| LW! e-Newsletter | September 7, 2012 |
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| Tonight, the Auction Begins! | |
 | Jules Feiffer's "Save the Beacon" print is
up for auction; place your bid tonight! |
In June 2012, as we feted this year's "Unsung Heroes" in the landmark Beacon Theatre, we were reminded that this undeniably exotic interior was once the focus of a heated advocacy campaign.
Even after it's designation as an official NYC Interior Landmark in 1979, the future of the Beacon Theatre was still not secured. Our beloved Beacon Theatre was saved from an inappropriate and insensitive discotheque conversion by the sustained efforts of devoted citizen advocates, who formed the Save the Beacon Theatre Committee in 1984.
As part of their effort, the committee organized benefit concerts to generate support for their good fight. In November 1986, Jules Feiffer, internationally acclaimed cartoonist, playwright and author, donated twenty five signed and numbered drawings to be sold at a fundraiser hosted by the Save the Beacon Theatre Committee.
Starting tonight, LANDMARK WEST! will be auctioning one of these vintage prints. Own a print of Feiffer's iconic dancer, which captures a moment in time when once again the feisty spirit of Upper West Siders proved a formidable force!
Own a print by internationally acclaimed cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter and author, Jules Feiffer. Feiffer has made an important and varied contribution to America's cultural life with his satirical outlook and probing wit. His syndicated cartoon strip, for which he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, ran for forty years in The Village Voice. Feiffer has written more than thirty-five books, plays and film scripts and has received numerous awards and honors including an Academy Award for his short animated film "Munro". Among his most recent books are his memoir, Backing into Forward (2010) and the children's book My Side of the Car (2011) with daughter Kate Feiffer. The Phantom Tollbooth, for which he did the illustrations, is celebrating 50 years in publication. Mr. Feiffer lives and works in New York.
Head to eBay to place your bid and join the auction excitement! Bid strategically and bid often!
The monies raised from the Jules Feiffer online auction will fuel LANDMARK WEST's continuing advocacy efforts, as we work to preserve and protect the Upper West Side's architectural resources and utterly unique sense of place.
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Looking back at
Save the Beacon Theatre!
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In 1984, the legendary Beacon Theatre--a New York City Interior Landmark--was saved not by chance, but by the sustained efforts of the citizen-advocates of Save the Beacon Theatre.  | |
A look inside the restored Beacon Theatre.
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More recently, in 2006, Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) acquired the legendary venue and made a commitment to the city that it would restore the Beacon to its original grandeur. In 2008, MSGE embarked on a $17 million restoration, allowing audiences to experience its original majestic design. Working with architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle, the restoration has been more than just a rehearsal, but a true tour de force performance!
On October 8, 2009, to mark this preservation achievement, LANDMARK WEST! honored the Save the Beacon Theatre group with one of our 2009 "Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side" Awards. Additionally in 2009, MSGE was awarded the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award for outstanding preservation efforts by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. The award honors preservation leaders, public officials, organizations, owners, builders, architects, and craftspeople who restore the beauty and utility of New York's great architecture.
Though it is truly a wonder to behold, the majestically restored Beacon Theatre is no "Miracle on 74th Street." Planned as the Roxy Midway Theatre and opened in 1929, the future Beacon was the brainchild of theatrical impresario Samuel "Roxy" Rothfel (who later helped create Radio City Music Hall) and planned as a part of the Roxy Circuit of "movie palaces." Chicago architect Walter Ahlschlager designed The Beacon in an opulent pastiche of historical styles.
The interior was renowned for its flawless acoustics and became a coveted venue for musical superstars. It was designated as an official NYC Interior Landmark in 1979. Still, its future was not secure. In 1986, Save the Beacon Theatre formed in swift response to a developer's proposal to carve out the space for a discotheque-a plan that, incredibly, was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Years of grassroots advocacy and legal action kept destruction at bay until, finally, the tide turned. Today, under MSGE's stewardship, more than 100 concerts and events take place annually at The Beacon Theatre, and it has once again recaptured is prominence as one of the most vibrant theaters in New York City.
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