According to the official website (october 2010), the main auditorium currently seats 1,683, while the new auditoria in the alley space all seat either 50 or 60.
One unique thing about the Loew’s Jersey is it is by far the largest remaining Movie Palace with ALL of the following:
Regular showings of silent films…
With live theatre organ accompaniment
with original organ (actully a twin of the original)
Other unique features:
Most of the original plaster walls and decor have never been repainted
Many of the original draperies remain
It is also by far the largest entirely volunteer-run theatre in the country
The best place for people who love both silent films and the theatre organ. You get both here.
I am looking forward for the fire escapes to be repaired at which point the balcony can be reopened. The web page indicated some time ago they were beginning to reinstall the refurbished balcony seats. Once regular concerts can be held and sold to the full 3,000+ capacity that will bring in revenue to speed up restoration. Ir has really come a long way over the past few years; the “zorro” presentation was excellent (Yay to Chris Elliott, the Organist), and their was a very large crowd for the show.
Very strange. I checked the Google Maps aerial photo of the Majestic. The roof looks intact over the entire building. There is what looks like a large skylight over the stage, and what might be a small hole above the projection booth area.
Another article. The renovation was completed in 2003 and Creative Alliance has been hosting events there ever since. Here’s an article about the renovation.
Google Maps 2010 shows the Payless Shoe Store is still there. Given the size of the lobby portion of the building, I would not be surprised if the store is just in the lobby portion with the auditorium vacant, possibly being used for storage, but I can’t be sure. The store looks very well maintained.
The Theatre reopened on March 10, 2010 and is currently a performing arts venue with a busy schedule. The first theatre on this site opened in 1736(!) The current building was built as the Planter’s Hotel in 1809, and rescured and converted into the Historic Dock Theatre in 1937. After renovations, it reopened in 1910. From the seating chart it appears to seat between 350 and 400.
Looks like Teatro ChuperAmigos is doing quite well!
The front facade is quite different from the historical photos because it looks like most of the original lobby was demolished at sometime, replaced with a recessed front and a nice courtyard in front.
Checked out Google. I don’t see anything that looks like a former theatre. There’s a large brick building that looks like a former fire station, and a couple small commercial buildings. Across the street is a parking lot.
I’ve walked through the building many times on shopping trips. It is colonial revival on the outside – the inside is a single level, simple ornate pillars down the sidewalls, the proscenium is still there (sealed off – but I don’t think there was a stagehouse.) From the floor tiles in the former lobby area I would say this has been retail since at least the early 1960s, perhaps back to late 1950s. It has been well maintained, all painted creamy white color; and you can still see the projection windows.
The theatre building was a former church converted to a movie palace. The exterior was gothic revival style, and I would assume the interior was as well. Sad that it operated for only four years before the fire.
From the Google street view, there is no hint of the building’s current use although it is clearly not boarded up. Some signs on the side indicate this may be currently used as a Union hall.
The Apollo is immediately adjacent to the now-closed Victoria Theatre, and half a block west of the site of the noiw demolished Harlem Opera House. As you enter the lobby of the Apollo, the auditorium is off to the right. Likewise as you enter the lobby of the Victoria, the auditorium is off to the left. As a result, the back sides of the respective stage houses back up against each other.
It would be great if the Victoria were also restored and incorporated into the Apollo Theatre complex.
ccording to the Google Maps, the Harlem Opera House’s address is a little bit down to the east from where the Apollo and Victoria are located. There is no sign of the building now- a modern building is on the site. The Apollo and Victoria are right next door to each other; in fact, the Apollo’s auditorium goes off to the right from the lobby, and the Victoria’s goes to the left, so the back of their respective stage houses are butting up against each other.
According to the official website (october 2010), the main auditorium currently seats 1,683, while the new auditoria in the alley space all seat either 50 or 60.
One unique thing about the Loew’s Jersey is it is by far the largest remaining Movie Palace with ALL of the following:
Regular showings of silent films…
With live theatre organ accompaniment
with original organ (actully a twin of the original)
Other unique features:
Most of the original plaster walls and decor have never been repainted
Many of the original draperies remain
It is also by far the largest entirely volunteer-run theatre in the country
The best place for people who love both silent films and the theatre organ. You get both here.
