#1
Posted: 7/31/22 at 6:49pm
This space is for sale. Shouldn't someone buy it and turn it back into a theatre?
mcdonalds on 42nd to broadway house
#3
Posted: 7/31/22 at 7:27pm
In that cluster-ph**k area that looks like a Vegas strip mall? Um, no. Even the New Amsterdam Theatre is lost in that cluster-ph*ck.
#4
Posted: 7/31/22 at 7:35pm
Sucks the whole 42nd street is pretty gross now. They need to revitalize that whole street. Maybe Shake Shack can move over?
#6
Posted: 7/31/22 at 8:04pm
Yeah, that's not really a desirable place to have a theater. I agree the New Amsterdam gets completely lost there even though it's of course gorgeous inside.
Priority #1 as far as I'm concerned should be wrestling the Mark Hellinger Theatre back from the Times Square Church
#7
Posted: 7/31/22 at 8:14pm
I'm pleased to announce that McNugget: A New Musical has finally found a home. Featuring such numbers as "A Burger or Two," sung by the Hamburglar, a cover of "Do You Believe in Magic" by Ronald McDonald ("Do you believe in magic / hamburgers could talk / Chicken McNuggets you can take for a walk" ), and the 11 o'clock number, "The Ballad of Mayor McCheese."
Updated On: 7/31/22 at 08:14 PM
#8
Posted: 7/31/22 at 9:41pm
I mean if Mark Knopfler wants to write a whole score for “The Founder” (which was inspired by his satirical song about the founding of McDonalds), I’d go see it.
#9
Posted: 7/31/22 at 9:46pm
A musical about the founding of McDonalds would be interesting, except the villain wins.
Didn't they try to turn that McBeth/McDonalds movie into a musical a few seasons ago? It was... not good.
But am curious what's going to go into that space and across the street at BB Kings.
#10
Posted: 7/31/22 at 11:20pm
the way to revitalize 42nd street is to restore it back to its former glory. enough with the movie theatres, fast food, church and shopping malls. Wasn't there a story of jordan roth building a new theatre? Why not just buy out all the spaces on the market?
#11
Posted: 8/1/22 at 1:22am
Broadway Flash said: "the way to revitalize 42nd street is to restore it back to its former glory."
LET'S DO IT!
#12
Posted: 8/1/22 at 6:45am
RippedMan said: "Sucks the whole 42nd street is pretty gross now. They need to revitalize that whole street. Maybe Shake Shack can move over?"
I do have to agree that after it's revitalization in the mid-to-late 90s it has taken a turn for the worst but it's no where near as bad as t was in the 70s and 80s. It was a cesspool back then.
Updated On: 8/1/22 at 06:45 AM
#13
Posted: 8/1/22 at 9:51am
To respond to the original poster, there was a theatre near where the McDonalds was. It was the Candler and later known as the Harris, but it was torn down in 1996. Nothing remains of what had been the theatre space. The space was usurped by Madame Tussaud’s, I believe.
There IS a theatre, the Liberty, that is further west. The auditorium is just sitting there, unused as far as I can tell. It’s behind the detritus of the Liberty Diner.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
#14
Posted: 8/1/22 at 10:01am
Yeah I was just going to say...that block of 42nd Street isn't in need of revitalization. This IS the revitalization.
Some of us might not enjoy the throngs of tourists, and tacky merch stores (myself included) - but that was all done on purpose by the city. It's lurid, ugly, and crowded, but it's not dangerous, or run down. And it's a place for tourists to go spend money which, as we know, is a big part of our city's economy.
As for a new theatre: as always when discussing this topic, we have to consider that a project like this would be an immense financial undertaking and risk. This is true of restoring any theatre, let alone building one - does the structure of the that theatre interior even still exist? (I know it does for some other spaces in that area - the Empire, the Liberty, the one at John's Pizzaria, etc.). (EDIT: the user above answered this question while I was typing this post - thanks!)
But aside from that, I don't agree that the location would be a major obstacle. There's a crap-load of foot traffic there, for one thing.
You say that the New Amsterdam gets "lost" but like, does it really? Sure, it doesn't have a beautiful, ornate, historical facade. And yes it can blend in with all the lights and noise. But thousands of tourists find their way to the New Amsterdam every week, just fine.
