FYI The thousands of pin holes are there for a reason. They let the sound pass through from the speakers which are in back of the screen.
John D. Projectionist Local 306 NYC
ifemorena how do I e-mail you directly? Can not find a e-mail address for you on this site. Please get back to me by E-mail to with phone number. I have been servicing theater for many years and may have info you need. John
Yes the theater is only being used as a church. There are parts of the building where I have not been taken to. I hope to see the rest of the machinery areas shortly. I will post when I do. Is there anything you want more information? I will be visiting other old theaters in the city as time permits.
Did you know the Tivoli had an open air roof theater? I discovered this when I covered another projectionists vacation. There were still planters on the walls of the roof theater up to it closed. There was also some parts in one of the organ chambers. It had a Kimbal organ. I think the the same architect that did the RKO Coliseium 181 St. & B'way did the Tivoli. Both theaters had an opening that looked down on the orchestra seats from the area under the balcony where rest rooms were located. They were in many ways very much alike but a smaller copy. I seem to remember reading some where the same architect did both theaters. That’s all.
Yes there was a roof open air theater from day one when it opened. This year I was in the roof theaters projection room. There was nothing in it. There is a elevator that serviced the roof theater which has been closed for years. Many pigons in roof rooms. A health hazard. Hope to visit again. I will post it.
I was in this theater last year. Much garbage on first floor and some junked cars. Stage was being used as a car repair shop at one point. A second and third floor have been added years ago. Construction looks like that used in late 1950’s. Second floor was used as a club it looks like. The third floor was a bowling alley at one point. You can see where alleys were. Balcony was removed years ago. However from third floor if you lift a certain ceiling tile and you have a 12ft ladder you can climb up to what was the projection room. There are about five rooms up here. All are empty.
Just a lot of garbage from when booth was removed.
I was on inside of theater. It has been gutted. Both balconies have been about 90% removed. Just hallways that were under the backs of them are there. Entry before present construction was from back of store on left facing theater (Dollar store at time). You entered the stage dressing room stairway. At about the third floor you climbed out of door that lead to stage flyway. You are now on top of the ceilings of all the stores. It is made of a sheetmetal with a thin coat of mortor for fire proofing. You walked toward Canal street or front of store. Where balcony was is cut steel I beams. There is a hole cut in the wall of the hall way that was under the balcony. From here you can take back of balcony stairs up to next balcony level and finally the projection room. There was some store rooms and bath rooms in this space. Also from projection room there is access to space above the ceiling. Again there are rooms with some fans. The top floors of the dressing rooms contained old air conditioning compressors and equipment. Well stripped by past junkies. There is more equipment under stage stand pipe pumps. I have worked as a projectionist for twenty five years. I also do repair work on side and visit these old joint to find parts for repairs. Every now and then they left a complete booth or part of one. The best one I found was years ago in the Bronx. The Bainbridge theater had at one time an open air theater on the roof. You accessed the roof theater booth by a ladder in a back room. When you got up there all the 1920’s machines were in there complete with turntables on the sides of the projector bases. The first movies had the sound track on records. This all gone now. A collector took evry thing. Thats all.
FYI The thousands of pin holes are there for a reason. They let the sound pass through from the speakers which are in back of the screen.
John D. Projectionist Local 306 NYC
ifemorena how do I e-mail you directly? Can not find a e-mail address for you on this site. Please get back to me by E-mail to with phone number. I have been servicing theater for many years and may have info you need. John
Yes the theater is only being used as a church. There are parts of the building where I have not been taken to. I hope to see the rest of the machinery areas shortly. I will post when I do. Is there anything you want more information? I will be visiting other old theaters in the city as time permits.
Did you know the Tivoli had an open air roof theater? I discovered this when I covered another projectionists vacation. There were still planters on the walls of the roof theater up to it closed. There was also some parts in one of the organ chambers. It had a Kimbal organ. I think the the same architect that did the RKO Coliseium 181 St. & B'way did the Tivoli. Both theaters had an opening that looked down on the orchestra seats from the area under the balcony where rest rooms were located. They were in many ways very much alike but a smaller copy. I seem to remember reading some where the same architect did both theaters. That’s all.
Mark W. How did you get in the theater. I was in there about six years ago. E-Mail me. I want to compair notes.
Yes there was a roof open air theater from day one when it opened. This year I was in the roof theaters projection room. There was nothing in it. There is a elevator that serviced the roof theater which has been closed for years. Many pigons in roof rooms. A health hazard. Hope to visit again. I will post it.
I was in this theater last year. Much garbage on first floor and some junked cars. Stage was being used as a car repair shop at one point. A second and third floor have been added years ago. Construction looks like that used in late 1950’s. Second floor was used as a club it looks like. The third floor was a bowling alley at one point. You can see where alleys were. Balcony was removed years ago. However from third floor if you lift a certain ceiling tile and you have a 12ft ladder you can climb up to what was the projection room. There are about five rooms up here. All are empty.
Just a lot of garbage from when booth was removed.
I was on inside of theater. It has been gutted. Both balconies have been about 90% removed. Just hallways that were under the backs of them are there. Entry before present construction was from back of store on left facing theater (Dollar store at time). You entered the stage dressing room stairway. At about the third floor you climbed out of door that lead to stage flyway. You are now on top of the ceilings of all the stores. It is made of a sheetmetal with a thin coat of mortor for fire proofing. You walked toward Canal street or front of store. Where balcony was is cut steel I beams. There is a hole cut in the wall of the hall way that was under the balcony. From here you can take back of balcony stairs up to next balcony level and finally the projection room. There was some store rooms and bath rooms in this space. Also from projection room there is access to space above the ceiling. Again there are rooms with some fans. The top floors of the dressing rooms contained old air conditioning compressors and equipment. Well stripped by past junkies. There is more equipment under stage stand pipe pumps. I have worked as a projectionist for twenty five years. I also do repair work on side and visit these old joint to find parts for repairs. Every now and then they left a complete booth or part of one. The best one I found was years ago in the Bronx. The Bainbridge theater had at one time an open air theater on the roof. You accessed the roof theater booth by a ladder in a back room. When you got up there all the 1920’s machines were in there complete with turntables on the sides of the projector bases. The first movies had the sound track on records. This all gone now. A collector took evry thing. Thats all.