Henry Miller's Theatre
124 W. 43rd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
124 W. 43rd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 70 comments
I saw Urinetown there. The whole facade of the building was totally covered and there was a protective covering over the sidewalk. The chandelier was still in place but it was in protective netting.
As far as the Sondheim build is concerned, it’s awful. The place has no ambience or leg room.
The write up should probably note the reason Cabaret left Henry Miller’s was because the building was shut dawn when a crane working on the construction of 4 Times Square next door collapsed, leading to 43rd St being closed for just over a month. Although they were able to reopen, Roundabout Theatre Company, which was producing it, scrambled to find another theatre and lucked out when they were told that Studio 54 was available. Studio 54 was a bigger venue, and the show was such a hit that moving it and turning it into an open-ended run filled the company’s coffers for years. Heck, it played there for so long that Roundabout was able to buy Studio 54 outright.
Meanwhile the only reason Urinetown even played in Henry Miller’s was because the show’s dystopian setting fit the aesthetic of a ruined theatre. It wasn’t supposed to be there long, but proved to be a surprise hit and extended.
But even then, the theatre was a mess, and was going to be demolished anyway. That the tower that replaced it incorporates a theatre behind the facade was largely done because of a combination of zoning inducements (much like the Gershwin and Minskoff in their respective buildings, including the theatre allowed the tower to be built taller under special Theater District zoning rules) and the urging of Anita Durst, who is a theatre supporter.
I went there once when it was Xenon, circa 1981. Beautiful building. Sad that it is gone now. I remember the coat check girl was dressed in leopard skin.
The Henry Miller Theater was also the home of one of New York’s most celebrated Disco’s “Xenon” from 1978 to 1984. Later it was the home to another popular Disco called “Shout”. Xenon was the only club to rival Studio 54 which was also housed in an old theater, the Gallo Opera House on 54th Street. Other celebrated theater Discos were Palladium (Academy of Music) on 14th Street, The Saint (Loew’s Commodore) on 2nd Avenue/6th Street, Club USA (The Forum) Broadway & 49th. They were all incredible structures and all but Studio 54 have been lost.
This was the first porno theater I ever tried to enter — I was about 15, and the manager at the door wouldn’t let me in, saying “You don’t wanna know what goes on in here.” But I really did want to know…!
Alas, it wasn’t until Cabaret opened here, decades later, that I finally passed through these hallowed portals.
I remember seeing “Boys in the Sand” at this theater. It was the first main stream male porn film,and was highly advertised in local papers.Because it did very well at the boxoffice, many other male films soon followed.
was in here a few times when it was th Park-Miller, porn house. Returned many years later, when it was the Kit Kat Klub for the 1990s revival the legit tuner “Cabaret”
Argah; I meant too, not two.
I am sorry for the confusion; I was referring to the Harris and Selwyn in Chicago, not New York. The New Yorker I was referring to was in Toronto. See my comment of September 15. I was giving examples of theaters whose facades remain but have entirely new theaters behind them. Thanks for bringing up the Lyric and Apollo; they two are good examples.
The Harris? Is there a theater behind that front wall? I think you mean the Lyric and Apollo, which kept the 42nd and 43rd Street facades and many architectural ornamentation, but lost their roofs and everything else and were gutted to the ground; a brand-new theater was constructed on the site, much as the Miller was.
The Selwyn? That was truly a renovation, since the auditorium is intact and was extensively renovated back to its original look. The lobby did collapse during construction and was rebuilt.
I’m not familiar with the New Yorker. Care to elaborate?
AlAlvarez: what you say is certainly true, but in the case of those multiplexes, at least the outer shell or much of it remains as well, perhaps, as the facade, and there have been many other cases where a theater’s interior has been gutted to the walls and a new theater interior built. But in the case of the Miller, the Harris, the Selwyn, and the New Yorker, all that remains of them are their front walls (albeit some very magnificent front walls), which I do not think is enough to say that that the new theaters built behind them are rebuilds or renovations. If all that is needed to preserve a theater is the survival of a wall, then there is at least a possibility perhaps one day we will have a Paramount theater back at Times Square. (Well, we can dream can’t we?)
CWalcak, most classic theatres that operate as multiplexes today have little or nothing left of the original interior shell.
For the sake of consistency though, this theater should still be listed as Closed/Demolished, as all that remains is the restored facade. What happened to to the Henry Miller is identical to what happened to the former New Yorker Theatre in Toronto – the facade was retained, but everything else behind it is all new and the place is now the Panasonic Theatre, which is not listed as the current name of the theater here on CT nor as an aka for the New Yorker. Neither would be reasonable to say that Cinestage/Selwyn and Michael Todd/Harris still exist in Chicago though their facades remain as part of the Goodman Theater.
The new rebuilt theatre is now known as the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, it seats 1055.
The theater has been rebuilt and has been opened since last fall. The staus should show open braoadway theater.
The crane crash was during the construction of the Millennium Hotel across the street which, ironically, has incorporated the exquisite “Hudson Theater” into the hotel and serves as a conference center and event space. The theater is spectacularly renovated and is a hidden gem that most theater enthusiasts forget exists.
And don’t forget the successful revival of Cabaret originated there when it was the Kit Kat Club. Then a piece of something from the levelling of the surrounding buildings crashed through the roof and the show transferred to Studio 54 (which began it’s life as the Gallo Opera House).
One could argue that the Miller’s greatest success was serving as two of New York’s most renowned discos: Xenon and Shout for many years!
Hopefully it will do better under the Sondheim name. It’s career as the Miller was checkered. It’s ironic that one of it’s biggest hits in recent years was Urinetown when the theatre was due to be levelled.
Might anyone have pictures of this theatre while it was the PARK-MILLER?
Thanks!
On March 22, 2010, on his eightieth birthday, it was announced that Henry Miller’s Theatre would be renamed to honour American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
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My goof the opening show will be Bye Bye Birdie. Per Warren’s earlier posting.
Good news, the new Henry Miller behind the landmark facade which was kept in tact while the new office complex was being erected is due to open with a revival of Grease. Don’t know anything about the number of seats the new auditorium will have. Or, for that matter any architectural elements from the original will be in place. When more is known we can get into the open/closed/demolished debate.
LOL, Saps!
This was the first porno theater I ever tried to enter — I was about 15, and the manager at the door wouldn’t let me in, saying “You don’t wanna know what goes on in here.” But I did!
Alas, it wasn’t until Cabaret opened here, decades later, that I finally passed through these hallowed portals.