WHAT a sad state the Saenger has fallen into since the last time I saw it 4 years ago! Here’s a photo I took of the Saenger Theater about two weeks ago when I was in New Orleans for Mardis Gras. New Orleans looked good…at least the touristy areas like the French Quarter, Downtown, and the Garden District looked as beautiful as usual…. They need our tourist dollars desperately, so please visit New Orleans, they are ready and waiting, and there’s nothing wrong with the areas anyone would visit as a tourist.
But since they did get some water along Canal St during the flood, the theaters along Canal suffered greatly. Even though it wasn’t terribly flooded like other areas, remember a foot of water on Canal St is brutal for the theaters, which remember, you enter at ground level into, but SLOPE down to the stage…so a foot of water may not seem like much outside….but as it rushes into a theater towards the stage, it inundates an orchestra level…. All four of the theaters along Canal, the Saenger, the State, and the Joy are now closed (the Joy was closed prior to the flood, but usable). The Orpehum alos had serious damage, but I forgot to check the place out to see if it reopened.
Anyway, here’s a photo of the sad Saenger Theater, which certainly saw better days. It’s status can also be changed to closed until further notice too….it even had a for sale sign on it….
Click here for some current photos of the Saenger Theater
WHAT a sad state (no pun intended) this theater has fallen into since the last time I saw it 4 years ago! Here’s a photo I took of the State Theater about two weeks ago when I was in New Orleans for Mardis Gras. New Orleans looked good…at least the touristy areas like the French Quarter, Downtown, and the Garden District looked as beautiful as usual…. They need our tourist dollars desperately, so please visit New Orleans, they are ready and waiting, and there’s nothing wrong with the areas anyone would visit as a tourist.
But since they did get some water along Canal St during the flood, the theaters along Canal suffered greatly. Even though it wasn’t terribly flooded like other areas, remember a foot of water on Canal St is brutal for the theaters, which remember, you enter at ground level into, but SLOPE down to the stage…so a foot of water may not seem like much outside….but as it rushes into a theater towards the stage, it inundates an orchestra level…. All four of the theaters along Canal, the Saenger, the State, and the Joy are now closed (the Joy was closed prior to the flood, but usable). The Orpehum alos had serious damage, but I forgot to check the place out to see if it reopened.
Anyway, here’s a photo of the sad Loews State, which certainly saw better days. It’s status can also be changed to closed until further notice too….it even had a for sale sign on it….
Excuse the quality as I took it with from the Canal St Streetcar:
Here are two photos I took of the Ritz Theater, aka “The Masquerade” last week….just before seeing the Giants beat the Patriots in the Superbowl!!
Actually, I was somewhat surprised at the lack of comments here on the site about the Ritz! I was hoping to find more information about it after discovering the place last week. I can’t imagine that there would be so little interest in it, as Ybor City is right in the middle of Tampa. Perhaps “Masquerade” should be added as an aka name, as that’s the name on the place as the concert hall? It does still have one small sign that says “Ritz Theater”, so that’s how I found it here.
Anyway, I am so glad that Lost Memory at least added the place, as it’s a pretty building, in good shape it appears, and deserves perhaps a little recongnition on the site….
Any more information on the place would be appreciated, as all we have to go by here is the photo Lost posted that appears to show it was an X Rated theater for a while.
Here’s the photos from a couple weeks ago I took. It’s a nice looking building:
Wow,that photo shows how beautiful this theater was. It may be a diamond in the rough, but hopefully one day it can be restored. At least it is still operating as a theater, and not gutted like so many other theaters.
How is it triplexed? One theater downstairs, and the balcony divided in two?
Ironic you should post these photos….I saw 101 Dalmations on the marquee….and that’s the movie I saw in the El Captian, the only time I was ever inside….only difference was it was the “live” version of 101 Dalmations. This has to be almost 10 years ago or so.
I still am amazed every time I walk past the Empire, most recently about a week ago, that it has been moved. I am just also equally amazed that they decided to do that instead of tearing the place down. GREAT photo! I still can’t understand how something like this is even possible. The building had to be lifted off it’s foundation, and it’s a brick building!
