- Center Theatre
The Center Theatre was America's first ice theatre. It was located in
Rockefeller Center ,Manhattan ,New York .The Theatre was created by
G.S. Eyssell , executive manager ofRockefeller Center and president ofRadio City Music Hall as well as that of its companion playhouse, the Center Theatre, andArthur M. Wirtz , ofChicago .After meeting with world
figure-skating championSonja Henie the idea of a theatre expressly designed for the presentation of this new kind of musical spectacle was solidified.It wasn't long before the 3,200 seat Center Theatre was converted into an "
ice theatre ".Architects and engineers built the ice stage 100 feet (31m) wide with a skating surface of 7,000 square feet (663 m²). Beneath it, 28,000 feet (8,615 m) of pipe were laid, capable of continuously circulating a freezing solution at the rate of 500 gallons per minute (2,300 litres/min). Tons of specially designed "ice-making" machinery were installed. The result was the creation of a frozen surface that was perfect for ice skating. The Center Theatre had walls of paneled
mahogany , and a three-tiered metal chandelier weighing six tons, and a ceiling studded with circles decorated in half-relief with mythological figures. Three shallow mezzanines provided an unobstructed view of the ice stage.As an ice theatre, the Center Theatre was opened on
October 10 ,1940 for the presentation of "It Happens On Ice ", first of the new musical ice spectacles, destined to make theatrical history and provide a new form of popular entertainment. For two years it was aplauded by audiences numbering more than 1,500,000 delighted theatre-goers. It was followed by "Stars on Ice ". "Hats Off To Ice ", "Icetime ", "Icetime of 1948 ", and "Howdy Mr. Ice ".In 1954, the Center Theatre was demolished and replaced by a
skyscraper .External links
* [http://ibdb.com/venue.asp?ID=1481 The Center Theatre on Internet Broadway Database]
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