Palladium Times Square
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
33 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 175 of 577 comments
06/26/74 FOR PETE’S SAKE
07/26/74 DEATH WISH
11/22/74 THE KLANSMAN
12/20/74 MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
01/31/75 YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
03/14/75 ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
05/02/75 TEN LITTLE INDIANS
05/23/75 BREAKOUT
07/18/75 ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH
08/22/75 RUSSIAN ROULETTE
09/12/75 MITCHELL!
09/19/75 PAPILLON
09/26/75 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR
12/19/75 THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING
02/20/76 I WILL, I WILL … FOR NOW
03/05/76 MAN FRIDAY
03/26/76 GIVE ‘EM HELL, HARRY!
04/02/76 ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE/ DELIVERANCE
04/09/76 ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
06/25/76 LOGAN’S RUN
08/13/76 THE SHOOTIST
09/17/76 closed?
10/22/76 MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH
10/29/76 THE OUTER SPACE CONNECTION
11/12/76 TWO-MINUTE WARNING
12/24/76 VOTAGE OF THE DAMNED
02/11/77 THE CASSANDRA CROSSING
03/04/77 TAXI DRIVER
03/18/77 JAWS OF DEATH
03/25/77 THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
04/15/77 ISLANDS IN THE STREAM
04/29/77 PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN/RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER
05/06/77 closed?
05/25/77 STAR WARS
07/28/78 NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE
11/03/78 THE WIZ
12/22/78 SUPERMAN
04/06/79 THE CHAMP
06/15/79 PROPHECY
07/13/79 THE WANDERERS
08/10/79 MEATBALLS
08/17/79 STAR WARS
09/14/79 CITY ON FIRE
09/21/79 A TOUCH OF CLASS/ I WILL, I WILL…FOR NOW
09/28/79 A MAN, A WOMAN AND A BANK
10/05/79 TOURIST TRAP
10/12/79 THE GRATEFUL DEAD
10/19/79 METEOR
11/09/79 FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
12/07/79 AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
12/21/79 THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN
This was one of the largest movie screens in Manhattan! Truly a shame that they closed it down!
I think the only new release I ever saw there was the remake of KING KONG in 1976. I saw several revivals there, including THE GODFATHER, APOCOLYPSE NOW REDUX and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.
I’ve been to the Nokia Theatre only once last summer, to see the four original members of the rock band ASIA. They were also the first concert I ever saw back in 1983.
A photo of the marquee as the THE READE can be found in a NY times article January 1, 1973 (Subway noise Threatens Read Theatre Opebing). THE READE never opened and Walter Reade theatres walked away when the subway noise problem proved impossible to solve.
Doesn’t matter, Ed – you made them available in the best possible place. I never would have found the French website, most likely.
I can’t lay claim to taking those interior shots, guys. I lifted them from the following French website that has something to do with a tour of US cinemas accompanying the THSA:
http://www.silverscreens.com/thsa.php
The only shot that’s truly mine is of the Nokia marquee from November of 2005.
Thanks Ed – thought I’d never see the old Astor Plaza again …
Great photos Ed.
I’m re-posting my photo from December 6th here as I had to reorganize my photobucket account and break the original link.
I saw the nokia theatre on tv last night during ESPN’s telecast of the heisman trophy award show and boy, it looks like a great place to see a concert or an awards show.
Here’s a nighttime shot of the enormous all-digital Nokia marquee taken just a few nights ago. It is much larger than the old Astor Plaza marquee – starting over the entrance at about the same spot but extending almost all the way to the corner of Broadway and 44th.
View link
The shot is taken from the opposite perspective from the photo that appears with the theater description above.
I think the last movie I saw at the Astor Plaza was “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1992. There really was nothing all that special about this place from an architectural perspective (same can be said of the Ziegfeld Theater), but at least it was a big single-screen house where presentation seemed to matter. This should be a top notch venue for musical performances. I look forward to the opportunity to see a show here. It’s sad to say goodbye to the movie theater, but as some of the posts here have been saying, better a concert hall than a parking lot or retail space.
Yeah, I didn’t remember the chandeliers either. They looked “older”, but I guess they were added now then. They are in the main auditorium. I used the word “chandelier” as I don’t know what else to call them. They are HUGE, round light fixtures, surrounded in crystal. Again, they didn’t look “new”, but don’t know if they are from the Aster Plaza days or not.
The crystal chandeliers have to be new – there were never any chandeliers when it was Loews, other than a few suspended tin-can fixtures above the box office counter.
What a great post! I have wondered what the end result of the conversion was, it does not sound too bad. As you said, better than a retail space, at least it’s still an entertaimnment venue. Thanks again for keeping us posted.
