AMC Empire 25

AMC Empire 25 is a large multiplex cinema on West 42nd Street in Manhattan’s Theater District, near the southern end of Times Square. It is operated by AMC Theatres and occupies a major entertainment and retail complex at 234 West 42nd Street. The venue is distinctive because its entrance and principal lobby incorporate the historic Empire Theatre, originally known as the Eltinge Theatre, a Broadway theater designed by Thomas W. Lamb for theatrical impresario A. H. Woods. The original theater opened on September 11, 1912, with Bayard Veiller’s play Within the Law. Woods had named it for Julian Eltinge, a prominent female impersonator with whom he had a professional association, although Eltinge himself did not perform at the venue. During its early Broadway period, the theater developed a reputation as a successful or “lucky” house, presenting long-running comedies and dramas. Its programming included Within the Law, The Yellow Ticket, The Song of Songs, Fair and Warmer, Cheating Cheaters, Business Before Pleasure, Under Orders, and Up in Mabel’s Room. The theater’s fortunes changed as the Times Square theater district evolved. During the Depression, legitimate theatrical productions became harder to sustain, and the building was used for burlesque from 1931 to 1942. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed together there in the early stage of their partnership. The venue later became a movie theater operated by the Brandt family and leased to J. J. Mage. In 1954, the Brandts renamed it the Empire and continued its use as a cinema for much of the remainder of the twentieth century. The Empire was caught up in the decline and redevelopment of 42nd Street. New York City and New York State acquired the property in 1990 as part of the 42nd Street Redevelopment Project. During the 1990s, Forest City Ratner developed a new entertainment and retail complex on the block. Rather than demolishing the historic theater entirely, the project relocated the Empire’s building approximately 168 feet west, restored important architectural elements, and integrated the old structure into a new multiplex. The former auditorium became part of the lobby and lounge, while new screening rooms were constructed above and behind it. AMC Empire 25 opened on April 21, 2000, as AMC’s first theater in New York City. At opening, it was described as the largest multiplex in New York City and had 25 auditoriums distributed across multiple levels. The cinema’s original total capacity was approximately 4,916 seats, later reduced to about 4,764 seats according to reference material from 2011. The complex includes stadium seating, curved screens, multiple lobbies, escalators, concession facilities, smaller screens for independent, foreign-language, and art films, and rooms suitable for private events or presentations. The venue’s market position combines high-volume commercial exhibition with architectural heritage and a prominent Times Square location. Its historic facade is made principally of terracotta and features a large three-story arch designed to evoke a Roman triumphal arch. The former proscenium and other decorative details remain visible inside the multiplex. The theater continues to operate as an AMC cinema, although specific current auditorium capacities, formats, amenities, and programming may change over time.

The building now associated with AMC Empire 25 began as the Eltinge Theatre, a Broadway venue on West 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. A. H. Woods leased the site in August 1911 and commissioned architect Thomas W. Lamb to design a theater for approximately 1,000 patrons. Woods named the venue after Julian Eltinge, a well-known female impersonator and professional associate, and moved his executive offices to the building’s upper floor. The theater opened on September 11, 1912, with Within the Law, a melodrama by Bayard Veiller. The production ran for 541 performances and helped establish the venue’s early reputation for commercially successful productions. The Eltinge presented a succession of popular plays during the 1910s, including The Yellow Ticket, The Song of Songs, Fair and Warmer, Cheating Cheaters, Business Before Pleasure, Under Orders, and Up in Mabel’s Room. Its auditorium had three seating levels and was decorated with Egyptian and Greek motifs, sculpted architectural details, a domed ceiling, and a sounding board mural depicting three dancing women. The building’s square terracotta facade was comparatively restrained for its period, but its central three-story arch gave it a distinctive street presence. The theater’s role changed during the economic and cultural upheavals of the 1920s and 1930s. It was leased to different theatrical operators and, when legitimate productions became less viable during the Depression, operated as a burlesque house from 1931 through 1942. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed together at the venue early in 1935, before becoming major film and television comedians. The auditorium’s boxes were removed during the burlesque conversion, and other interior changes followed. After the burlesque period, the building became the Laff-Movie cinema, operated by the Brandt family and leased to J. J. Mage. The Brandts renamed it the Empire in 1954. Like many theaters around 42nd Street, it functioned primarily as a movie venue as the district shifted away from legitimate theater. By the late twentieth century, the surrounding area had suffered severe deterioration, and many nearby theaters had been converted to lower-grade film or adult entertainment uses. New York City and New York State acquired the theater in 1990 as part of a public redevelopment program for 42nd Street. In the 1990s, Forest City Ratner developed a large entertainment and retail complex on the block, including the future multiplex, the relocated Empire building, the former Liberty Theatre, and Madame Tussauds New York. The Empire structure was moved approximately 168 feet west from its original position in 1998. Its historic facade and substantial interior details were restored and incorporated into the new cinema design. The resulting AMC Empire 25 opened on April 21, 2000. It was AMC’s first New York City theater and was designed by a collaboration involving Benjamin Thompson, Beyer Blinder Belle, Gould Evans Goodman, and the Rockwell Group. The former auditorium became a lobby and lounge, while new auditoriums were built on and above the historic structure. Escalators pass through the former proscenium arch, connecting the lobby levels to the screening rooms. The multiplex originally contained 25 auditoriums and approximately 4,916 seats, with a later reference recording approximately 4,764 seats. The building therefore combines a twentieth-century Broadway theater shell and decorative interior with a modern, vertically organized multiplex. Its current identity rests on both functions: it is a working AMC cinema and a highly visible surviving element of the historic 42nd Street theater landscape.

