New York City Guide

Located on 6th Avenue between 50th Street & 51st Street, the Radio City Music Hall with its, now fully restored Art Deco interior should be on most visitors "must see" lists. Radio City Music Hall got its name because the Rockefeller Centre's first tenant was the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and the complex became known as “Radio City” in its early years. Radio City Music Hall gained a reputation for offering spectacular entertainment at a price the average New Yorker could afford. One of its treasures is the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, with pipes housed in eleven separate rooms.

The Great Stage at Radio City is framed by a huge proscenium arch that measures 60 feet high and 100 feet wide. It is comprised of three sections mounted on hydraulic-powered elevators, these make it possible to create dynamic sets and achieve spectacular stage effects. There is a fourth elevator that makes it possible to raise and lower the entire orchestra. Within the perimeter of the elevators is a turntable that can be used for quick scene changes and special stage effects.

In 1999, the owners, Cablevision Systems Corp. hired the architecture firm of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates to undertake a seven-month restoration that erased 68 years of wear and tear. After a great deal of thorough research into Radio City's original design, murals were restored, and the once bold Deco details in powder rooms and hallways have been returned to their formal glory. The restoration fuses the look of 1932 with the technology of the 21st century, sporting state-of-the-art sound, lighting and camera equipment. The architectural interior received a landmark designation in New York City.

The restoration of Radio City Music Hall presents the visitor with the opportunity to venture back in time. It is now difficult to contemplate that this historical gem was nearly closed forever in the1970s. For generations to come, visitors can marvel at this painstakingly restored Art Deco masterpiece. Radio City Music Hall is one of America's enduring landmarks, hosting more than 2 million visitors annually who contribute more than $300 million to the New York economy.

The Radio City Rockettes began kicking up their heels under the supervision of their founder Russell Markert, and have dazzled  audiences for many yeas since. In the earlier years, the Rockettes appeared at Radio City Music Hall in hundreds of stage spectaculars which accompanied some of Hollywood's greatest films and premieres of the day. The Rockettes performed 4 shows a day, 28 shows a week, 365 days a year for more than 50 years.

Radio City