Studio 54

For the film, see 54 (film).

Coordinates: 40°45′55″N 73°58′57″W / 40.765266°N 73.98262°W / 40.765266; -73.98262

Studio 54
Studio 54 logo designed by Gilbert Lesser[1]
Address	254 West 54th Street
City	New York City
Architect	Eugene De Rosa[2]
Owned by	Roundabout Theatre Company
Capacity	1,006 (519 Orchestra/487 Mezzanine)[3]
Opened	1977
Previous names	Gallo Opera House (1927) New Yorker Theatre (1930) Casino de Paris (1933) Palladium Theatre (1936) Federal Music Theatre (1937) New Yorker Theatre (1939) CBS Radio Playhouse No. 4 (1942) CBS Studio No. 52 (1942) Studio 54 (1977) The Ritz (1989) Studio 54 (1994)
roundabouttheatre.org/ot_54.htm

Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it became the legendary nightclub, Studio 54. Since November of 1998^[4] it has been a venue for the Roundabout Theatre Company.

History

Early years

The building was originally the Gallo Opera House, built by Fortune Gallo in 1927 for his renowned San Carlo Opera Company. It debuted on February 7, 1927, with Giacomo Puccini's La bohème. A 1928 musical entitled Rainbow, with a score by Vincent Youmans and Oscar Hammerstein II, and choreography by Busby Berkeley, ran for 29 performances. The Opera House closed in 1929 after unsuccessful runs of the comedies Ladies Don't Lie and A Tailor-Made Man. Over the course of the next decade, the venue changed names several times. It was renamed New Yorker Theater in 1930, booking Henrik Ibsen's play, The Vikings (The Vikings at Helgeland), and the 1931 revue, Fast and Furious, with a cast that included Zora Neale Hurston, Moms Mabley, Juano Hernandez, and Tim Moore. Neither was successful. From 1933 to 1936 it became a dinner theater called Casino de Paree, managed by Billy Rose. It was renamed the Palladium Theater in 1936. In 1937 the Federal Theatre Project leased it for its productions and changed its name to the Federal Music Theater. The Chicago Federal Theater achieved minor success here with its production of Swing Mikado, a jazzy update of the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, which competed with the smash hit The Hot Mikado with Bill Robinson. Later in 1937, the name was changed back to the New Yorker Theater.

CBS Studio 52

In 1943 CBS purchased the theatre, renaming it Studio 52. CBS named its studios in order of purchase; the number 52 was unrelated to the street it was located on. During these years, CBS used the theater for radio broadcasts.

From the 1940s to the mid-1970s, CBS used the location as a radio and TV stage that housed such shows as What's My Line?, The $64,000 Question, Password, To Tell the Truth, Beat the Clock, The Jack Benny Show, I've Got a Secret, Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour, and Captain Kangaroo.^[5] The soap opera Love of Life was produced there until 1975.

In 1976 CBS moved most of its broadcast functions to the Ed Sullivan Theater and the CBS Broadcast Center, and sold Studio 52. The Ed Sullivan Theater once had access to Studio 52 through an access door, which was cinder-blocked during the theater's 1993 renovation for Late Show with David Letterman.

Nightclub era

When CBS began marketing the building in 1976, various interests in the art and fashion world expressed interest in seeing it converted into a nightclub. Male model Uva Harden tried to get gallery owner Frank Lloyd to finance the club, until Lloyd lost a $9 million lawsuit to the estate of the artist Mark Rothko, the Rothko Case.^[6]

Carmen D'Alessio, a public relations agent for Valentino, encouraged Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, who were operating the Enchanted Garden in Queens, to buy the theatre.^[7] D'Alessio had hosted parties at the Queens venue, for which she was profiled in Newsweek magazine. She introduced Rubell and Schrager to many of the socially prominent figures who later became regulars at Studio 54. D'Alessio helped arrange a pre-opening dinner with Andy Warhol, Halston, and Calvin Klein.^[7] In 1977 the building was purchased and renamed for its street address, 254 West 54th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.

