A 1920s Movie Palace Turned Rock Music Venue
The Beacon Theatre with its sweeping lobby and grand Art Deco design dates back to the roaring twenties. It originally was opened as a movie palace in 1929 and impressed with its beautiful architecture and rich decorative details including ornate murals and dramatic pillars. It entertained New Yorkers with the talking pictures and vaudeville acts popular at the time. It continued to operate as a movie theatre showing first-run flicks until the early 1970s.
New owners in the mid 1970s transformed the Beacon into a live music concert hall. The small venue was elegant and felt just like a Broadway theatre with its three tiers of seating, unobstructed sight lines and stunning restored architecture. More intimate than Radio City Music Hall but larger than a nightclub, fans loved the close proximity to their favourite acts. The Beacon quickly became one of the hottest places in New York to see a concert.
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