Wow where was this 10 years ago? It’s nice to know that Ridgewood has got a date with the NYC LPC in March but thats one place out of many that can still be saved but unfortunatley some of these landmarks have gone the way of the wreckers ball.
One down(Ridgewood)and so many more to go. To bad we didn’t have someone like Michael before the devistation of the Madison. Enen in this day and age of cable & vidio even the multiplex theatres are hurting. Most multiplexes will take a major first run and place it in 3-4 rooms. Most of thos rooms combined would not come close to the capacity of the classice 1 screen theatres and then the other 1st runs don’t make it. Gone are the days when you can sit around for a month and still catch that first run. Slumdog was dropped by Warner Bros and was going to go direct to DVD before Fox Searchlight picked it up and it went on to being Best Picture for 2008. Years back that might not have happened.
In the county I live in Maryand there are only 2 places where one can go to see a first run flick. One is a 9 plex and the other a 5 plex. Neither one of them are within 10 miles from where I live. The county just south of me has a 6 plex about 30 miles from me. The county east of me has a 5 plex and thats also about 20+ miles from me. The populatin of all 3 counties combined is slightly over 275,000. About 10% the size of the population of Brooklyn and only 21 screens.
No Movie Palaces here at all not a one.
For any of you who were a part of the goings on at the NY Academy of Music from 1971-1975 when Howard Stein was producing concerts we recently lost a dear member of the crew.
Feb 14 2009 Harold Klein
Harold Klein was one of the theatres lighting directors from 1971-1973. He was also one of the lighting directors and videographers at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic NJ as well as the Bottom Line Caberet in NYC.
Gee Moyssi isn’t it kind of ironic that Irecently brought up Harolds name in here and the a scant few days later we find out that he went to that big LD gig in the sky.
Hey Michael if you can let us know the e-mail addy please let us know. Even though my time spent in Ridgewood was short compared to some of the others here it was a place where I had enjoyed my self.
Once again thanks for all you have done to get Ridgewood to a position when it can be saved.
ProfJoe maybe we can not bring back the Academy from the ashes we can can use this forum to talk about our memories.
I still stand by my comments about the conversion of a 3500 seat movie/concert palace in to a disco was a crime. Consider the fact that Steve Rubell who went to jail for his shifty business dealings and tax evasion. What NYU also was a crime but then again maybe they looked at what was done to the fromer palace turned disco and didn’t think it was worth saving.
I was told by some people who brought in lighting and sound gear I know who was there for some of the live shows. They told me that the place was dangerous not only for setting up sound and lighting rigs but the parts of the original walls and ceiling were severly damaged. These people also did shows in the 70’s when it was still the Academy so they knew what the original interior looked like. I am one of a very few who knew what the builings interior was like behind the plaster walls and the ceiling.
For those of you that are interested in a NY Academy of Music group here you go.
i wonder how his “Hollywood” wife Kathy can live with him or her self just being associated with a man like her husband.
As far as I can tell the theatre is still closed and no future bookings. The official web site is down as well.
$25 Million dollars to restore this palace and it takes one asshole to ruine it.
What happened to that building after Ron Delsener stopped doing shows there was a crime. What was done to the inside would have made Thomas Lamb roll over in his grave. That is like comparing Mona Lisa to a finger painting done by Mrs. Jones per schoolers. They got to do something in that buliding that they din’t do to Studio 54 and that was to destroy it from the inside. I was at Studio 54 in 1989 when it had then become The RITZ after John Scher left the other Ritz AKA Webster Hall. With the exception of having a level floor with no seats the Ritz/54 interior was still in tact. The Academy/Palladium was destroyed. The original stage was made a storage area anda deck was built pver it. When I came down there back in the mid 80’s I looked through what used to be the load in door and I could not see any of the audiance area. Yes Thomas Lamb who built this theatre is the one and the same that built the Ridgewood that we all talk about so much and is on it’s way to possible landmark status. To me what Steve Rubell and his Studio 54 flunkies did to the Academy is like taking a thing of beauty and desicrating it. Although there is some present cotriversy going on with the Loews Paradise in the Bronx lots of care and $25 million restored it to it’s former beautey minus the Robert-Morgan “Wonder Organ” which now sits in the Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Journal Square in Jersey City New Jersy. Thankfully the Mighty Wurlitzer that was in the Academy was removed in 1976 and is still operating at a privat residence.