Well, I visited the “Astor Plaza” Theater last night, although of course it is now the Nokia Theatre. (I know it may hurt, but I believe in keeping with the policy of this website, it may have to be changed above, and Unfortunately, “Astor Plaza” may now have to become the secondary name. Anyway, “closed/renovating” can also be changed to “open”.
Well, last night was the second night of the new theater. The new marquee was beautiful. My visit there was sort of bittersweet, as it’s a shame that it is no longer the Astor Plaza…but it is attractive. “Social Distortion” was the first band to open up the new Nokia Theatre, and that’s who I went to see. (they are also playing Tuesday and Wed of this week there).
The escalators look similar to the way it always was, but that’s where it ends. Everything is new, and nothing really remains of the old Astor Plaza. At the bottom of the escalators, is a bar area. Once inside the auditorium, it has been completely redone. The seats have been completely ripped out, and the front two tiers now has hardwood floors. This concert was general admission, so those two tiers are standing room, like most of this type of concerts are.
The rear back tier still has all the seats, but it was closed off from the first two tiers with thick blaock draperies.
The only thing I believe remains from the Astor Plaza are four huge round crystal chandeliers, and they were lit when we all came in, and during the breaks between the three bands that played there last night. They were out during the concert. There are also two VIP areas on either side of the stage, that are reached with two stairways on either side, from the second tier.
There is also another bar area down the hall, and a “concession area” selling stuff like chips and Snapple in another area. The hall is lined with attractive floral print carpet.
The place of course was fresh and brand new smelling, of course that was also muted a bit with the smell of alcohol. Strange seeing people walking around with alcohol and wave dancing in the middle of the Astor Plaza…
All told, again, it was sort of bittersweet being there last night, but must say the Nokia Theatre is attractive. At least it’s still some sort of theater, even if a concert venue. It’s better than being cut up into retail space. It’s in good hands, even if not the beloved Astor Plaza anymore.
More about the Nokia Theatre, from the venue’s website. What’s below is fairly redundant in comparison to the Billboard.com piece, but it does add a few new details and some additional information…
Nokia Theatre Times Square will bring entertainment’s hottest performers to New York’s most famous destination when the new 2100-capacity concert venue, developed and operated by AEG LIVE, officially opens this September. Nokia Theatre Times Square, located at 1515 Broadway, the corner of Broadway and 44th Street in the Viacom/MTV building, will be an innovative, multi-use theater that can be transformed to accommodate a wide array of events including concerts, live television and web broadcasts, live recordings, award shows and cocktail receptions. Currently undergoing a $21 million renovation in the former Loews Astor Plaza movie theatre, the theatre will have a capacity that ranges from 1500 â€" 2100 depending on the event. Tickets for upcoming shows at Nokia Theatre Times Square will be available at www.nokiatheatrenyc.com, through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (212) 307-7171.
“As I consider myself a ‘programmer’ at heart, it’s hard to get excited about any venue, however, that all changed when I stood on the new stage at Nokia Theatre Times Square,” said Randy Phillips, President & CEO, AEG LIVE. “Our team of ‘industry experts’ has created a very special, unique, spectacular theatre and environment that the artists will clearly appreciate and fall in love with. It is truly the perfect marriage of brilliant talent, incredibly clear and balanced acoustics and unparalleled sightlines blended together in a completely consumer friendly and interactive environment at the “World’s best known address.”
David Rockwell, the award winning architect and designer, and the Rockwell Group are the architects and designers of Nokia Theatre Times Square. It is a theatre that was designed to be user-friendly and give both the fans and artists an overall superior event and concert experience. The auditorium will feature two VIP mezzanines with lounge seating, a state of the art in-house lighting system and an in-house sound system by JBL. Backstage there will be luxury dressing room suites with full bathrooms including showers, flat-screen TV’s and wireless Internet capabilities for band and crew. There will also be a Green room that will be able to seat 30 band, crew and VIP’s, a warming pantry that will tailor to the artists specific catering and cooking needs.
The Nokia Theatre Times Square marquee is an 85 foot long LED, high definition screen, capable of displaying both live and digital video. It is one of the largest marquees on Broadway, directly connected to the MTV marquee and is manufactured by Mitsubishi. It will have interactive text messaging capabilities with the fans and live events will be able to be broadcast live from the stage directly to the marquee in real time. Distributed throughout the venue will be five media panels that will terminate at the marquee, allowing electronic media outlets to plug directly into the marquee to access live footage from inside the theatre. The theatre is also wired directly to the MTV studios.
Included in the theatre will be the Nokia Lounge which will provide a relaxing atmosphere where guests and fans will have the opportunity to charge their wireless phones, get hands-on experience with new Nokia products and services, download mobile content like games, videos and ring tones and enter promotions among other activities. In addition, Studio Red, a division of Rockwell Group, have created a three dimensional connection between great entertainment and the Nokia Mobile experience with the Nokia Lounge, Vision Wall and equalizer.
