TheHammerstein Ballroom is a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2)ballroom located within theManhattan Center at 311 West34th Street inMidtown Manhattan,New York City. The capacity of the ballroom is dependent on the configuration of the room; it seats 2,000 people for theatrical productions and musical performances, and several thousand for events held within a centralring. The floor of the ballroom is flat.[3] The two main balconies – which are unusually close to the ground and gently sloped – seat a total of 1,200. The third balcony has been stripped of seats and is not used.[3]
The Manhattan Center was constructed in 1906 byOscar Hammerstein I as the Manhattan Opera House, the home for hisManhattan Opera Company, an alternative to the popular yet comparatively expensiveMetropolitan Opera.[1] In 1910, the Metropolitan Opera paid Hammerstein $1.2 million to stop operating the Manhattan Opera House as anopera venue for ten years. This led to the elaborately decorated theater being used for a variety of events, includingvaudeville.[1]
The ownership of the center changed hands multiple times over the next few decades, with the theater being converted into a large ballroom and being used as a temple for theScottish Rite branch ofFreemasonry in the 1930s and atrade union headquarters in the 1940s before falling into disuse in the 1970s. It was bought bySun Myung Moon'sUnification Church, the ballroom's current owner. The building was renamed Manhattan Center Studios in 1986, and in 1997 the former theater was renamed the Hammerstein Ballroom and underwent extensive renovation, with the hand painted ceiling being completely restored.[1]
The Hammerstein Ballroom has seen performances from a wide variety of musical acts and its popularity has varied over the years due mainly to competition within the neighborhood.[4]
In April 1971 theGrateful Dead recorded several tracks for the live album,Skull & Roses, which became the band's first RIAA gold album.
Jane's Addiction recorded the 1997 Halloween Show of their reunion tour at the Hammerstein Ballroom, with the band's members performing some numbers in their encore from the balcony.
On July 7, 1999,Britney Spears performed to a sold-out crowd as part of her...Baby One More Time Tour. It marked the singer's first solo concert in New York City.
Boy bandO-Town performed at the ballroom on the last night of their concert tour in 2001. The concert was filmed and was released asO-Town: Live from New York.
Alt-rock bandIncubus played at the Hammerstein on September 15, 2001, at a time when nearly all other bands scheduled to perform in New York City canceled their appearances in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks.[8]
In 2002,NASCAR held its annual end-of-season awards ceremony in the Ballroom, the only time from 1981 to 2008 the end-of-season awards ceremony was not held in theWaldorf-Astoria, with the Grand Ballroom being the location from 1985-2001 and 2003-2008.
On November 2nd 2003 the theatre hosted the 75th anniversary of CBS with a television special CBS at 75
The metal bandKorn recorded their DVDLive at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
The popular rock/jam bandO.A.R. released a live album in 2004,34th & 8th, which was recorded at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Iron Maiden was scheduled to perform four concerts at the Ballroom on 23, 24, 26 and 27 January 2004, for theirDance of Death World Tour. The second show was cut short after one audience member dropped a beer on the soundboard, while the final concert was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.
Several shows have been taped here, including some seasons ofNBC'sAmerica's Got Talent and part of the third season of the Bergeron version ofHollywood Squares.
On October 30, 2016, Hammerstein Ballroom became the Manhattan services venue ofHillsong Church NYC. Four services are scheduled to be held there each Sunday.[11]
On December 21, 2018,AJR performed at the venue for theirThe Click Tour.
On February 8, 2020, theNew York Excelsior of theOverwatch League held the esports league's first homestand, a hybrid home-and-away format similar to other professional sports leagues, at a sold-out Ballroom.[12]
On January 23, 2022,Game Changer Wrestling presented The Wrld On GCW. This event set a Hammerstein Ballroom record for attendance.
On July 7, 2023, Irish rock bandThe Saw Doctors returned for their first show in the United States in 10 years. This would be only 1 of 2 shows they are scheduled to perform in the US during their 2023 revival tour.
at34th Street-Penn Station
at34th Street-Penn Station
Amtrak,LIRR,NJ Transit atPenn Station