Actually I think the first photo from Dec 11th is more recent than the second one from the 14th. When I was in key west about two years ago, it was already the Walgreens drug store, because I went in there to check the place out. I think it was the Ripleys before that.
Jim, I use gmail for cinematreasures….it lumps all the messages into one message if from the same sender, so I could have 40 emails from cinematreasures in a day, yet it only shows as one in my inbox…and I get to keep current with the site! I am very happy with the results…..
Here is a photo of the old Peerless Theater taken in 1969, when from the old Myrtle Ave el. The theater IS in fact the same building as Ken Roe photographed in 2005, with links above…. It’s a spectacular photo of the old building, the old marquee abandoned, but still there….
Of course the entire fascade of the building is original, and according to someone’s photos of the interior somewhere up above, still showed some of the theater’s original ornamentation.
Yes, that is true….but I dunno about anyone being able to spend $12 Million on the theater would keep it intact as a theater. The building may survive, but at that price, I don’t think it could be profitable as a theater, and certainly not a church.
Did the church that was in it own the building or rent it?
But it’s the current owners that are getting the ret from the use of the theatr for the concert….we don’t know what the new buyer will want to do with it….
Well granted, Steinway St in Astoria is probably a more expensive business district than Graham Ave….but point well taken, $25 million is just ridiculous, even for Astoria!
WHAT a sad state the Saenger has fallen into since the last time I saw it 4 years ago! Here’s a photo I took of the Saenger Theater about two weeks ago when I was in New Orleans for Mardis Gras. New Orleans looked good…at least the touristy areas like the French Quarter, Downtown, and the Garden District looked as beautiful as usual…. They need our tourist dollars desperately, so please visit New Orleans, they are ready and waiting, and there’s nothing wrong with the areas anyone would visit as a tourist.
But since they did get some water along Canal St during the flood, the theaters along Canal suffered greatly. Even though it wasn’t terribly flooded like other areas, remember a foot of water on Canal St is brutal for the theaters, which remember, you enter at ground level into, but SLOPE down to the stage…so a foot of water may not seem like much outside….but as it rushes into a theater towards the stage, it inundates an orchestra level…. All four of the theaters along Canal, the Saenger, the State, and the Joy are now closed (the Joy was closed prior to the flood, but usable). The Orpehum alos had serious damage, but I forgot to check the place out to see if it reopened.
Anyway, here’s a photo of the sad Saenger Theater, which certainly saw better days. It’s status can also be changed to closed until further notice too….it even had a for sale sign on it….
Click here for some current photos of the Saenger Theater
Click here for photo 1
Click here for photo 2
Click Here for photo 3
WHAT a sad state (no pun intended) this theater has fallen into since the last time I saw it 4 years ago! Here’s a photo I took of the State Theater about two weeks ago when I was in New Orleans for Mardis Gras. New Orleans looked good…at least the touristy areas like the French Quarter, Downtown, and the Garden District looked as beautiful as usual…. They need our tourist dollars desperately, so please visit New Orleans, they are ready and waiting, and there’s nothing wrong with the areas anyone would visit as a tourist.
But since they did get some water along Canal St during the flood, the theaters along Canal suffered greatly. Even though it wasn’t terribly flooded like other areas, remember a foot of water on Canal St is brutal for the theaters, which remember, you enter at ground level into, but SLOPE down to the stage…so a foot of water may not seem like much outside….but as it rushes into a theater towards the stage, it inundates an orchestra level…. All four of the theaters along Canal, the Saenger, the State, and the Joy are now closed (the Joy was closed prior to the flood, but usable). The Orpehum alos had serious damage, but I forgot to check the place out to see if it reopened.
Anyway, here’s a photo of the sad Loews State, which certainly saw better days. It’s status can also be changed to closed until further notice too….it even had a for sale sign on it….