I was working the AWB/Wishbone Ash concert back then. Altough some people considered the Academy a dump it was far from it. I must have made a couple of hundred dollars and a few doobies just by looking on the floor between the seats. Just like any other theather people would dump their drinks and whatver other stuff on the floor. The major difference between a normal movie screening and a live concert is that most if not all the concerts were sold out and with 3500 seats thats a good deal of trash generated. The cleaning crews for the Academy were hired by the local manager Gus Bavianni. He knew he needed more help but didn’t want to spend the money. However if there was a show on Friday the dumpsters in the alley on Saturday were overflowing. During the week when they used to show movies. On those days Sundays-Thursdays I don’t think there were more then a couple of hundred people who attended and the balconies were closed. During that time there was only one guy there to clean up the theatre and he would mops up different sections of the orchestra section so come Friday morings the flors were clean and not sticky.
When Ron Delsener took over the building and named it the palladium United Artists TC had nothing to do with the building any more and Ron had to hire his own cleaning crews. 3500 people can make a mess of any place.
As to Trader Joes. I wish they would open one near me. The closest TJ’s to me is over 30 miles from me.
Well I hope we hear something soon. This will be a big step. lets hope in that small 5 minute block of time they will give it the calendar date it deserves.
Good Luck Michael
PUBLIC MEETING ITEM NO.1
TIME: 9:30-9:35 A.M.
LP-2325
Staff: G.K.
ITEM PROPOSED FOR CALENDARING
RIDGEWOOD THEATER. 55-27 Myrtle Avenue, Queens.
Landmark Site: Borough of Queens Tax Map Block 3451 Lot 7 in part
Wow the Panorama picture is AWESOME. I did notice that the stage lookes like it has been extended. In my recolection the lip of the stage was a straight line. The orchestra pit looks like it has been covered over. Not sure if it is now a permanant deal or if the decking can be removed if needed. I was told recently by someone from the NYTOS that the Organ is fully functional. The same person told me about the passing of Mel Robinson until his death about 3 years ago did the maintainance on the organ as well as many other theater organs in the NY NJ and Ct areas. He worked on many of the ones still in use in NYC including the Brooklyn Paramount which I was told is still usable/playable but there is some water damage in some of the lofts.
Gee Lost why should I do that when you went and done did it for me.
Also the NY Times stated that the renovation cost $16 million as oppesed to the Beacon site that says $15 Million
Another piece of interest is the Fords Theatre in Washington DC
The theater where Lincoln was assassinated is celebrating its reopening after an 18-month renovation. The $25 million facelift includes new seats, a modern lobby and new dressing rooms.
Another amazing fact:
Exxon Mobil Corp. Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson, who led fundraising for the theater, said officials have garnered more than $49 million for the renovation and ongoing projects. Organizers expect to raise more beyond their $50 million goal, he said.
Exxon Mobil contributed $5 million to the project, and the District of Columbia government gave $10 million.
When gas prices were going up you see where where some of that money was going to. Thats why I aviod Exxon and Mobil.
Also from the Beacon home page it self. So what they say conflicts with the Intro at the top for landmark status as well as the seating information in the NY Times article. The Becon site says it is 2894 but at the same time it says 2600 as shown below.
•In 1979, the historic venue was designated a national landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
•A 1986 proposal to convert the 2,600-seat, three-tiered theatre into a disco was blocked when a judge ruled the change would irreparably damage the building’s architecture
The original number of 3154 seats may have been reduced possibly by the instalation of wider seats. That would make it a loss of 325 seats. I have not been there in years but from the new seating chart there are 80 wheel chair accseable spaces and another 16 for aodio and lighting consoles. Although when I did shows there back in 1975 I was under the impression the seating was under 3000. May have been one of the reason Ron Delsener decided to move downtown to the Academy of Music and rename it the Palladium a 3500 seat venue and no conflict with other shows at the Beacon he did not promote.
Wow where was this 10 years ago? It’s nice to know that Ridgewood has got a date with the NYC LPC in March but thats one place out of many that can still be saved but unfortunatley some of these landmarks have gone the way of the wreckers ball.
RIP NY ACADEMY OF MUSIC
One down(Ridgewood)and so many more to go. To bad we didn’t have someone like Michael before the devistation of the Madison. Enen in this day and age of cable & vidio even the multiplex theatres are hurting. Most multiplexes will take a major first run and place it in 3-4 rooms. Most of thos rooms combined would not come close to the capacity of the classice 1 screen theatres and then the other 1st runs don’t make it. Gone are the days when you can sit around for a month and still catch that first run. Slumdog was dropped by Warner Bros and was going to go direct to DVD before Fox Searchlight picked it up and it went on to being Best Picture for 2008. Years back that might not have happened.
