Gramercy Theatre

{{Short description|Music venue in Manhattan, New York}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox venue | name = Gramercy Theatre | nickname = | image = Gramercy Theatre 127 E23 St sun jeh.jpg | image_caption = | address = 127 E. 23rd St. | location = [[New York City]] | coordinates = {{coord|40.739753|-73.985001|display=inline,title}} | type = [[Theatre (structure)|Theatre]] | event = | built = 1937 | opened =  | renovated = | expanded = | closed = | demolished = | owner = [[Live Nation Entertainment]] | construction_cost = | former_names = Gramercy Park Theatre Blender Theatre | seating_type = | seating_capacity = 650 | website = {{URL|http://www.thegramercytheatre.com}} }}

The '''Gramercy Theatre''' is a music venue in [[New York City]]. It is located in the [[Gramercy, Manhattan|Gramercy]] neighborhood of [[Manhattan]], on 127 East [[23rd Street (Manhattan)|23rd Street]]. Built in 1937 as the Gramercy Park Theatre, it is owned and operated by [[Live Nation]] as one of their two concert halls in New York City, the other being the nearby [[Irving Plaza]].<ref name= "Aretha">{{cite news |last=Daniels |first=Karu F. |url= https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-aretha-franklin-national-geographic-genius-theater-marquee-cynthia-erivo-20210319-jikstsqe5jfvxi7ixfrka6pcfq-story.html |title=Aretha Franklin honored with nationwide 'All Hail The Queen' marquee takeover at iconic venues to celebrate 'Genius' series |work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=March 19, 2021 |access-date=June 4, 2021}}</ref>

==History== Built in 1937 and designed by architect Charles A. Sandblom in the [[Streamline Moderne]] style, the theater is located at 127 E. 23rd St in the historic [[Gramercy Park|Gramercy]] neighborhood. It was originally known as the Gramercy Park Theatre to avoid confusion with the existing Gramercy Theatre at 310 First Avenue, which had 521 seats. After the old Gramercy Theatre succumbed to TV competition in the early 1950s, the newer theater dropped "Park" from its name.

In the 1950s, the theater was purchased by Cinema V, an art-film presentation and distribution company. The theater was considered an "art house" due to eclectic programming, its unconventional policy of barring admittance near the end of a film, and coffee served in the waiting area. Cinema V was descended from [[Rugoff & Becker]] theaters, a chain started in 1921 by Don Rugoff's father. Rugoff gained control of the company in 1957 and expanded the chain, adding several venues including the Gramercy Theatre. Some of the programming that ''[[The New York Times]]'' lists in the 50s for the Gramercy Theatre switched from single bookings to double features, a novel approach for the time. There were a mix of foreign, sub-run mainstream, Disney films, and revivals.

In the early 1970s, the Theatre was a dollar-theater, showing third run movies. In the late 1970s it showed second-run films such as ''The Spy Who Loved Me'', ''New York, New York'', ''3 Women'', and ''Outrageous!''.In the early 1980s, still under Cinema V, the theater showcased first-run movies. Cinema V changed to City Cinemas in the late 1980s, and did record breaking business until Cineplex Odeon opened the nine-screen Chelsea Cinemas and large audiences disappeared from Gramercy. In 1992, City Cinemas closed the theater after using it briefly as a [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Hollywood classics]] revival house.

In 1995, Amit Govil, a [[real estate]] investor, revived the theater into the only [[Movie theatre|movie house]] in the five boroughs to exclusively feature films made in [[India]].<ref name= "Paris">{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Monte |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/30/nyregion/neighborhood-report-gramercy-park-forget-paris-forgotten-theater-goes-indian.html |title='Forget Paris' Is Forgotten, as a Theater Goes Indian |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 30, 1995 |access-date=June 4, 2021}}</ref> Immediately before that, it was the home of an anti-drug agency. It was also used around this time as the location shoot for [[The Fugees]] video "[[Killing Me Softly with His Song|Killing Me Softly]]".<ref name= "Blender">{{cite news |url= https://www.brooklynvegan.com/gramercy-theatr-2/ |title=Gramercy Theatre losing the "Blender"? |work=[[BrooklynVegan]] |date=March 9, 2009 |access-date=June 4, 2021}}</ref>

In 1998, the theater was renovated into a 499-seat playhouse to present [[Off Broadway]] theatrical productions, the largest in the city. In 1999, the [[Roundabout Theater Company]] premiered plays by contemporary writers such as [[Brian Friel]], [[Paula Vogel]], [[Beth Henley]], and [[Harold Pinter]]. Performances included Charles Randolph-Wright's play with music, ''Blue'' starring [[Phylicia Rashad]]; Martin McDonagh's ''A Skull in Connemara''; ''Speaking in Tongues'' with [[Karen Allen]]; and [[Richard Greenberg]]'s ''The Dazzle''.<ref name= "Roundabout">{{cite news |last=McGrath |first=Sean |url= https://www.playbill.com/article/roundabouts-two-show-season-at-gramercy-taking-shape-com-80997 |title=Roundabout's Two-Show Season at Gramercy Taking Shape |work=[[Playbill]] |date=April 1, 1999 |access-date=June 4, 2021}}</ref>

In 2002, Roundabout presented its final offering, ''All Over'' by [[Edward Albee]], before closing in September. Soon after, in 2002, the [[Museum of Modern Art]] used the theater as a temporary film-house, while its location on 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan was remodeled. From 2002 to 2004, the theater was simultaneously used as a film-house and an Off-Broadway playhouse. In 2004, the theater was shut down after its last production of [[Lee Summers]]'s ''From My Hometown'', which ran from April 12 to July 12, 2004. MoMA stopped using it as a cinema in April 2004.

In 2006, [[Live Nation]] bought the space with the intention of turning it into an intimate [[concert]] venue. The first performance under Live Nation was [[Stellastarr]] on March 7, 2007. On April 26, 2007, ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' magazine became an official namesake sponsor and the venue was renamed the Blender Theater at Gramercy (note: "Theatre" was officially changed to "Theater" for the sponsorship). After two years, the name changed back to the Gramercy Theatre without a sponsorship in the name.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|http://thegramercytheatre.com}} * [http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=theater&id=251 Gramercy Theater] at [[Internet Off-Broadway Database]] * [http://cinematreasures.org/theater/6113/ Cinema Treasures]

[[Category:23rd Street (Manhattan)]] [[Category:Art Deco architecture in Manhattan]] [[Category:Gramercy Park]] [[Category:Music venues in Manhattan]] [[Category:Off-Broadway theaters]] [[Category:Streamline Moderne architecture in New York City]] [[Category:Theatres in Manhattan]]