Tune into New York's Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall under construction on a plot of land that was originally intended for an opera house. The new venue's chosen name was the International Music Hall. It was built at the same time as the Rockefeller Center, seen in the background and eventually to become one of New York's landmark buildings.

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Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel -

Theatrical impresario and entrepreneur Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel (1882–1936) was the man behind the idea to build the theater. He already owned the nearby Roxy Theatre.

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Interior design -

The hall was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone (1902–1978) and interior designer Donald Deskey (1894–1989). Stone also designed the city's Museum of Modern Art and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

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Name change -

A name change led to the theater being called Radio City Music Hall, named after one of the completed Rockefeller Center's first tenants, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). Pictured is the brand new building a few days before its official inauguration on Tuesday, December 27, 1932.

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Opening night -

Over 6,000 guests were invited to attend the opening night. Among them were some of America's wealthiest and most influential individuals.

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Celebrity guests -

A guest of honor was billionaire philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874–1960), the man behind the construction of the Rockefeller Center.

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Walter P. Chrysler -

Industrialist and automotive pioneer Walter P. Chrysler (1875–1940) arrives with his wife, Della (pictured on the right).

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Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney -

Businessman and financier Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (1899–1992) seen with second wife, Gwladys, in the theater's lobby during the formal opening.

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Opening night show -

Guests are photographed settled in their seats in the capacity-filled theater. The lavish stage show began at 8 pm.

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Showtime -

The production included appearances by big-name entertainers of the era, celebrities such as actor and singer Ray Bolger, vaudeville act The Mirthquakers, and acclaimed American ballet dancer Patricia Bowman.

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The Rockettes -

The dance troupe most closely associated with Radio City Music Hall is the Rockettes (pictured in the early 1930s). Various incarnations of the dancing group have appeared at the venue since its opening in 1932. They are respected internationally for their precision routines and virtuoso choreography.

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Costume room -

The busy costume room at Radio City Music Hall in the mid-1930s, with members of the Rockettes being fitted into their stage outfits.

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Financial problems -

As early as 1933, the hall was loosing money. A decision was therefore made to share the stage with Hollywood. Pictured is Radio City Music Hall, seen from the RCA Building on 51st street, in 1936.

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'The Bitter Tea of General Yen' (1933) -

The first movie screened at the music hall was 'The Bitter Tea of General Yen,' directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Nils Asther.

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'Topaze' (1933) -

The gamble paid off. Furthermore, the venue became the premiere showcase for films from the RKO-Radio Studio, with 'Topaze,' starring John Barrymore and Myrna Loy, the first RKO picture to play there. In all, more than 700 movies opened at Radio City Music Hall before the film-plus-stage-spectacle format was abandoned, with the last picture, 'The Promise,' screened in 1979.

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Concert venue -

Throughout the 1970s, Radio City Music Hall provided a stage for some memorable music concerts. Pictured is David Bowie in 1974 during his Diamond Dogs tour.

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'Night of 100 Stars' -

In February 1982, Radio City Music Hall hosted one of the most glittering celebrity extravaganzas in its history, the charity fundraiser 'Night of 100 Stars.' Taped for television, the venue was packed with the likes of Liza Minelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Princess Grace (in one of her last show business engagements). Pictured assembled for the finale are the stars who participated, including in the front row James Stewart, George Burns, and Orson Welles.

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Tune into New York's Radio City Music Hall

The "Showplace of the Nation" opened its doors on December 27, 1932

27/12/22 | StarsInsider

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Radio City Music Hall in New York City was inaugurated on December 27, 1932. Originally slated as an opera house, the venue soon became one of the country's most iconic entertainment venues. In fact, it's known as the "Showplace of the Nation," and besides regularly hosting big-name music concerts and television spectaculars, it's one of the Big Apple's most cherished landmarks.

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