And in this age of advertising, I doubt most shows are living and dying based on how visible their marquis is: most people will buy tickets before ever laying eyes on the theatre, and they'll use their phones to locate it if the marquis doesn't stand out enough.
Updated On: 8/1/22 at 10:01 AM
#15
Posted: 8/1/22 at 10:30am
A lot of people, myself included, have been in the Liberty multiple times for events. What's there is not really viable as a theatre and it would essentially require a gut renovation that might cost more than new construction. Balcony is gone, basically no back of house, etc. At the end of the day, the footprint would not work and there is no direction to enlarge it. I know folks here like to fantasize about new theatres but right now we are having trouble keeping what we have gainfully filled.
#16
Posted: 8/1/22 at 10:52am
JBroadway said: "You say that the New Amsterdam gets "lost" but like, does it really? Sure, it doesn't have a beautiful, ornate, historical facade. And yes it can blend in with all the lights and noise. But thousands of tourists find their way to the New Amsterdam every week, just fine."
I didn't mean literally lost, I know people can find the theater. I meant it gets lost from a visual standpoint compared to, say, the theaters on 44th & 45th St that are just so nice to look at from the outside too.
#17
Posted: 8/1/22 at 11:03am
Mr. Wormwood said: "I didn't mean literally lost, I know people can find the theater. I meant it gets lost from a visual standpoint compared to, say, the theaters on 44th & 45th St that are just so nice to look at from the outside too."
Right, but my point is that people nowadays aren't likely to build or not build a theatre based on how nice its exterior is, or how much they stand out visually from what's around them.
So in terms of which locations are more desirable (to use your word), I'd bet that the elegance of 45th street probably isn't as good for business as the increased foot traffic of 42nd. But at the end of the day, neither of these matter as much as the show's overall marketing/marketability, which has little to do with the theatre's exterior nowadays.
#18
Posted: 8/1/22 at 11:14am
If there were an inclination to have another theatre (and as I said I don't think there is), I expect it would be more likely "lost" inside some new tall building a la the Minskoff, Marquis, Gershwin, Circle, and now the Palace.
#19
Posted: 8/1/22 at 11:19am
RippedMan said: "Sucks the whole 42nd street is pretty gross now. They need to revitalize that whole street. Maybe Shake Shack can move over?"
As J said, this is the revitalization as shi*ty as it is. But, it's not rapey or stabby as much anymore so there's a win I guess.
#20
Posted: 8/1/22 at 12:12pm
I mean if McDonalds can’t find success there then what can? And I realize McDonalds basically just moved to the heart of times square but like what could possibly go in there? I do wonder if we will ever see a new ground up theater. Maybe one of the billionaires can throw some coin to get the Amazon Theater.
#21
Posted: 8/1/22 at 12:44pm
Well, since business licenses are going to go out in the Fall, a marijuana dispensary would be very popular right there. The whole city reeks of it now anyways so...
#22
Posted: 8/1/22 at 1:19pm
And if they do, wouldn't that be a perfect location for a transfer of Scotland, PA?
#23
Posted: 8/1/22 at 1:24pm
I don't know what Denver, Co did but they handled the weed thing well. It's there, but the city isn't defined by it the way like LA is.
#24
Posted: 8/1/22 at 2:24pm
Sutton Ross said: "Well, since business licenses are going to go out in the Fall, a marijuana dispensary would be very popular right there. The whole city reeks of it now anyways so..."
They should resurrect the grid House theater - re open the liberty and restore the Harris and Times Square - program retro horror- action and king fu- allow the weed smoking in the “ retro grind house “ tourism would explode
#25
Posted: 8/1/22 at 3:27pm
SouthernCakes said: "I mean if McDonalds can’t find success there then what can? And I realize McDonalds basically just moved to the heart of times square but like what could possibly go in there? I do wonder if we will ever see a new ground up theater. Maybe one of the billionaires can throw some coin to get the Amazon Theater."
McDonalds did just fine there. They didn't close that location due to lack of business. The elected to close it after opening the newer, bigger, more modern location on 45th.
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