In the county I live in Maryand there are only 2 places where one can go to see a first run flick. One is a 9 plex and the other a 5 plex. Neither one of them are within 10 miles from where I live. The county just south of me has a 6 plex about 30 miles from me. The county east of me has a 5 plex and thats also about 20+ miles from me. The populatin of all 3 counties combined is slightly over 275,000. About 10% the size of the population of Brooklyn and only 21 screens.
No Movie Palaces here at all not a one.
Cat fight. LOL
For any of you who were a part of the goings on at the NY Academy of Music from 1971-1975 when Howard Stein was producing concerts we recently lost a dear member of the crew.
Feb 14 2009 Harold Klein
Harold Klein was one of the theatres lighting directors from 1971-1973. He was also one of the lighting directors and videographers at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic NJ as well as the Bottom Line Caberet in NYC.
RIP my old long lost friend.
Gee Moyssi isn’t it kind of ironic that Irecently brought up Harolds name in here and the a scant few days later we find out that he went to that big LD gig in the sky.
RIP Harlod Klein
Hey Michael if you can let us know the e-mail addy please let us know. Even though my time spent in Ridgewood was short compared to some of the others here it was a place where I had enjoyed my self.
Once again thanks for all you have done to get Ridgewood to a position when it can be saved.
Long live Ridgewood
ProfJoe maybe we can not bring back the Academy from the ashes we can can use this forum to talk about our memories.
I still stand by my comments about the conversion of a 3500 seat movie/concert palace in to a disco was a crime. Consider the fact that Steve Rubell who went to jail for his shifty business dealings and tax evasion. What NYU also was a crime but then again maybe they looked at what was done to the fromer palace turned disco and didn’t think it was worth saving.
I was told by some people who brought in lighting and sound gear I know who was there for some of the live shows. They told me that the place was dangerous not only for setting up sound and lighting rigs but the parts of the original walls and ceiling were severly damaged. These people also did shows in the 70’s when it was still the Academy so they knew what the original interior looked like. I am one of a very few who knew what the builings interior was like behind the plaster walls and the ceiling.
For those of you that are interested in a NY Academy of Music group here you go.
View link
Ah yes Bway what a site it was. It makes you forget that back then traffic lights were only Red and Green.
i wonder how his “Hollywood” wife Kathy can live with him or her self just being associated with a man like her husband.
As far as I can tell the theatre is still closed and no future bookings. The official web site is down as well.
$25 Million dollars to restore this palace and it takes one asshole to ruine it.
Yup I guess he is not liked excepte for maybe his “Hollywod” wife
What happened to that building after Ron Delsener stopped doing shows there was a crime. What was done to the inside would have made Thomas Lamb roll over in his grave. That is like comparing Mona Lisa to a finger painting done by Mrs. Jones per schoolers. They got to do something in that buliding that they din’t do to Studio 54 and that was to destroy it from the inside. I was at Studio 54 in 1989 when it had then become The RITZ after John Scher left the other Ritz AKA Webster Hall. With the exception of having a level floor with no seats the Ritz/54 interior was still in tact. The Academy/Palladium was destroyed. The original stage was made a storage area anda deck was built pver it. When I came down there back in the mid 80’s I looked through what used to be the load in door and I could not see any of the audiance area. Yes Thomas Lamb who built this theatre is the one and the same that built the Ridgewood that we all talk about so much and is on it’s way to possible landmark status. To me what Steve Rubell and his Studio 54 flunkies did to the Academy is like taking a thing of beauty and desicrating it. Although there is some present cotriversy going on with the Loews Paradise in the Bronx lots of care and $25 million restored it to it’s former beautey minus the Robert-Morgan “Wonder Organ” which now sits in the Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Journal Square in Jersey City New Jersy. Thankfully the Mighty Wurlitzer that was in the Academy was removed in 1976 and is still operating at a privat residence.
Hey Lost your link for this site didn’t work. I went to the page and had to take off the following to get to the page
http://www.shaaraytefilanyc.org —–> /index.html
http://www.shaaraytefilanyc.org
Hey Lost have you ever been in the Beacon? How about the Kingsway Cinema in brooklyn?
Maybe it’s your video/graphics card. Who knows.
