately the artist that create them are so under-appreciated

[LFazin]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 6:58am

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Shubert. I found that theatre absolutely stunning. I could have stared at the ceiling and architecture in there forever.

I also love the Al Hirschfeld, Palace, Majestic, Lunt-Fontanne and Broadway. Given what has been said about the New Amsterdam, I can't wait to see it this weekend!!

As for least favorite, Gershwin, Minskoff and Marquis....nice spaces, just not a fan of the modern feel.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 6/26/12 at 10:00am

I also found The Cort, the Music Box and the New Amsterdam fascinating. Definitely a fan of the older theaters.