The Nokia Theatre Times Square is a further expansion of the existing relationship between Nokia and AEG. The partnership already encompasses Nokia Theatre Los Angeles, a recently announced 7,000-seat theater in an AEG -developed sports & entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, Club Nokia a 2,500 concert venue, also in the district and Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie (Texas), a 6,000 seat theatre.
From Billboard.com…
Nokia Comes To Broadway
August 03, 2005, 12:00 PM ET
Nokia Theatre Times Square To Open In Sept.
By Ray Waddell, Nashville
The 2,100-capacity Nokia Theatre Times Square, AEG’s newest concert venue, will open in September. Tickets for many shows are already set to go on sale Aug. 12.
The venue is being developed and operated by AEG subsidiary AEG Live, who spent nearly $21 million renovating the old Loews Theatre at 1515 Broadway in Times Square.
The debut lineup includes Social Distortion (Oct. 1-5), Nickel Creek (Oct. 7), Steve Winwood (Oct. 10), Danzig (Oct. 17), Norm MacDonald (Oct. 20), Les Claypool (Oct. 21), Rusted Root (Oct. 22), Slipknot (Oct. 30-Nov. 1), Hanson (Nov. 2), Switchfoot (Nov. 3), Simple Plan (Nov. 8-9), Bauhaus (Nov. 11-12), Pat Green/Dierks Bentley/Cross Canadian Ragweed (Nov. 14), Coheed and Cambria (Nov. 16-17), Guster (Nov. 18-19), the Meters (Nov. 25), Donovan (Dec. 1), Rick Springfield (Dec. 2), and Brad Paisley with Sara Evans and Sugarland (Dec. 7).
In an earlier interview, AEG CEO Tim Leiweke told Billboard.biz building such theaters was a high priority “simply because if you look at the music business, there aren’t a lot of new artists that can fill up an arena. Realistically, some of the best music today is [by] people like Norah Jones or Alicia Keys that are more suited for the intimacy of a 6,000- to 7,000-seat theater. So we are clearly focused on trying to build these, and that’s going to continue to be a high priority for our company.”
Designer David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group are the architects and designers of Nokia Theatre Times Square. The auditorium will feature two VIP mezzanines with lounge seating, a state of the art in-house lighting system and an in-house sound system by JBL. Backstage there will be luxury dressing room suites with full bathrooms including showers, flat-screen TV’s and wireless Internet capabilities for band and crew. There will also be a green room that will be able to seat 30 band, crew and VIP’s, a warming pantry that will tailor to the artists specific catering and cooking needs.
The Nokia Theatre Times Square marquee is an 85 foot long LED, high definition screen, capable of displaying both live and digital video. It is one of the largest marquees on Broadway, directly connected to the MTV marquee and is manufactured by Mitsubishi. It will have interactive text messaging capabilities with the fans and live events will be able to be broadcast live from the stage directly to the marquee in real time.
Distributed throughout the venue will be five media panels that will terminate at the marquee, allowing electronic media outlets to plug directly into the marquee to access live footage from inside the theatre. The theatre is also wired directly to the MTV studios.
The Nokia Theatre Times Square is a further expansion of the existing relationship between Nokia and AEG. The partnership already encompasses Nokia Theatre Los Angeles, a recently announced 7,000-seat theater in an AEG -developed sports & entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, Club Nokia a 2,500 concert venue, also in the district on downtown L.A., and Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie (Texas), a 6,000 seat theatre.
According to the renderings on the site listed above by br91975, they have built balconies along the side walls of the auditorium. Also in the description it states the theatre will have a capacity of 2100, but they omit the word ‘seats’. Another of the renderings shows the orchestra and the audience appears to be standing. Apparently the space will have the ability to be reconfigured for different functions, i.e., concert hall, banquet hall, etc. It is interesting that the architect of the Nokia Theatre is David Rockwell/Rockwell Group, a firm Loews engaged on a number of their newer plexes.
The website for the Nokia Theatre is up-and-running @ http://www.nokiatheatrenyc.com/; there isn’t much to look at as of now, save for one sketch prominently featuring the new marquee (which, in reality, is still largely covered by scaffolding), and another partial one of the auditorium.
Saw Ken Russell’s ‘Altered States’ here.
Here is the ad for the film everyone remembers the Astor Plaza for
View link
…and it’s, at least in part (from what I saw a couple of weeks ago), a marquee of the LED variety.
Well the new marquee for the Nokia Theatre is up and running now.
The scaffolding over the theatre says that the Nokia is “coming fall 2005.” Any word on a date?
The Astor Plaza was among the theatres included in the original limited-market launch of “Star Wars.” Opening-day gross at Astor Plaza was $20,322.
Source: Daily Variety (5/27/77).