What Times Square Area Buildings Use To Be Theaters?- Page 11

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/31/10 at 12:03pm

I'm guessing it's pretty much been gutted now, but they left the sign.

[everythingISpossible]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 11:25pm

When I win the lottery I'm going to produce a full, first rate revival of Follies at the Liberty...

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 11/14/10 at 10:20am

Frankly, you'll only be able to do it if you beat my production of Godspell first.

[Kevn520]

Posted: 12/3/10 at 8:38pm

There was an interesting interactive feature in today's NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/03/nyregion/42nd-street-then-now.html?ref=nyregion

It's a side-by-side comparison of 42nd St in 2010 and 1989.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 5/18/12 at 4:51pm

I saw End of the Rainbow last night in the beautiful Belasco theater and after the show I spent some time looking into the windows of the Hudson Theater(located on the same block). It reminded me of this thread and led me to spend my day re-reading this great thread and googling my day away searching about the Helen Hayes and Morosco theaters. I found some interesting things about the rally's to Save The Theaters, thought I'd pass it on. I had never seen Lee Harris Pomeroy's design to incorporate the theaters into the hotels design.]
Save the Theaters https://www.lhparch.com/project.aspx?cat=&id=28#


Found this through google appears to be a research DVD of the news reports regarding the demolition of the theaters.Has anyone seen this collection or remember watching these on TV? I can't seem to find any videos of the demolition online
https://www.worldcat.org/title/save-the-theaters-helen-hayes-and-morosco-rally-march-4-1982/oclc/079413292


Also stumbled upon this thread today its another thread I got grabbed into today where Smaxie and Margo Channing have some great history to share
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=914717&boardname=bway&boardid=1&page=1thread=914717&boardname=bway&boardid=1&page=1

Updated On: 2/10/14 at 04:51 PM

[phan24]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 3:37pm

http://www.timessquarenewyears.com/parties-liberty-theater-new-years.php

what is this????

[Justin D]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 4:03pm

what is says, it was the liberty theatre

[kadu335]

Posted: 5/21/12 at 9:38am

This is by far one of my favorite threads on here.
I love it when people post new things... Thanks for the contribution, TheaterBoy7777!

[smallworld]

Posted: 9/2/13 at 9:36pm

Bumping this thread just because of how amazing it is.

Posted: 2/3/14 at 10:08pm

Any news on the 4D show supposedly coming to the Timex SquarevTheatre?

[sorano916]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 2:30pm

Raising this thread from the dead because (1) it's my favorite thread here and (2) I noticed this photo of 42nd Street from the 70's posted on Gothamist with some of the old theatres in use as movie theatres and such:

Source: http://gothamist.com/2016/10/26/1979_nyc_fear_city_photos.php#photo-24

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 6:32pm

Bumping this thread for anyone interested. 
 

Still don’t understand what they’re doing with the Tine Square Theatre that sits eerily on 42nd Street and the Liberty that gets used for parties but is an in-tact Broadway house. Although since it was moved I guess there’s little street access and backstage areas. 
 

If down the road late night shows aren’t a thing anymore, the Ed Sullivan could easily be a legitimate theatre, and we can hold out hope for the Mark Hellinger still. The New Victory could also return if Theatre for a New Audience ever folds. The Shed and Stage 42 could have legitimate use if they wanted too, although their locations are not in the theatre district. 
Any other locations that exist that could feasibly be a Broadway house? Maybe one day they will build a new one. That ugly lot next to the Imperial where a theatre once stood makes me sad. 
Also, the one torn down theatre that I wish still existed was Maxine Elliotts Theatre. The pictures I’ve seen it of it looked gorgeous! And Ziegfeld’s Theatre was also stunning. 
 

…

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 6:41pm

scaryclowns223 said: "What is now Toys R Us used to be Criterion Center- where a ton of great shows (and Roundabout shows) played."

The Toys R Us mention threw me for a loop and then I saw the post was from 2008. That’s a throwback!

Updated On: 5/3/24 at 06:41 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 8:27pm

I miss threads like this.

 

[sorano916]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 11:00pm

In 2019, I was able to take a tour of the Times Square Theater. These are some photos. Apologies for the blurriness and bad angles on some of them. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/4/24 at 1:16am

i bigbelterbaby said: "Bumping this thread for anyone interested.


Still don’t understand what they’re doing with the Tine Square Theatre that sits eerily on 42nd Street and the Liberty that gets used for parties but is an in-tact Broadway house. Although since it was moved I guess there’s little street access and backstage areas.


If down the road late night shows aren’t a thing anymore, the Ed Sullivan could easily be a legitimate theatre, and we can hold out hope for the Mark Hellinger still.The New Victory could also return if Theatre for a New Audience ever folds. The Shed and Stage 42 could have legitimate use if they wanted too, although their locations are not in the theatre district.
Any other locations that exist that could feasibly be a Broadway house? Maybe one day they will build a new one. That ugly lot next to the Imperial where a theatre once stood makes me sad.
Also, the one torn down theatre that I wish still existed was Maxine Elliotts Theatre. The pictures I’ve seen it of it looked gorgeous! And Ziegfeld’s Theatre was also stunning.

