Top 10 Interesting Facts about the Ed Sullivan Theater
It’s been more than a week since the departure of David Letterman from the Late Show. Letterman’s late night television hosting gig lasted for 33 years. But it was not until he moved from NBC to CBS in 1993 where he made the Ed Sullivan Theater his home up until his retirement.
In homage to the Late Show’s Top 10 List, here are our Top 10 interesting facts about the Ed Sullivan Theater:
photo attributed to calicoskiesgirl
# 10 It’s Also A Home To Other Shows
Before Letterman moved to his new studio in 1993, other shows have already broadcasted from the Ed Sullivan Theater. The theater hosted The Jackie Gleason Show during the CBS-TV Studio 50 days. It was later followed by The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, What’s My Line?, To Tell The Truth, The $10,000 Pyramid, Musical Chairs, Shoot For The Stars, and Pass The Buck back in the 60′s and the 70′s. In 1996, The Rosie O’Donell Show taped for four days in the building due to electrical fire on its main studio. Some of CBS’ Survivor finale reunion shows were also broadcasted live in the theater. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will continue to be broadcasted in the Ed Sullivan Theater which is expected to air in September 8, 2015.
# 09 Customized Doors Were Installed To Fit Elephants
The Ed Sullivan show occasionally showcased trained elephants but the theater was originally built for broadway . So huge doors were installed to squeeze in large animals inside the theatre.
# 08 The Marquee Was Also Used As A Stage
Musical performances are not only limited to inside the studio. In 2009, Paul McCartney made a surprise performance at the building’s marquee where thousands of people gathered. Prior to the former Beatle, the rock band Phish also played on top of the marquee in 2004. Eminem and Jay-Z was also set to appear on the same stage, but due to logistical issues, they ended up performing at the roof deck.
# 07 It Has A Ghostly Reputation
In an excerpt from the book Haunted New York City: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Big Apple, the author wrote;
“The Ed Sullivan Theater has long been rumoured to be haunted. Today, The Late Show with David Letterman is filmed live from the theatre-studio, and a team of paranormal investigators based in New York City actually participated in a skit on the show that aired on October 10, 2005, and investigated the studio after the taping. NYC Paranormal Investigations found video footage showing a dark shadow passing before the camera and an orb moving erratically, and they detected several unexplained sudden temperature drops and unusual electromagnetic field (EMF) readings.
# 06 The Studio Is Kept At A Very Low Temperature
During taping, the studio temperature is placed at around 60°F to overcompensate the heat of the studio lights. According to the Building Engineer, the cool air also makes the sound crisper and keeps the audience more alert.
There are two 120-ton Mutistack Modular Chillers that are intalled in the theatre.
# 05 It Is Where The Beatles Made Their First American Debut
On February 9, 1964, the Fab Four performed for over 70 million television viewers and 400 studio audience on the Ed Sullivan Show. It marked the beginning of the British Invasion in the United States.
# 04 The Theater’s Designer Was Also An Inventor
The multi-storey building was designed by theatre architect Herbert J. Krapp. His other notable works include the historic Hotel Edison, and the Lincoln Hotel (Row NYC Hotel) which was the largest hotel in New York City when it first opened in 1928.
The 1929 stock market crash ended the theatre construction boom. Several years later, Krapp found a new career as an inventor of commercial and industrial coupling devices. One of his which was patented and used by the U.S. Air Force for inflight fueling of their bombers.
# 03 CBS Bought The Property For $4 Million
In a 1993 New York Times article, former CBS President Howard Stringer was quoted as saying, “This is all about symbolism. We see it as a restoration of a theater, and renewal and revitalization for a network and even for the city.”
Reconfiguring the theater into a television and radio studio was also a multi-million dollar investment for CBS. The renovation work, which was done by New York-based architectural firm, Polshek Partnership (currently known as Ennead Architects), reportedly reached $8 Million.
# 02 It Was Originally Called The Hammerstein’s Theatre
It was named after Oscar Hammerstein I, a businessman, theatre producer, and composer in New York City. His son, Arthur Hammerstein led the construction of the theatre from 1925 to 1927. It later went by the names, Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose’s Music Hall, Radio Theater #3, CBS Radio Playhouse, and CBS-TV Studio 50. On December 10, 1967, it was officially renamed to the Ed Sullivan Theatre after its namesake, The Ed Sullivan Show.
# 01 It’s A Historic Landmark
The theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its Neo-Gothic interior has been designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. As per arrangement with the commission, CBS agreed to remove and store the theatre’s original stained glass windows during its 1993 renovation.
Are there interesting things about the Ed Sullivan Theater that was not included on the list above? Share them on the comments section below.
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