Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
116 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,151 - 1,175 of 3,325 comments
kong1911, if you please, email me at and I’ll share with you what I know and remember of Ray as well as let you know of the other tapes I have. Thanks!
An article about Hildreth Meiere, who designed the magnificent roundels on the 50th Street facade of RCMH, can be found here: View link
I’m so glad someone had them to post DJF7. I play the pipe organ but never got to meet Ray. I do know afew people who did know him well and thats all they talk about. Ray was there at the beginning but started at the New Roxy and the Rainbowroom. Richard Liebert had the final say on all the organists there and they were all monster players. I hope you have more to put up. I’ll be watching for them.
Hi Kong, that was me who posted the link. I was only 2 at the time so unfortunately I never got to experience RCMH pre-1979, firsthand. My Dad made those tapes as he was a good friend of organist, Ray Bohr and I suspect he made them as he knew of the impending doom that was to come.
I was a bit hesistant to post them for fear of the powers-that-be may make me pull it off for some kind of infringent reason. But after uploading them to digital, researching about Ray and RCMH, plus the adoration here on this forum, I felt the need to post them. I’m glad you and others enjoy it!
To all my friends here on this page who have been talking about the real Christmas Show. GOOD NEWS. Someone just posted an audio only recording from the 1978 show. For those of us who saw those shows it should still give you goose bumps because we can see the show in our minds. For our younger friends, at least you can now hear what we have been talking about all this time. A large vocal chorus, a 60 + piece orchestra and you can hear when the organ comes in at the end. The only thing missing is that you can’t feel the building shake. I would only hope that people from RCMH see this and listen to find out what has been missing all this time. This is why we stood outside in the cold and the snow for three hours and more every christmas. I hope you all enjoy this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxACcFtuF6s
Interesting link and photo, J. F. Lundy. Thanks
The following link was provided by Warren G. Harris and the photo is from the Time Life Archive. It shows the Ticket Lobby in 1957.
View link
This:
“It seems we live in a complex & technical age where creativity and imgination are secondary to profit.”
is a big part of the rub, ERD. No wonder showbiz, including Hollywood, etc., can’t think of anything creatively new and feel the need to do re-makes of old stuff, which destroys the original, or makes cheap, gaudy stuff, on the long run.
With the huge costs of producing shows, producers want a sure thing.
It seems we live in a complex & technical age where creativity and imgination are secondary to profit.
Well, ERD,
Sadly enough, this:
“ I remember the stage shows from the 1950’s through the 70’s. Although only about 45 minutes long, it had a showmanship element that is missing today.”
is all too true, and it has carried over into almost everything, not just the stage shows at Radio City Music Hall.
Easter Show Segment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTqE_lEIp0Q
Bach Festival Overture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQwy2YcVCeM
After listening to the 1978 Nativity segment several times, I personally found the music to be better arranged and much more inspiring than now. I remember the stage shows from the 1950’s through the 70’s. Although only about 45 minutes long, it had a showmanship element that is missing today.
Woo-hoo, Stepale2!! All the best of luck to you!
I meant to write in my second sentence above, “After paying to see "North by Northwest” at Radio City Music Hall three or four times, I finally got a job as an usher for about $40 a week so now the movie was paying me to watch it!"
Today, August 6, 2009, marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” at RCMH. After paying to see the movie three or four times, I got a job as an usher for about $40 a week. There was a training class where they taught us how to answer the patron’s questions (how high was the proscenium and the number of seats in the orchestra etc.) I can still tell you. I got to watch the movie (the reason I wanted the job) while helping people find a seat. (This was before “Psycho.” the first movie that forced the public to see from the beginning.) I saw “North by Northwest” about 60 times. What I remember most is that the audience laughed and reacted to the action exactly the same at every performance. I also remember that none of the ushers, including me, got the symbolism when Cary Grant pulled Eva Marie Saint to the upper birth as Hitchcock cut to the train entering a tunnel! I saw the movie with an audience not too long ago and people still react the same as they did 50 years ago-but now everyone gets the last scene! (The next picture to play was “The FBI Story.” I lasted about a week before giving notice. I had to go back to school.) Those were the days.
Leonidoff’s stage presentations were so distinctly special! Like most of Roxy’s staff, he was extremely talented.
Thanks again for the links, DJF7.
Here’s 2 more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFpZgOBMfVU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxACcFtuF6s
This last one is listed on the tape as ‘Xmas show 1978’. Having never seen a RCMH Christmas show, I have no idea of how this differs from the ones done shown today. Scrolling back through this list, however, it appears the pre-1979 shows were the ones to see.
Enjoy!
Thanks for posting the audio clip, DJF7, extremely enjoyable. It brought back many wonderful memories of the MUSIC HALL. Will enjoy hearing more when you add more.
Your welcome, I will be adding more as there are various other tapes containing material from 1977-1978. The majority of them is of Ray playing, but there are also 2 small tracks of what appears to be the finale of the Christmas and Easter shows, as well as one entitled ‘Bach Festival Overture’
Thanks for the link, DJF7.
I posted an audio clip on youtube of Ray Bohr playing the organ from 1978. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sctkbSvnKs
Love that photo, Lost Memory! Thanks for posting it and sharing it with all of us.
The photo brings back wonderful memories of when I attended a great 40th-year Anniversary screening of the great golden oldie-but-goody movie/musical classic film, West Side Story. What a fabulous Saturday evening that was….in a beautiful palace such as Radio City Music Hall, no less!
Great photo!
Glad everything turned out so well, guys!