The New Victory Theater

Here, we can see evidence of the revitalization of 42nd St. The New Victory Theatre is actually the oldest operating theatre in NY. It was built in 1900 and was the first theatre above 42nd St. Prior to that, the theatres were all downtown. It was also the first theatre to become a house of burlesque and it has the odd distinction of being the first movie house on 42nd St that showed XXX movies. After its renovation, it now specializes in children’s theatre.

Next door, you can see the New 42nd Street Studios, where some of the Broadway shows rehearse. Rehearsal studios are always at a premium in NY because space is so expensive and difficult to come by.