Academy of Music

Hello-

I was under the impression that this Academy of Music’s neighbor Luchow’s wasn’t in the strict sense of the word “demolished” but was felled by as I put it a “business fire”.

I too am sorry to be off topic. I wish I got into the Harlem Opera House. What a loss. It was a bowling alley at the end. Did you get any pictures?

I have been trying to get into the Victoria for years.

DaveM, The Cort Theater which is a Broadway House is a Lamb theater as is the Loew’s Canal, the RKO Hamilton, The Regent and the Victoria. The Cort is in great shape. The Hamilton is not quite a wreck but is in not great shape but there does not appear to be too much water damage, However, I photographed it in 2006 and it was photographed recently and there has been some more vandalism, graffiti mostly. The Regent is a church and is in decent shape. The Victoria is on it’s way to be landmarked hopefully as is the old Loew’s Canal. These theaters are intact and salvageable. You are right though, it is very disheartening.

Re Warren Harris' 2/11/08 post about Judas Priest vs the Theater Historical Society Conclave: I was there and can vouch for the story. My recollection is that when we didn’t leave at JP’s first demand, they actually turned up the volume. (I’m not sure how—it was already at “11”.)

I haven’t really been following what’s been going on in Manhattan since I left in the mid 80s—the assault on the few remaining Thomas Lamb houses is disheartening. Is it possible that the only intact Lamb theaters in Manhattan are the Mark Hellinger and the 175th Street?

Marjoriei, the Yiddish Art is here;
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and The Anderson is here;
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The Fillmore East was not on 12th. It was closer to 6th street.
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What a wonderful thread! Arrived here because I was researching the old Anderson Theater on Second Avenue. A quick correction to an earlier comment: The Anderson was never the Yiddish Art Theatre. That was on 2nd Avenue and 12th street (yup, later the Fillmore East). The Yiddish Art Theatre was built specifically for the Yiddish actor Maurice Schwartz (“Mr Second Avenue”) in 1926, and the space later became the home of the Phoenix Theatre.

Wow, so many people loved this theater/nightclub! Just to mention a few points: When the Academy of Music was turned into the Palladium by the Studio 54 guys – the nightclub was built “within” the theater, the beautiful ornate decor of the theater was still there. I always liked to climb up as far as possible and just sit, listen to the music, and admire the beautiful theater above and around me. In the 1990’s this was probably the largest theater still in NYC, over 3600 seats! (next to Radio City), a part of New York history that amazingly was not landmarked!! So many people complain about the destruction of classic theater buildings of decades ago, they
seem to be horror-struck! – But what happened here?? This building was destroyed in 1998!!! Where was the outcry?? Those at NYU that are responsible for destoying such a beautiful part of New York history, will NEVER BE FORGIVEN for this outrage!!

Click here for a photograph of the Academy of Music taken in 1931.

Showing movies as The Palladium in 1975.

View link

A great video chronicling the theatre’s days as the Palladium nightclub, a couple of year’s before its demolition:

http://tinyurl.com/yaf5bz8

I grew up on the Lower East Side and if you went to the Academy of Music to see a movie, you were really “moving on up”. My mom took me to see “The King & I” w/Yul Brynner (it was just on TCM). We never went to Luchow’s, as she shied away from German food, but the Automat was right down the block at 14th & Union Square, near Klein’s.