Mark Hellinger Theater returning? Times Square Church looking for larger space?

[DAME]

I just read in one of the chat groups that there is a rumor that the church is looking for a larger space.  Can we get the theater back?   Anyone know anything real about this?

[CATSNYrevival]

I swear I read an article that said they were turning the Mark Hellinger Theatre into retail space but I can't find it now. Did I imagine that? Was it a different theatre?

[zainmax]

You're probably thinking of the Times Square Theater. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2018/09/18/jinxed-times-square-theater-to-reopen-as-retail-space/#d97fb9a5072d

[DAME]

Oh dear.  Well what I read was talking about the church.  I hope they didn't get it confused.. and wouldn't it be wonderful if true?   Such a wonderful theater.  I worked there  frequently during Sugar Babies and Merlin.   

[zainmax]

Where did you read it?

[DAME]

I think it was in the group Broadway Remembered.

[LizzieCurry]

I did a search for "Hellinger" and found nothing recent. https://www.facebook.com/groups/171006090418016/

[DAME]

I will try to find it and post it.  I am in like 8 groups and it just had popped up in my feed.

[Broadway Flash]

That would be amazing. I’m still not over the fact that the Times Square theatre is being turned into stores. Hopefully one day it will go back to being a broadway house.

[AEA AGMA SM]

I feel like this rumor goes around every couple of years with nothing ever coming of it.

[zainmax]

Broadway Flash said: "That would be amazing. I’m still not over the fact that the Times Square theatre is being turned into stores. Hopefully one day it will go back to being a broadway house."

Agreed, but almost never going to happen....

[HogansHero]

I think the Hellinger is a pipe dream, but I won't wake anyone up from it because it is not 100% impossible. Although it has been altered, the basic skeleton is still in place. 

The Times Square, on the other hand, is basically a bag of mashed potatoes at this point. There is no there there. 

[Someone in a Tree2]

I haven’t been in the Hellinger since working all those months on LEGS DIAMOND, the show that closed the house for good as a Bway theater. Views from that luxurious 2-story lobby are etched in my memory for all time. Has anyone here been inside in the last 30 years? Are any of its beautiful treasures still intact?

[Smaxie]

You can walk inside when the church is open. I've gone in a few times over the years, The one virtue is that the church has taken better care of it than the Nederlander Organization ever did. 

[OrchardAndRivington]

Exactly.. and with the recent return of the Hudson, anything seems possible. Hopefully if this all ends up ringing true, the Ambassador Group will scoop it up to give them a large musical house to utilize while the Lyric is tied up with Harry Potter. I'd rather it go to ATG or Jujamcyn rather than the Shuberts or Nederlanders, but without the Church vacating, we wait.

I wonder if the church could reconfigure the Playstation/Best Buy Theatre space opening up into a higher capacity room for their services..? Unless that will be turned into MORE desperately needed Underground Mall Retail space in Times Square. 

I do wish there had been some consideration in 1995/1996 to include a 43rd St. access point to the Times Square in the construction that combined the Apollo and Lyric into the Ford Center, alas, at least it won't be sitting there rotting away anymore..

 

[Jordan Catalano]

If it is turned back into a theatre, hopefully it’ll be renamed the Hal Prince Theatre.

[Broadway Joe]

I really hope they don't turn Playstation theater into more retail, it's been one of the best music venues in the city for quite awhile now. It sucks that they aren't renewing the lease but I'm guessing that's because AEG is just going to move most of their shows to Webster Hall now that's reopened.

Hopefully someone else keeps it as a music venue but I'm not counting on it. Would make a great theatre space as well. Anything but retail would be a blessing.

[SouthernCakes]

Surprised it’s closing too re: PlayStation. Always seems to be putting on shows etc.

[Broadway Joe]

SouthernCakes said: "Surprised it’s closing too re: PlayStation. Always seems to be putting on shows etc. "

The lease is up so I'm guessing they were asking for an unreasonable increase in rent to the point where it's not viable to put shows on anymore. 

[Jordan Catalano]

I hope it sits there vacant for a decade all boarded up like the rest of the city that’s shutting down because businesses can’t afford rent here anymore.

[RippedMan]

Yeah NYC is basically bank bank bank bank drug store bank bank bank chain store bank bank bank chain restaurant bank bank. 

[Jordan Catalano]

The Paris Theater closed down yesterday. Can’t wait to see if it’ll be a CVS or Duane Reade.

[RippedMan]

Prob a Chase. 

[DAME]

Jordan Catalano said: "The Paris Theater closed down yesterday. Can’t wait to see if it’ll be a CVS or Duane Reade."

That is so sad.   It was always such a New York treat to see a flick at the Paris.  

[HogansHero]

RippedMan said: "Yeah NYC is basically bank bank bank bank drug store bank bank bank chain store bank bank bank chain restaurant bank bank."

NYC covers over 300 square miles of land (not counting the water), and you are basically describing 1% of it. That's fine, but it is important to remain mindful that the history of NYC is one of resilience and adaptability, and to not understand her dynamic evolution is to misapprehend the essence of the place. Yes we have cherished landmarks, but so does Rome, the eternal city, and they are not diminished by the juxtaposition with a pizza joint. It's about priorities.