Hippodrome Theatre, New York City
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The Hippodrome Theatre stood in New York City from 1905 to 1939. It was called the world's largest theatre by its builders.
The Hippodrome was built by Frederick Thompson and Elmer Dundy, creators of the Luna Park amusement park at Coney Island. The theatre was located on Sixth Avenue between Forty-third and Forty-fourth streets. Its auditorium seated 5,300 people and it was equipped with what was then the state of the art in theatrical technology. The theatre was acquired by The Shubert Organization in 1909.
The Hippodrome's huge running costs made it a perennial financial failure, and a series of producers tried and failed to make money from the theatre. It became a location for vaudeville productions in 1923 before being leased for budget opera performances, finally becoming a sports arena. The building was torn down in 1939, though an office building that today stands on the same site claims the name "Hippodrome."
The largest theater in New York City is now Radio City Music Hall.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Kenneth Jackson (1995). Encyclopedia of New York City. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-05536-6.
