Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
86 people
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Showing 451 - 475 of 1,564 comments
You never know with the editing but we taped much more this morning. I assume some of which will be combined with footage at my house that shows off a variety of artifacts and memorabilia that can be a part of a Loew’s Kings Vaudeville/Movie Museum.
During today’s visit I noticed that the magnificent drapery that hung above the proscenium was no longer there!
I certainly agree that the New Amsterdam was the catalyst that changed Times Square and Loew’s Kings can do the same for Flatbush Avenue.
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Can’t find an official web site for ACE, based on a couple quick basic web searches. Anyone know how to look these guys up?
NY1 had a live report from the Loews Kings this morning, interviewing the head of the EDC. He said that the project is fully funded and that the company selected (ACE)has a solid record of restoring theaters, having recently completed one in Chicago and currently working on a resotration in New Orleans. They did not mention any names. They showed the same graphics that the NY Times did on their website; showing that the old marquee will be stripped away in favor of a new one styled on the original plus the resoration of a Blade though it was not clear what the blade would say. It also said up to 500 people will be employed during the restoration with 50 permanent employees after completion in 2013. Great news all around!
Now, how about the Loews Canal????? :–)
In response to the NYT article, a large number of comments were also posted. They are certainly worth a look and provide a healthy cross-section of opinion. I have linked these comments below. (If the link does not work, you can still access the comments, albeit less directly, via the previously provided link to the NYT article.)
Enjoy.
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Lets hope it works this time and all the Loews Wonder Theatres will still be open in some way or another.
Because it is NOT trivial, even remotely comparatively. The city has been working for YEARS on getting this done. They did the same thing for the New Amsterdam and that was the catalyst that 42nd street needed. No one is comparing Flatbush Avenue to the Great White Way, however, the Kings IS comparable to the New Amsterdam architecturally and that is very high praise.
There is a built in audience for this type of venue. in a “city” of 2.6MM there is precious little in the way of performing arts spaces. No disrespect to BAM, but there is room for much more. This is an investment in the future of this city, like the 2nd Avenue Subway, the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson and East River waterfronts, Hudson Yards, Atlantic Yards, Willets Point, etc. In these tough times….this is when you make these investments!
Dear Scott,
Just because you didn’t know about it, doesn’t mean that I was not involved in the most recent developments. However I considered confidentiality more important than tooting my own horn.
The best news of all is that Ace Theatricals has stated: ‘We will recreate what it looks like when it was first put into use, we will be able to very accurately recreate what is no longer there and restore what is there.“ I never wanted to see this cathedral of the ornate multiplexed. I always wanted to see it return to it’s roots as a live theater.
Bruce1
Here’s a link to the complete NY Times story—
At a Neglected Movie Palace, Cobwebs Are Given Notice (NYT 02/03/2010)
It seems architects Martinez + Johnson have experience with historic opera houses and such: View link
I hope this project comes to fruition.
Yes, I forgot to include The Apollo where I saw Dreamgirls in December! I loved it! Right down the street, The Victoria is just sitting there as well, though I have little hope for this theater.
Radio City still has an occassional film and the Ziegfeld (which I count as a movie palace) is still showing movies regularly.
Too bad the only one of the great theatres you mentioned (Loews Jersey) still screens films as part of their schedule.
This restoration adds yet another spectacular restored Movie Palace to New York. No other city (except perhaps Los Angeles) can rival the number and quality of these restored palaces. Radio City, The New Amsterdam, The Hollywood, The Beacon, Loew’s 175th Street, The Ziegfeld, Loews Paradise, Loews Valencia, Loews Jersey, The Stanley (yes, I know the last 2 are in Jersey City but they are close enough), The Elmwood, Loews Metropolitan, The St. George. Loews Kings will take its place among the absolute best of restored palaces in the entire country if not the world.
Still to come…..Staten Island’s Paramount, The Brooklyn Paramount and what I think will be the biggest surprise of all, Loews Canal!
I think that this is part of a growing trend that sees these old spaces as valued community assets and also as profitable business ventures. Check out the playing dates for United Palace, Loew’s Paradise, St. George, the Wellmont in Montclair, the coming SI Paramount. And after the successful run of “Dreamgirls” at the Apollo, I wouldn’t be surprised that some smart producer recognizes that there is no reason for the Theatre District to be limited to Times Square and the power players there, if they can get an audience to a good size space at lower rent elsewhere. Believe me, as much as the Broadway League wants to blame the working people of the the theatre for the high ticket cost, the bulk of the money goes into the pocket of the theatre owner, whom the producer can’t afford to alienate.
This is fantastic news. I hope to one day enter this gorgeous theater to see a movie with my family. I lived in Brooklyn throughout my childhood, but I was only 3 years old when it closed. I have been following it’s decline and reliving the memories of others throughout the years and I am so delighted that this gem is going to shine again.
I have to agree that it’s a miracle this theater has not faced a wrecking ball in the past 33 years, and make no mistake it is because of the undesirable location. Had the Kings been situated in Park Slope or another area that has been rejuvinated over the years, it would have been dust long ago.
Agreed John! One need look no further than the fates of The Roxy, The Capitol, The Center, The Forum, The Paramount, The original Ziegfeld, The Hammerstein, The Olympia, and on and on.
The Loews Kings is most likely still with us because it is in Flatbush.
In today’s NYT article on this subject, someone is quoted as saying that had the Kings been situated in midtown Manhattan, it would never have been left to deteriorate and would have been returned to its past glory many years ago.
I think the reality is, had it been so located – and had it not been named Radio City Music Hall – the Kings would have faced the wrecking ball decades ago to make way for “progress”.
So, being situated somewhat outside the center of things does have its benefits.
“Islands in the Stream” was the the last film to play under the Loew’s banner. Somewhere among all of these posts I printed some information I found that the theatre was operated independantly for a short time on two different occasions.
On the NY Times web site there is a small slide show. one of them shows a rendering of the renovated exterior. It shows the current boxy marquee removed and replaced with a marquee in the style of the beautiful original. Even better, it shows a Blade where the original “Loews” blade was. we can’t make out what it says, but I doubt it will say Loew’s. I wish it did. This is very exciting.
As wonderful as the restoration of the Loews Jersey has been, the icing on that cake would be the removal of its current hideous marquee with a recreation of the original + Blade which was similar in style to the Kings.
YAY!!!!! What wonderful news! Though the theater is not expected to formally reopen until 2014, the news that it will reopen at all is incredible! There is much work to be done and $70MM should be enough. That was about the amount of money spent on Radio City during its original restoration many years ago.
I was always confident this theater would be saved when others were so negative. I attended two for the theater tours conducted by the city for interested developers. My observations of those visits are posted above. This theater is truly spectacular and will be a jewel for Brooklyn.
Brooklyn has a population of 2.6MM and has just 2 significant performing arts venues. The Brooklyn Academy of Music and the PAC at Brooklyn College. There is room more much more.
Now that the Kings is on its way to recover, it is time to press Long Island Univertity on how it is going to restore The Brooklyn Paramount!
awesome news!!!!
This sounds good! Congrats to Brooklyn. Now, on to the Uptown here in Chicago!
Good news MarcH,maybe something will finally be done.
This is really great news1 I hope Marty and the designated developer can pull it off. Good luck! Go Brooklyn!!
The only time I ever saw a movie here was in the 1970’s – shortly before it closed – when I caught a Sunday matinee performance of Rollerball, with James Caan. As I remember it, the place – or at least the first tier – was packed.
Good news in the New York Times today. Theater finds an “angel” and is set for possible reopening in 2014.
Looks promising.
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