Rockefeller had a 24-year lease of property in Manhattan that he wanted to use for the Metropolitan Opera House. ![]() History of Radio City Music Hallįollowing the stock market crash in 1929, John D. Over 300 million people have come to the venue to see concerts, shows, movies, and special events including the annual Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes and the Tony Awards. p16.Located in the heart of New York City on Sixth Avenue, Radio City Music Hall is the biggest indoor theater in the world. "World's Biggest Stage Is Marvel of Mechanics." Popular Science, February 1933, 16-17. The Soundscape of Modernity: Architectural Acoustics and the Culture of Listening in America, 1900-1933. The Radio City Music Hall: An Affectionate History of the World's Greatest Theater. ![]() ![]() Those who come to see a show at Radio City Music Hall today therefore walk into a carefully-preserved piece of history, one that appears to have achieved Deskey’s goal of creating its own timeless beauty. The theater’s interiors are also largely unchanged from their original appearance, thanks to careful maintenance and preservation by Rockefeller interests. 300 million people have attended shows and events at the theater since its opening, and it has consistently seen performances by leading actors and musicians throughout its illustrious operational life. In the decades following that rainy winter’s night in 1932, the Radio City Music Hall has cemented its status as one of the world’s leading performance venues. ImageCourtesy of Flickr user Kristina D.C. Even the curtain itself was a technological novelty, with thirteen electric motors driving cables that could allow the drapery to take on a variety of unusual configurations beyond merely being opened or closed. In addition, a circle radiating almost thirty feet from the center of the stage could be made to rotate in either direction, the first time these two capabilities had been combined into a single stage. The stage was split into three sections, each of which could be hydraulically raised or lowered independent of its neighbors. Various features were included to ensure that the Music Hall would be able to dazzle audiences watching the full variety of stage productions. The most elaborate technical achievements, however, were to be found in the stage itself. Technology and architecture complemented each other in this system: the plaster covering the arches absorbed excess sound reverberation, allowing the broadcast through the auditorium’s speakers to be heard clearly and cleanly. The curved ceiling also aided in acoustics, though it would be enhanced by the installation of loudspeakers behind golden grilles in the walls. Save this picture! Courtesy of Flickr user Mattia Panciroli The Roxy Theatre had boasted the highest occupancy of any in the world upon its opening in 1927, and now Roxy once again sought to claim that title for his latest project. Rothafel – more popularly known by his listeners as “Roxy.” With a litany of successful theater openings in his wake, he left the Roxy Theatre to take a new position as director general of the two theaters to be built at the Rockefeller Center. This partnership, which was made official in June of 1930, brought in one of NBC’s radio stars, S.L. Rockefeller’s search for a tenant to replace the Metropolitan Opera Company led him to the Radio Corporation of America, which manufactured radio sets and owned both the National Broadcasting Company and the movie studio RKO. ![]() Beyond mundane fiscal concerns, however, Rockefeller dreamed of creating something that would leave a powerful impact on the fabric of New York City – an icon that would stand for optimism and hope-the “American Dream”-amid the dreariness of the Great Depression. Rather than attempt to break his lease, Rockefeller made the decision to build a complex of such exceptional quality that it would attract tenants in spite of the tepid business climate of the early 1930s. Save this picture! Courtesy of Flickr user Roger
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