The nightclub was founded by four equal partners: Steven Rubell, Ian Schrager, Tim Savage, and Jack Dushey. They operated the company as Broadway Catering Corp. Another partner, Richard DeCourcey, was present until September 1977.^[8] It took almost a year to transform the space into a nightclub, and costs totaled between $600,000 and $700,000 when the renovations were complete. Rubell and Schrager had hired some of the best designers around to undertake the project. They employed the service of designers Renny Reynolds, Ron Doud, architect Scott Bromley, and the environmental lighting expert, Brian Thompson. Jules Fisher and Paul Marantz, two well-known names on Broadway, were hired to do theatrical lighting for the club.

They converted what was formerly the theater’s stage into a dance floor. They recreated the feeling of being on stage by placing spot lights around the dance floor and of course, a sparkling disco ball hung over center stage. Studio 54 became known for having the best lights and sound system in the entire city.

Within a month of opening, the New York State Liquor Authority raided Studio 54 for selling liquor without a license, and closed it. The owners of the nightclub said the incident was a "misunderstanding". The next night the club reopened, serving fruit juice and soda instead of liquor. Prior to the raid, the nightclub had been using daily "caterers' permits", which enabled the nightclub to serve alcohol but were intended for weddings or political events.^[9] The State had denied the daily permit for the night and raided the nightclub. The nightclub had been using these permits while waiting for its liquor license to be processed.

The scene

Among the many celebrities present during opening night: Michael Jackson, Mick, Bianca Jagger, Rick James, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Hall, Diana Vreeland, Halston, Margaux Hemingway, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Salvador Dali, Brooke Shields, Francesco Scavullo, Janice Dickinson, Cher, Joan Collins, Martha Graham, Deborah Harry, Robin Leach, Donald and Ivana Trump, Rick Hilton, Kathy Richards. Some celebrities, including Warren Beatty, Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Henry Winkler, and Frank Sinatra were unable to get in, in part due to Studio 54's doorman.^{[citation needed]} The nightclub held around 700 patrons who paid an $8 cover charge to get in each night.

Studio 54 was operated by the flamboyant, publicly visible Rubell and his retiring silent partner Schrager. Rubell became widely known for his door policy, mixing beautiful "nobodies" with glamorous celebrities. Alongside Rubell, doorman Marc Benecke became a fixture on the scene selecting and admitting people to the club. Rubell instructed Benecke to "cast a play" when selecting the perfect mixture of people to enter the club each night.

"Studio", as it came to be called, was notorious for the hedonism that occurred within it; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. The wall behind the dance floor was decorated with a wall sculpture of a Man in the Moon that included an animated cocaine spoon. Above the balcony, there was a room known as “The Rubber Room.” All of its surfaces were lined with rubber, including the walls, so that everything could easily be wiped off. Michael Fesco presented "Sundays at the Studio."

Event planner Robert Isabell had four tons of glitter dumped in a four-inch layer on the floor of Studio 54 for a New Year's Eve party, which owner Ian Schrager described as like "standing on stardust" and left glitter that could be found months later in their clothing and homes.^[10]

End of the first era

In December of 1978 Rubell was quoted in the New York newspapers as saying the Studio 54 had made $7 million in its first year and that "only the Mafia made more money." Shortly thereafter the nightclub was raided and Rubell and Schrager were arrested for skimming $2.5 million. After the arrests Rubell accused Jimmy Carter's White House Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan of snorting cocaine in the basement.^[11] A grand jury met 19 times and interviewed 33 witnesses before concluding that Rubell's testimony was hearsay and not reliable enough to file charges.

Studio 54 closed with a final party called "The End of Modern-day Gomorrah", on February 4, 1980. Diana Ross, Ryan O'Neal, Mariel Hemingway, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Richard Gere, Gia Carangi, Jack Nicholson, Reggie Jackson, and Sylvester Stallone were among the guests that night. New York lawyer Gary P. Naftalis represented Schrager in the ensuing tax-evasion prosecution. After the nightclub's closing, cocaine and money were found in its walls. Schrager and Rubell were found guilty of tax evasion^[vague] and spent 13 months in prison.