• 2000

  AMC Empire 25 opens

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  AMC opened its first New York City theater on April 21 as a 25-screen multiplex incorporating the historic theater.

• 1998

  Historic building relocated

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  The Empire building was moved approximately 168 feet west and adapted for inclusion in a new entertainment complex.

• 1990

  Property acquired for redevelopment

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  New York City and New York State acquired the theater as part of the 42nd Street Redevelopment Project.

• 1954

  Venue renamed the Empire

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  The Brandt family renamed the movie theater the Empire.

• 1935

  Abbott and Costello perform together

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  Bud Abbott and Lou Costello appeared together at the theater during their early burlesque careers.

• 1931

  Burlesque era begins

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  The venue was leased for burlesque as legitimate theatrical production declined during the Depression.

• 1912

  Eltinge Theatre opens

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  The theater opened on September 11 with Within the Law.

• 1911

  Site leased for a new theater

  [1]Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org

  A. H. Woods leased a West 42nd Street site and announced plans for a theater named after Julian Eltinge.

A centrally located AMC multiplex that combines high-capacity commercial movie exhibition with a restored landmark theater setting in Times Square.

• Cinema service · 2000

  Mainstream feature-film exhibition

  The multiplex’s core offering is theatrical exhibition of commercially released feature films across a large group of auditoriums. Its Times Square location supports high visitor volume and broad programming, while the multi-level layout allows films to be shown simultaneously in numerous rooms.

• Cinema service · 2000

  Independent and foreign-language screening rooms

  Reference material describes seven smaller screens on the sixth story used for independent, foreign-language, and art films. These rooms give the venue programming capacity beyond the largest commercial releases, although the exact current allocation may vary.

• Event service · 2000

  Private screenings and events

  The theater includes rooms suitable for private screenings, business presentations, and other gatherings. Reference material identifies a private 60-seat screening room and two auditoriums with leather seating intended in part for larger presentations or private parties.

• Food and beverage · 2000

  Cinema concessions

  Concession service is part of the multiplex experience, with the principal concession area located on the third story according to the historical description of the opening design. Current menus and amenities are not specified in the supplied sources.

• 2000

  Launch of AMC Empire 25Product launch

  Background

  AMC expanded into New York City through the redevelopment of the historic Empire Theatre site.

  Action taken

  AMC opened a 25-screen multiplex on April 21, 2000, with screening rooms distributed across multiple levels and linked to the preserved theater lobby.

  Aftermath

  The venue became a major movie exhibition site in Times Square and was described at the time as New York City’s largest multiplex.

  Source

• 1998

  Integrate a relocated historic theater into a new multiplexStrategy

  Background

  The 42nd Street redevelopment required a new entertainment complex while preserving significant elements of the former Empire Theatre.

  Action taken

  The historic building was moved west, restored, and used as the entrance, lobby, and lounge for a new AMC multiplex rather than being treated solely as a standalone Broadway theater.

  Aftermath

  The adaptation preserved the facade, former auditorium, proscenium, and other decorative details while allowing a 25-screen cinema to operate above and around the historic structure.

  Source

1. 1Empire Theatre (42nd Street)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2AMC Empire 25 official theater pageamctheatres.com