Every day brings a new story. And each day contributes to the art of story telling -- in prose and poetry, in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books.
Today is the story of December 27th.
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It is the 361st day of the year, leaving four days in 2021.
On this date in 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened on New York's Sixth Avenue, between 50th and 51st streets, in the heart of midtown Manhattan.
Over the years, the massive theater has helped tell stories through movies, stage performances, rock concerts, and television shows. It has hosted the Rockettes, a precision dance team best known for kicking their legs in unison. Its annual Christmas show brought tourists from all over the world -- until it was shut down because of COVID in 2020.
The new Music Hall was not an overnight success -- partly because the premiere performance ran well in the overnight, and into the early morning. Starting at 8 p.m. and featuring an elaborate stage show, many of the acts were overwhelmed by the large, expansive stage. The show ran until past 2 a.m., causing many of the theater-goers to leave early.
One reviewer, film historian Terry Ramsaye, called it the "unveiling of the world's best bust." Set designer Robert Edmond Jones quickly resigned. Less than a month later, after losing $180,000, the Music Hall converted to a movie theater with accompanying stage performances.
That worked until the 1970s. By 1978, the Music Hall faced bankruptcy and closure, but was renovated and re-opened the following year. It was again renovated in 1999, and has diversified its performances with stage shows, concerts, and hosting television and award shows.
Its future remains threatened by COVID and changing entertainment choices.
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