1980s

During 1981, the building was sold by JISA Associates, of which Steven Rubell was a principal, to Philip Pilevsky for $2.2 million.^[12] Pilevsky in turn leased it to Mark Fleischman and Stanley Tate, and Studio 54 reopened on September 12, 1981. That night's guest list consisted of Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein, Cary Grant, Lauren Hutton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Mark Gastineau, Gina Lollobrigida, and Brooke Shields. Emerging artists at the time, Madonna, Wham!, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Menudo, and Run-DMC would perform at the club, before going on to future success. KISS held a concert at the club in 1982 that was broadcast via satellite to the Sanremo Festival in Italy. During 1985, heavy metal groups Slayer, Venom and Exodus filmed a video at Studio 54 called Ultimate Revenge for Disco. In the 80's many legendary freestyle music artists performed at this nightclub such as, Noel, Nocera, Cynthia, Coro, Tony Moran, India, T.K.A., Black Riot, Fascination, Sweet Sensation, Pajama Girls, Johnny O., Hanson and many others. Radio stations such as 92 KTU, HOT-103 and HOT-97 would broadcast each live event for these freestyle music artists.

The Ritz and Cabaret Royale

Main article: Ritz (rock club)

From 1981 until early 1993, the nightclub's lease was owned by CAT Entertainment Corp and known as The Ritz. During that period, the nightclub hosted occasional rock concerts and was otherwise used by CAT Entertainment as a public venue available for rent. In 1993, CAT Entertainment was acquired by Cabaret Royale Corporation, a nightclub operator based in Dallas. CAT Entertainment completed a renovation of the nightclub earlier abandoned because of a lack of funds, and resurrected both the nightclub and the Studio 54 trademark, which had never been properly registered by any of the prior owners or operators.^[13] The newly remodelled nightclub was operated as "Cabaret Royale at Studio 54" by CAT Entertainment until early 1995. The Pilevsky interests which owned the theater itself and the adjacent office building had several years earlier granted a mortgage on the properties to the Bank of Tokyo and, in an effort to resolve a large unpaid indebtedness of Pilevsky to the bank and to forestall foreclosure, a trustee had been appointed by Pilevsky and the bank and granted the right to sell those and numerous other properties owned by Pilevsky. During late 1994, Allied Partners acquired the Studio 54 properties and, after protracted litigation, CAT Entertainment lost its lease on the nightclub and ceased operations.

Roundabout Theater at Studio 54

Studio 54 in April 2008

During 1994 Allied Partners bought the building for $5.5 million. They restored much of the architectural detail that had been painted black or covered with plywood by Schrager and Rubell. The nightclub reopened with a live concert by disco stars Gloria Gaynor, Vicki Sue Robinson, and Sister Sledge. The building again went into bankruptcy in 1996 and Allied announced plans to demolish it and replace it with Cyberdrome, a virtual reality gaming venue; however the project was never completed.

During 1998, the collapse of a construction^[14] hoist blocked access to the Henry Miller Theatre on 43rd Street, where the successful revival of the Broadway musical Cabaret was playing. To keep the show accessible, the Roundabout Theater Company agreed to move the performance to Studio 54. Roundabout later bought the building in 2003 from Allied for $22.5 million,^[15] and Cabaret played until 2004.

Notable productions

• 1998: Cabaret
• 2004: Assassins
• 2004: Pacific Overtures
• 2005: A Streetcar Named Desire
• 2005: A Touch of the Poet
• 2006: The Threepenny Opera
• 2006: The Apple Tree
• 2007: 110 in the Shade
• 2007: The Ritz
• 2008: Sunday in the Park with George
• 2008: Pal Joey
• 2009: Waiting for Godot
• 2009: Wishful Drinking
• 2010: Sondheim on Sondheim
• 2010: Brief Encounter
• 2011: The People in the Picture

Upstairs at Studio 54

The second floor of the theater was used as a nightclub on weeks when plays are not being staged; when it does so it operates under the name Upstairs at Studio 54. The club is operated by Josh Hadar who was one of the Allied partners. It was also briefly owned by Noel Ashman.

Upstairs at Studio 54 Performances:

• Gloria Estefan
• Jody Watley
• Newsical

Other tenants

The building, which is still frequently referred to as the Studio 54 building, houses a variety of tenants, among them a theater venue, offices, and an educational facility called Mandl School, the College of Allied Health. This building also houses Olivtree Securities LLC.