Excuse the quality as I took it with from the Canal St Streetcar:
Click here for current photo of the State Theater
Here are two photos I took of the Ritz Theater, aka “The Masquerade” last week….just before seeing the Giants beat the Patriots in the Superbowl!!
Actually, I was somewhat surprised at the lack of comments here on the site about the Ritz! I was hoping to find more information about it after discovering the place last week. I can’t imagine that there would be so little interest in it, as Ybor City is right in the middle of Tampa. Perhaps “Masquerade” should be added as an aka name, as that’s the name on the place as the concert hall? It does still have one small sign that says “Ritz Theater”, so that’s how I found it here.
Anyway, I am so glad that Lost Memory at least added the place, as it’s a pretty building, in good shape it appears, and deserves perhaps a little recongnition on the site….
Any more information on the place would be appreciated, as all we have to go by here is the photo Lost posted that appears to show it was an X Rated theater for a while.
Here’s the photos from a couple weeks ago I took. It’s a nice looking building:
Click here for Photo1
Click Here for Photo2
Wow,that photo shows how beautiful this theater was. It may be a diamond in the rough, but hopefully one day it can be restored. At least it is still operating as a theater, and not gutted like so many other theaters.
How is it triplexed? One theater downstairs, and the balcony divided in two?
Ironic you should post these photos….I saw 101 Dalmations on the marquee….and that’s the movie I saw in the El Captian, the only time I was ever inside….only difference was it was the “live” version of 101 Dalmations. This has to be almost 10 years ago or so.
I am going to be in New Orleans next week….I’ll see if I can get some current photos of some of the theaters…..
I still am amazed every time I walk past the Empire, most recently about a week ago, that it has been moved. I am just also equally amazed that they decided to do that instead of tearing the place down. GREAT photo! I still can’t understand how something like this is even possible. The building had to be lifted off it’s foundation, and it’s a brick building!
Actually I think the first photo from Dec 11th is more recent than the second one from the 14th. When I was in key west about two years ago, it was already the Walgreens drug store, because I went in there to check the place out. I think it was the Ripleys before that.
I wish we could come up with some historical photos of this building.
Yes, I noticed that the Imerial looked a lot better now than when I took my photo in 2004. One day I should take a current photo of it.
I wonder why they don’t just call it Jamaica Center Multiplex Cinemas!
Wow, this theater is a real gem! I remember passing by it last time I was in the Los Angeles area.
I wonder what they tore down next to the Apollo on the left. I don’t remember a vacant lot last time I was by about a year ago.
I think the Pink Panther also always used “Acme” businesses.
Did you buy all those two family houses that were knocked down last year adjacent to the Stop and Shop parking lot?
Did you buy all those two family houses that were knocked down last year adjacent to the Stop and Shop parking lot?
Jim, I use gmail for cinematreasures….it lumps all the messages into one message if from the same sender, so I could have 40 emails from cinematreasures in a day, yet it only shows as one in my inbox…and I get to keep current with the site! I am very happy with the results…..
Here is a photo of the old Peerless Theater taken in 1969, when from the old Myrtle Ave el. The theater IS in fact the same building as Ken Roe photographed in 2005, with links above…. It’s a spectacular photo of the old building, the old marquee abandoned, but still there….
View link
Wow the place looks great!
Beautiful. The place is still a wonder.
Here’s the photo “Woody” posted:
View link
Here’s Warren’s historical interior photo, which shows the same ornamentation:
View link
Of course the entire fascade of the building is original, and according to someone’s photos of the interior somewhere up above, still showed some of the theater’s original ornamentation.
Yes, that is true….but I dunno about anyone being able to spend $12 Million on the theater would keep it intact as a theater. The building may survive, but at that price, I don’t think it could be profitable as a theater, and certainly not a church.
Did the church that was in it own the building or rent it?
But it’s the current owners that are getting the ret from the use of the theatr for the concert….we don’t know what the new buyer will want to do with it….
Well granted, Steinway St in Astoria is probably a more expensive business district than Graham Ave….but point well taken, $25 million is just ridiculous, even for Astoria!