I was working the AWB/Wishbone Ash concert back then. Altough some people considered the Academy a dump it was far from it. I must have made a couple of hundred dollars and a few doobies just by looking on the floor between the seats. Just like any other theather people would dump their drinks and whatver other stuff on the floor. The major difference between a normal movie screening and a live concert is that most if not all the concerts were sold out and with 3500 seats thats a good deal of trash generated. The cleaning crews for the Academy were hired by the local manager Gus Bavianni. He knew he needed more help but didn’t want to spend the money. However if there was a show on Friday the dumpsters in the alley on Saturday were overflowing. During the week when they used to show movies. On those days Sundays-Thursdays I don’t think there were more then a couple of hundred people who attended and the balconies were closed. During that time there was only one guy there to clean up the theatre and he would mops up different sections of the orchestra section so come Friday morings the flors were clean and not sticky.
When Ron Delsener took over the building and named it the palladium United Artists TC had nothing to do with the building any more and Ron had to hire his own cleaning crews. 3500 people can make a mess of any place.
As to Trader Joes. I wish they would open one near me. The closest TJ’s to me is over 30 miles from me.
I wonder if anyone who goes to this site may know where I can find an ex gf Laural betts. She was working as a ticket taker/usher back in the 70’s.
Thanks Lost
Here is one taken from the beach
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9694295@N08/?saved=1
Ziggy are you on a Real PC or a Mac? Somethings like this panorama will work on a PC but not always work on a mac.
Luis i guess we will have to wait and see. Right now Ridgewood jumped it’s first hurdle. Lets hope it gets to the finish line.
The only thing not listed in the LPC link is when the calander date will be.
Michael your efforts have started to pay off. Congrats.
I guess you can compare this to an arriegnment in court when they ask forguilty or not guilty plea. In this case lets hope it was a resounding YES.
I hope they decide and take action soon.
Well I hope we hear something soon. This will be a big step. lets hope in that small 5 minute block of time they will give it the calendar date it deserves.
Good Luck Michael
PUBLIC MEETING ITEM NO.1
TIME: 9:30-9:35 A.M.
LP-2325
Staff: G.K.
ITEM PROPOSED FOR CALENDARING
RIDGEWOOD THEATER. 55-27 Myrtle Avenue, Queens.
Landmark Site: Borough of Queens Tax Map Block 3451 Lot 7 in part
Wow the Panorama picture is AWESOME. I did notice that the stage lookes like it has been extended. In my recolection the lip of the stage was a straight line. The orchestra pit looks like it has been covered over. Not sure if it is now a permanant deal or if the decking can be removed if needed. I was told recently by someone from the NYTOS that the Organ is fully functional. The same person told me about the passing of Mel Robinson until his death about 3 years ago did the maintainance on the organ as well as many other theater organs in the NY NJ and Ct areas. He worked on many of the ones still in use in NYC including the Brooklyn Paramount which I was told is still usable/playable but there is some water damage in some of the lofts.
Gee Lost why should I do that when you went and done did it for me.
Also the NY Times stated that the renovation cost $16 million as oppesed to the Beacon site that says $15 Million
Another piece of interest is the Fords Theatre in Washington DC
The theater where Lincoln was assassinated is celebrating its reopening after an 18-month renovation. The $25 million facelift includes new seats, a modern lobby and new dressing rooms.
Another amazing fact:
Exxon Mobil Corp. Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson, who led fundraising for the theater, said officials have garnered more than $49 million for the renovation and ongoing projects. Organizers expect to raise more beyond their $50 million goal, he said.
Exxon Mobil contributed $5 million to the project, and the District of Columbia government gave $10 million.
When gas prices were going up you see where where some of that money was going to. Thats why I aviod Exxon and Mobil.
Also from the Beacon home page it self. So what they say conflicts with the Intro at the top for landmark status as well as the seating information in the NY Times article. The Becon site says it is 2894 but at the same time it says 2600 as shown below.
http://www.beacontheatre.com/about/history.html
•In 1979, the historic venue was designated a national landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
•A 1986 proposal to convert the 2,600-seat, three-tiered theatre into a disco was blocked when a judge ruled the change would irreparably damage the building’s architecture
The original number of 3154 seats may have been reduced possibly by the instalation of wider seats. That would make it a loss of 325 seats. I have not been there in years but from the new seating chart there are 80 wheel chair accseable spaces and another 16 for aodio and lighting consoles. Although when I did shows there back in 1975 I was under the impression the seating was under 3000. May have been one of the reason Ron Delsener decided to move downtown to the Academy of Music and rename it the Palladium a 3500 seat venue and no conflict with other shows at the Beacon he did not promote.
View link