Gramercy Theater
Encyclopedia
Gramercy Theatre is a music venue in Manhattan.
style, the theatre is located at 127 E. 23rd St in the historic Gramercy
neighborhood.
It was originally known as the Gramercy Park Theatre to avoid confusion with the already existing Gramercy Theatre, which had 521 seats and was situated at 310 First Avenue. After the old Gramercy Theatre succumbed to TV competition in the early 1950s, the newer theatre dropped "Park" from its name.
In the 1950s, the theatre was purchased by Cinema V, an art-film presentation and distribution company. The theatre was considered an "art house" due to eclectic programming, no admittance near the end of a film (unheard of back then), and coffee served in the waiting area.
Cinema V, grew from Rugoff and Becker theaters, a chain started in 1921 by Don Rugoff's father. Rugoff gained control of the company in 1957 and began a quick expansion in the burgeoning world of art-house exhibition. The Gramercy Theatre was part of this expansion.
Some of the programming that the New York Times lists in the 50s for the Gramercy Theatre switched from single bookings to double features, a novel approach for the time. There were a mix of foreign, sub-run mainstream, Disney films, and revivals.
In the early 1970s, the Theatre was a dollar-theater, showing third run movies. In the late 1970s it showed second-run films such as "The Spy Who Loved Me," "New York, New York", "3 Women", and "Outrageous!".
In the early 1980s, still under Cinema V, the theater showcased first-run movies. Cinema V changed to City Cinemas in the late 1980s, and did record breaking business until Cineplex Odeon opened the 9-screen Chelsea Cinemas and large audiences disappeared from Gramercy.
In 1992, City Cinemas closed the theatre after using it briefly as a Hollywood classics
revival house.
In 1995, Amit Govil, a real estate
investor revived the theatre
into the only movie house in the five boroughs to exclusively feature films made in India
. Immediately before that, it was the home of an anti-drug agency. It was also used around this time as the location shoot for The Fugees
video Killing me Softly
.
In 1998, the theatre was renovated into a 499-seat playhouse to present Off Broadway theatrical productions, the largest in the city. In 1999, the Roundabout Theater Company premiered plays by contemporary writers such as Brian Friel
, Paula Vogel
, Beth Henley
and Harold Pinter
. Performances included Charles Randolph-Wright's play with music, Blue starring Phylicia Rashad
; Conor McPhereson's A Skull in Connemara; Speaking in Tongues with Karen Allen
; and Richard Greenberg
's The Dazzle.
In 2002, Roundabout presented its final offering,All Over by Edward Albee
before closing in September. Soon after, in 2002, the Museum of Modern Art
used the theater as a temporary film-house, while its location on 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan was remodeled.
From 2002-2004, the theater was simultaneously used as a film-house and an Off-Broadway playhouse. In 2004, the theater was shut down after its last production of "From My Hometown," which ran from April 12, to July 12, 2004. The MoMA stopped using it as a theatre in April 2004.
In 2006, Live Nation
bought the space with the intention of turning it into an intimate concert
venue. The first performance under Live Nation was Stellastarr on March 7, 2007. On April 26, 2007, Blender Magazine
became an official namesake sponsor and the venue was renamed the Blender Theater at Gramercy (note: 'Theatre' was officially changed to 'Theater' for the sponsorship.) After two years, the name changed back to the Gramercy Theatre without a sponsorship in the name -- 'Theatre' remains to be spelled as the aforementioned instead of 'Theater'.
History
Built in 1937 and designed by architect Charles A. Sandblom in the Streamline ModerneStreamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
style, the theatre is located at 127 E. 23rd St in the historic Gramercy
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
neighborhood.
It was originally known as the Gramercy Park Theatre to avoid confusion with the already existing Gramercy Theatre, which had 521 seats and was situated at 310 First Avenue. After the old Gramercy Theatre succumbed to TV competition in the early 1950s, the newer theatre dropped "Park" from its name.
In the 1950s, the theatre was purchased by Cinema V, an art-film presentation and distribution company. The theatre was considered an "art house" due to eclectic programming, no admittance near the end of a film (unheard of back then), and coffee served in the waiting area.
Cinema V, grew from Rugoff and Becker theaters, a chain started in 1921 by Don Rugoff's father. Rugoff gained control of the company in 1957 and began a quick expansion in the burgeoning world of art-house exhibition. The Gramercy Theatre was part of this expansion.
Some of the programming that the New York Times lists in the 50s for the Gramercy Theatre switched from single bookings to double features, a novel approach for the time. There were a mix of foreign, sub-run mainstream, Disney films, and revivals.
In the early 1970s, the Theatre was a dollar-theater, showing third run movies. In the late 1970s it showed second-run films such as "The Spy Who Loved Me," "New York, New York", "3 Women", and "Outrageous!".
In the early 1980s, still under Cinema V, the theater showcased first-run movies. Cinema V changed to City Cinemas in the late 1980s, and did record breaking business until Cineplex Odeon opened the 9-screen Chelsea Cinemas and large audiences disappeared from Gramercy.
In 1992, City Cinemas closed the theatre after using it briefly as a Hollywood classics
Classical Hollywood cinema
Classical Hollywood cinema or the classical Hollywood narrative, are terms used in film history which designates both a visual and sound style for making motion pictures and a mode of production used in the American film industry between roughly the 1910s and the early 1960s.Classical style is...
revival house.
In 1995, Amit Govil, a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
investor revived the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
into the only movie house in the five boroughs to exclusively feature films made in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Immediately before that, it was the home of an anti-drug agency. It was also used around this time as the location shoot for The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
video Killing me Softly
Killing Me Softly with His Song
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack whose version topped the U.S...
.
In 1998, the theatre was renovated into a 499-seat playhouse to present Off Broadway theatrical productions, the largest in the city. In 1999, the Roundabout Theater Company premiered plays by contemporary writers such as Brian Friel
Brian Friel
Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"...
, Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:...
, Beth Henley
Beth Henley
Elizabeth Becker "Beth" Henley is an American dramatist and actress. She writes primarily about women's issues and family in the Southern United States. She is also a screenwriter who has written many film adaptations of her plays...
and Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
. Performances included Charles Randolph-Wright's play with music, Blue starring Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
; Conor McPhereson's A Skull in Connemara; Speaking in Tongues with Karen Allen
Karen Allen
Karen Jane Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...
; and Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg is an American playwright. He is the author of over 25 plays including eight South Coast Repertory world premieres: Our Mother's Brief Affair, The Injured Party, The Violet Hour, Everett Beekin, Hurrah at Last, Three Days of Rain Richard Greenberg (1958–present) is an American...
's The Dazzle.
In 2002, Roundabout presented its final offering,All Over by Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
before closing in September. Soon after, in 2002, the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
used the theater as a temporary film-house, while its location on 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan was remodeled.
From 2002-2004, the theater was simultaneously used as a film-house and an Off-Broadway playhouse. In 2004, the theater was shut down after its last production of "From My Hometown," which ran from April 12, to July 12, 2004. The MoMA stopped using it as a theatre in April 2004.
In 2006, Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
bought the space with the intention of turning it into an intimate concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
venue. The first performance under Live Nation was Stellastarr on March 7, 2007. On April 26, 2007, Blender Magazine
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
became an official namesake sponsor and the venue was renamed the Blender Theater at Gramercy (note: 'Theatre' was officially changed to 'Theater' for the sponsorship.) After two years, the name changed back to the Gramercy Theatre without a sponsorship in the name -- 'Theatre' remains to be spelled as the aforementioned instead of 'Theater'.
External links
- Gramercy Theater at Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Cinema Treasures