New Amsterdam Theatre
214 W. 42nd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
214 W. 42nd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
23 people
favorited this theater
Showing 126 - 150 of 232 comments
I will be in NYC Jan 2-4, 2008. Any possiblility of a tour of this theatre or any others.
Thanks Jeffery Walker
Wow! Little things like that are so brilliant. Thanks. Thats Times Sq when it was Times Sq!!!
Here’s a fleeting glimpse of the New Amesterdam’s marquee from 1970. I captured this image from a video clip I found on YouTube (part of an A&E documentary on Times Square). Looks like the Richard Harris western “A Man Called Horse” was the attraction that evening.
In the movie “CRAZY LOVE”, there is a scene of 42nd street and 7th avenue- looking west- from the early 1970s. You can see the New Amsterdam theatre on the left; across the street is a marquee with the title “ALL ABOUT SEX OF ALL NATIONS”. I’m guessing this is the Rialto theatre. This is all the information I could get, since the scene lasts only 2 or 3 seconds (about 1 hour into the film). When the movie comes out on DVD, one can study the scene and surely get more details. Not a bad movie,either…
I get what your saying but i guess its just the way advertising is going these days. On the other hand both shows get massive media coverage on taxies, tubes, metros, press -everywhere you look people are reminder that ‘Mary Poppins’ is at the New Amsterdam. What a shame that when they get there they dont see how magnificent the theatre is outside.
Prime advertising space that gets seen world wide.
Whatever you call it the front of the New Amsterdam has never looked so bad with the god awful paint sheets for The Lion King and now the even worse Mary Poppins! Everyone knows whats playing there why cant traditional marqees be used
Warren has a fair point. The function “stage shows” here on CT currently applies to listings that are currently devoted to legitimate theater, such as the Broadway and Winter Garden Theaters, as well as listings that serve a variety of live events, such as Radio City Music Hall. While it may not be the most pressing of issues, in the interests of accuracy, a new function for, say, “playhouse” might might be created and applied to theaters like the Broadway and Winter Garden, while “concerts/live events” might be assigned to venues such as RCMH, or New York’s Beacon and Paradise Theaters. “Stage shows” might reasonably be abandoned as a function, if only because – as Warren indicated – that phrase already has its own specific definition in relation to the history of cinematic presentation.
Seems to me that this might be part of some larger project to be undertaken by the editors of this site, with careful consideration given to how categories of “function” should be organized. For instance, what to do regarding a venue like the former Loew’s 175th Street – which currently functions as a church yet is now starting to see a number of bookings for rock concerts? A distinction should probably be made between a theater such as the Loew’s 175th and one like, say, the former Loew’s Metropolitan in Brooklyn which is exclusively used for religious services.
Just got the Mary Henderson book about the New Amsterdam in the mail from Amazon.
Wow!
Re 42nd St. retitlings, my fave was when the Harlan Ellison-based sci-fi film A BOY AND HIS DOG was rechristened PSYCHO BOY AND HIS KILLER DOG. Nothing like a “Lassie”-sounding title to drive customers away, despite the lurid standees, lobby cards, et al to the contrary.
Some shots I took the other night:
Through a porthole window of the New Victory
Facade 1
Facade 2
Poppins marquee
Outer vestibule
I love that look from the New Victory port hole window (which is in the stairwell going up from the mezzanine to the upper balcony) – it almost looks like the marquee is on fire.
Compare that last shot of the current-day vestibule to this 1962 grind house shot! The wall on the right, which at one time housed a large display case and the rounded corner of the box office, has been broken through to allow passage into the current spacious New Amsterdam box office.
I also cropped this shot of the vestibule from the other night to approximate the view of this shot I took back in 1993. Interesting contrasts, eh?
Also… I noticed that the letters on the blade sign have changed their appearance over the years. The 1953 image posted by Warren above shows thinner and more rounded letters, which had been replaced with squared-off neon letters by at least 1958.
I always loved this shot. 3D on the Deuce. Like it wasn’t scary enough. Also, if you look at the Lyric, there’s an example of how they would frequently alter the titles on the marquee to make them more 42nd Street type fare. Here, a harmless western comedy “ALONG CAME JONES” became “Along Came KILLER JONES”. jerry
I don’t think I have seen that one before Warren.
Warren… that’s definitely the New Amsterdam. The curvey deco pattern on the box office (to the right under the marquee) is the definite giveaway.
Is this the “New Amsterdam” which is mentioned in Counting Crows' first big hit single “Mr. Jones” (I was down at the New Amsterdam/Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation…“)?
I just came back from Opening Night of “Mary Poppins” at The New Amsterdam! Lots of celebs, but the real star for me is this theater. I went with a friend who had never been to this theater and so I was able to see it anew through his eyes. He was awed at its beauty, as was I. This truly is one of the most beautiful and unusual (there are few art noveau theaters) that I have ever seen. While I give the show a “6”, the theater gets a perfect “10”. A nice touch after the performance….as we were leaving we all got Mary Poppins umbrellas……and it had just started to rain!
Halloween 1969
View link
Here’s an image peeking under the advertising into the outer vestibule of the New Amsterdam, circa October, 1970. Here’s another shot from the same image stream showing more or less the same. The movie advertised is Broadway Joe Namath’s “CC and Company”.
Just got my socks knocked off over on eBay. I put in a search for Famous Funnies Comics. Up pops FF #210, beautiful Buck Rogers cover by Frazetta, CGC 9.6 NM+ condition. Buy It Now price through 8/30 – with no interest until 2007???
$5,700.00
choke
Yes, Jerry… I was going to add that the look is very similar to the Heavy Metal magazine covers that Frazetta painted, but I couldn’t think of his name. An amazing artist, Frazetta suffered a stroke some years back and lost a lot of fine motor skill in his right hand and so had to teach himself how to paint with his left! And he seems to have mastered it.
Score one for 42nd Street Memories*Jerry Kovar! In the mid-1950s, the highly-talented Frazetta did a series of covers (including Buck Rogers) for Famous Funnies Comics, a monthly 10-cents reprint book of Saturday/Sunday newspaper continuities. When in decent shape, these FF artwork gems have soared into the low four-figure category. (And that’s without decimal points…)
Ed,
The artist was the great Frank Frazetta. I have the half sheet from The Gauntlet hanging in my garage. jerry
Here’s a couple of websites: http://frankfrazetta.org/ AND http://frankfrazetta.com/
Clint at the New Amsterdam in 1978:
The Gauntlet – NY Daily News 1/25/78
A rare listing for a major studio release that includes a 42nd Street grind house booking in addition to one of the big houses on Broadway (in this case the Embassy 2). I remember this style of artwork was in vogue in the late 1970’s into the 1980’s. I seem to recall the “Conan” movies in particular having a similar look.
“Mary Poppins” in next.
I guess the New Amsterdam will be closed the whole summer then? I guess it will take the summer to get ready for the new show.