I am looking forward for the fire escapes to be repaired at which point the balcony can be reopened. The web page indicated some time ago they were beginning to reinstall the refurbished balcony seats. Once regular concerts can be held and sold to the full 3,000+ capacity that will bring in revenue to speed up restoration. Ir has really come a long way over the past few years; the “zorro” presentation was excellent (Yay to Chris Elliott, the Organist), and their was a very large crowd for the show.
The website is back up. Latest news is the theatre has been acquired and protected, but it looks like latest updates are from 2009.
According to their website, the $2,000,000 has been completed – new decor, sound system, seating, restored ceiling mural, new concession stand.
Very strange. I checked the Google Maps aerial photo of the Majestic. The roof looks intact over the entire building. There is what looks like a large skylight over the stage, and what might be a small hole above the projection booth area.
From those recent photos it looks like the shelf balcony has been removed.
As of October 2010, the building is still there, with the gate closed, vacant.
Another article. The renovation was completed in 2003 and Creative Alliance has been hosting events there ever since. Here’s an article about the renovation.
http://www.armarani.com/proj_pattersontheatre.html
Their official websaite is:
http://www.creativealliance.org/
Google Maps 2010 shows the Payless Shoe Store is still there. Given the size of the lobby portion of the building, I would not be surprised if the store is just in the lobby portion with the auditorium vacant, possibly being used for storage, but I can’t be sure. The store looks very well maintained.
From the 2010 google photos it looks like the building is again vacant. No church sigms in front, although the building is in good shape.
Some articles about the upcoming restoration by ACE Theatrical Group:
http://nyrej.com/38524
View link
Ace Theatrical Group’s website: www.acetheatricalgroup.com (just a stub at present)
View link
Older article:
View link
This is definitely the Paradise Theatre in the Bronx, with the picture reversed.
The Theatre reopened on March 10, 2010 and is currently a performing arts venue with a busy schedule. The first theatre on this site opened in 1736(!) The current building was built as the Planter’s Hotel in 1809, and rescured and converted into the Historic Dock Theatre in 1937. After renovations, it reopened in 1910. From the seating chart it appears to seat between 350 and 400.
Looks like Teatro ChuperAmigos is doing quite well!
The front facade is quite different from the historical photos because it looks like most of the original lobby was demolished at sometime, replaced with a recessed front and a nice courtyard in front.
I checked the google maps. The lobby portion is intact, now retail and restaurants, but the auditorium has been demolished and is now a parking lot.
Checked out Google. I don’t see anything that looks like a former theatre. There’s a large brick building that looks like a former fire station, and a couple small commercial buildings. Across the street is a parking lot.
I’ve walked through the building many times on shopping trips. It is colonial revival on the outside – the inside is a single level, simple ornate pillars down the sidewalls, the proscenium is still there (sealed off – but I don’t think there was a stagehouse.) From the floor tiles in the former lobby area I would say this has been retail since at least the early 1960s, perhaps back to late 1950s. It has been well maintained, all painted creamy white color; and you can still see the projection windows.
A direct link to one of the Staten island Advance articles from January (includes a video of the interior renovations)
View link
Link to Suffolk University’s Moern Theatre website:
http://www.suffolk.edu/offices/34286.html
The theatre building was a former church converted to a movie palace. The exterior was gothic revival style, and I would assume the interior was as well. Sad that it operated for only four years before the fire.
From the Google street view, there is no hint of the building’s current use although it is clearly not boarded up. Some signs on the side indicate this may be currently used as a Union hall.
The Apollo is immediately adjacent to the now-closed Victoria Theatre, and half a block west of the site of the noiw demolished Harlem Opera House. As you enter the lobby of the Apollo, the auditorium is off to the right. Likewise as you enter the lobby of the Victoria, the auditorium is off to the left. As a result, the back sides of the respective stage houses back up against each other.
It would be great if the Victoria were also restored and incorporated into the Apollo Theatre complex.
Checked Google Maps. Nothing there but acres of parking lots.
ccording to the Google Maps, the Harlem Opera House’s address is a little bit down to the east from where the Apollo and Victoria are located. There is no sign of the building now- a modern building is on the site. The Apollo and Victoria are right next door to each other; in fact, the Apollo’s auditorium goes off to the right from the lobby, and the Victoria’s goes to the left, so the back of their respective stage houses are butting up against each other.
The website in the preceding message has some excellent photo galleries with interior photos both then and now