I am drawing a blank

…what theater was next to the Imperial.  It was a parking lot as far back as the 60s.  Love to know what was once there.

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 5/4/24 at 2:12am

Jarethan said: "ibigbelterbaby said: "Bumping this thread for anyone interested.


Still don’t understand what they’re doing with the Tine Square Theatre that sits eerily on 42nd Street and the Liberty that gets used for parties but is an in-tact Broadway house. Although since it was moved I guess there’s little street access and backstage areas.


If down the road late night shows aren’t a thing anymore, the Ed Sullivan could easily be a legitimate theatre, and we can hold out hope for the Mark Hellinger still.The New Victory could also return if Theatre for a New Audience ever folds. The Shed and Stage 42 could have legitimate use if they wanted too, although their locations are not in the theatre district.
Any other locations that exist that could feasibly be a Broadway house? Maybe one day they will build a new one. That ugly lot next to the Imperial where a theatre once stood makes me sad.
Also, the one torn down theatre that I wish still existed was Maxine Elliotts Theatre. The pictures I’ve seen it of it looked gorgeous! And Ziegfeld’s Theatre was also stunning.

I am drawing a blank

…what theater was next to the Imperial. It was a parking lot as far back as the 60s. Love to know what was once there."

The demolished theatre that was next to the Imperial was known as the Klaw Theatre. It started as a Broadway house and then was sold to CBS, who sold it to someone who tore it down in 1953. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaw_Theatre

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 5/4/24 at 2:19am

This is a sketch that shows what the Klaw looked like next to the Imperial. 

Updated On: 5/4/24 at 02:19 AM

[inception]

Posted: 5/4/24 at 4:32am

How interesting. Here's the Wikipedia article about the Klaw, later renamed the Avon.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaw_Theatre

I have done most of the Broadway Up Close walking tours over various trips to New York, and they do a good job of bringing to life tye city's history.  I find it so fascinating to imagine going to some (I can't remember which exactly now) that had rooftop nightclubs where the entertainment carried on after the shows finished.  Nowadays, even in "tye city that never sleeps" when you Google for late night entertainment there really isn't a great deal.  A few jazz clubs,  and the couple comedy clubs in the Village with late night shows on the weekends.  But nothing really classy like in all the old movies.  Imagine if William Powell & Myrna Loy just went to Junior's for cheesecake. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 12:09am

bigbelterbaby said "The Shed and Stage 42 could have legitimate use if they wanted too, although their locations are not in the theatre district."

I think Stage 42 purposely decided not to be a Broadway theater since they have 499 seats (one short of the eligibility for Broadway), though seeing as they haven't had a successful commercial production there recently, I wonder if they would again consider turning it into a Broadway house since there seems to be a dearth of more intimate theaters on Broadway.  Then again, it seems like commercial off-Broadway has had a resurgence lately so maybe they'll be able to find a tenant that could stick around.

For reference, Wikipedia mentions this in reference to it becoming a Broadway theater: In 2011, theater producers speculated that Stage 42 might become a Tony-eligible Broadway house by the addition of one seat to bring it to the 500 seat minimum required for Tony eligibility; this has not happened, as going to 500 seats would require negotiating new contracts with the unions, raising costs further.

I'm also doubtful The Shed would want to join the ranks of Broadway, though it's still fairly new so we'll see how their programming goes in the coming years.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 1:39am

I so wish the Klaw Theatre was still with us.  As well as the theatres that were on the other side of the Music Box, it must have been beautiful.  I hate what they’re building in that corner of 45th and 8th. And the Marriott is also ugly, it needs to be demolished.  Does anybody think that lot next to the imperial could be used to build a new theatre there?  Wasnt Shubert planning this a while ago?

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 1:46am

chrishuyen said: "bigbelterbaby said "The Shed and Stage 42 could have legitimate use if they wanted too, although their locations are not in the theatre district."

I think Stage 42 purposely decided not to be a Broadway theater since they have 499 seats (one short of the eligibility for Broadway), though seeing as they haven't had a successful commercial production there recently, I wonder if they would again consider turning it into a Broadway house since there seems to be a dearth of more intimate theaters on Broadway. Then again, it seems like commercial off-Broadway has had a resurgence lately so maybe they'll be able to find a tenant that could stick around.

For reference, Wikipedia mentions this in reference to it becoming a Broadway theater:In 2011, theater producers speculated that Stage 42 might become a Tony-eligible Broadway house by the addition of one seat to bring it to the 500 seat minimum required for Tony eligibility; this has not happened, as going to 500 seats would require negotiating new contracts with the unions, raising costs further.

I'm also doubtful The Shed would want to join the ranks of Broadway, though it's still fairly new so we'll see how their programming goes in the coming years."

I imagine if Lincoln Center was built today, the powers that be wouldn't make it a Broadway eligible theatre either. There's so few spaces that are dedicated to theatre that can hold 500+ seats. Stage 42 could add a seat to make it to 500, I guess the costs involved are like the staffing for the house? I don't know the business side of making new Broadway theatre but if The Hudson can come back to us -  any building can - if there's enough $$$ and support behind it. ....