Coliseum Theatre (Washington Heights)

The Coliseum Theatre is a vacant cultural and performing arts center located at 4260 Broadway between West 181st and 182nd Streets in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. A full-block building, it is bounded on the east by Bennett Avenue.

Coliseum Theatre
B.S. Moss' Coliseum Theatre
New Coliseum Theatre
Coliseum Cinemas
Coliseum Theatre in 2013
Address4260 Broadway
New York City
United States
Coordinates40.850451°N 73.935275°W / 40.850451; -73.935275
OwnerThe Greater New York Vaudeville Theatre Corp[1]
TypeTheatre
Capacity3,500
Current useVacant
Construction
OpenedSeptember 30, 1920
Closed2011
Years active1920–2002
2004-2011
ArchitectEugene De Rosa
Percival Raymond Pereira
BuilderFleischmann Construction[1]

During the American Revolution, it was the location of the Blue Bell Tavern, which stood from 1720 to right before the Coliseum was erected, in 1915.[2][3]

Built in 1920 as B.S. Moss' Coliseum Theatre, the venue was originally a movie palace designed by architect Eugene De Rosa. [4] Marble interiors were done by Voska, Foelsch, & Sidlo Inc, terra cotta by New York Architectural Terra Cotta Company, ornamental plastering by Architectural Plastering Company, Inc., Peter Clark installed the rigging system, windows supplied by S. H. Pomeroy Company, Inc., Sexauer & Lemke Inc. installed the ornamental iron work, draperies and wall coverings by Louis Kuhn Studio, mirrors & console tables by Nonnenbacher & Co, and the pipe organ was installed by M. P. Moller[5]

The Coliseum was launched by Bow Tie Cinemas before being taken over by RKO Pictures. It housed many vaudeville acts, including The Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, Uncle Don’s Kiddie Show, and Gertrude Berg.[4]

During the 1980s, a local arts group wanted to rejuvenate the Coliseum as a community arts center, and put on a fundraiser benefit performance Salute to Ol' Vaudeville. It also was the site of the Dominican Film Festival and Children's Film Festival before closing.[6]

In 2011, the building was denied larkmark status, and a shopping mall is slated to be opened after demolition.[7]

  • Gallery
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gollark: > so dumping a shit ton of current to the 80% mark (which is usually close to nominal) isnt bad for itWouldn't the battery get pretty hot, which might be a problem?
gollark: Right now the solution for fast-charging phones seems to just be to dump ridiculous amounts of power into the batteries, which seems kind of bad?
gollark: Supercapacitor-based phones would be neat, if they can get them to about the same energy density as current stuff somehow.
gollark: I think right now degrading batteries are a significant issue.

References
  1. https://collections.mcny.org/Collection/B.-S.-Moss-Coliseum-Theatre-2F3XC5XLGPQ.html
  2. http://www.washington-heights.us/rko-coliseum-theater/
  3. Jeremy Megraw (January 13, 2012). "Ghost Light: Illuminating Our City's Theatres: RKO Coliseum". The New York Public Library. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  4. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/526
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=Hy_nAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PR53&lpg=RA1-PR53&dq=coliseum+theatre+washington+heights&source=bl&ots=60oVy-asfo&sig=ACfU3U0-9xxTRIwaUrrdhAAiNVHz0YptmA&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjhjqeq3_rkAhWBT98KHUxYCSk4MhDoATAFegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=coliseum%20theatre%20washington%20heights&f=false
  6. https://www.nypl.org/blog/2012/01/13/ghost-light-illuminating-our-citys-theatres-rko-coliseum-edition
  7. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/features/old-movie-theaters-are-hoping-hollywood-ending
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