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 Hollywoods 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.
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.