Cultural impact

Studio 54 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas

In the late 1970s, the club was arguably the most well known nightclub in the world. The club played a major formative role in the growth of disco music and nightclub culture in general. Several franchises, notably in Las Vegas, have sprung up around the country.

A compilation album of disco music, A Night at Studio 54, was released by Casablanca Records in 1979. It peaked at #21.

Studio 54 Radio

On August 15, 2011, Sirius XM Radio launched a 24/7 Disco channel based around the Studio 54 theme, billed as Studio 54 Radio, broadcasting of Sirius XM 15. The channel, which replaced the previous Disco channel "The Strobe," features pure disco and dance classics, along with interviews and tesimonials from the club's actual DJs and employees.

On October 18, 2011, Sirius XM Radio held a special "One Night Only" party at the club's original location to promote the new channel. In order to win tickets, contestants had to call in to the station and share their memorable Studio 54 experiences. 100 guests were also allowed to enter from the street. The club was decorated with both original and replica props to fully recreate the appearance of the club in its heyday. For the night, it featured the signature sun and "man on the moon" props as well as young, shirtless waiters (a "trademark" of Studio 54). The event featured many of the original staff members including Steve Rubell's former personal assistant, a former doorman and original DJs such as John Benitez. Guest DJ Avicii also performed later in the night. The live DJ sets were broadcast on the Sirius XM channel. Many celebrities such as Martha Stewart, Kevin Bacon, Cameron Diaz, Betsey Johnson, Keith Richards, Donald Trump and Andy Cohen (television personality) were spotted in the crowd.

DJs during the Studio 54 Nightclub era

• Richie Kaczor
• Leroy Washington
• Richie Rivera
• Robbie Leslie
• Frank Corr
• Oscar Padilla
• Little Louie Vega
• Bobby Rios
• Johnny 'Jellybean' Benitez
• Kenny Carpenter
• Nicky Siano
• Osvaldo Labrador
• Ernie Dundur
• Reggie Craddock

See also

• Fiorucci, an Italian fashion boutique hosting the Studio 54 opening party

Literature

• Haden-Guest, Anthony. The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1997. ISBN 978-0688160982

References

1. ^ Gilbert Lesser, 55, Poster Designer For Plays and Promotion Director New York Times August 30, 1990
2. ^ ibdb.com - retrieved January 19, 2008
3. ^ roundabouttheatre.org Retrieved January 19, 2008
4. ^ http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/history5.htm
5. ^ Studio 54 roundabouttheatre.org - Retrieved January 19, 2008
6. ^ Studio 54 - andwedanced.com Retrieved January 19, 2008 Archived December 25, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ ^{a b} "As the Disco Ball Turns", New York, April 30, 2007
8. ^ A WALL STREET JOURNAL Staff Reporter. "Operators of Studio 54 In New York Indicted On Skimming Receipts. " Wall Street Journal [New York, N.Y.] 29 June 1979, 22.
9. ^ New York Times. May 22, 1977 "Liquor Authority Head Stops Discotheque's Music."
10. ^ Weber, Bruce. "Robert Isabell, Who Turned Events Into Wondrous Occasions, Dies at 57", The New York Times, July 10, 2009. Accessed July 14, 2009.
11. ^ Historical Encyclopedia of U.S. Independent Counsel Investigations by Gerald S. Greenberg - Greenwood Press - 2000 ISBN 0313307350
12. ^ Reality News; Studio 54 New York Times - August 31, 1981
13. ^ NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: MIDTOWN; A Stripped-Down Studio 54 For the Post-Disco Era December 19, 1993
14. ^ http://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/broadwayTheatres/studio54.htm
15. ^ COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE: REGIONAL MARKET -- Manhattan; As 'Cabaret' Nears End, Cabaret Still Has a Place New York Times - October 1, 2003

External links

• Andy Warhol and Friends in Studio 54, 1981
• Broadway Theatre Guide with full show details for the Studio 54
• Official website for Roundabout Theater at Studio 54
• Studio 54 at the Internet Broadway Database
• Studio 54: The Hotspot's Heyday - slideshow by Life magazine
• BBC Radio 2 Documentary about Studio 54 with Boy George First broadcast 17 April 2007