A venue for the rest of us
TEXT OF STORY
MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Time to open up the Marketplace Vault for a look at this week in the History of Business, a New York landmark.
[ “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Radio City Rockettes . . .” ]
STACEY VANEK-SMITH: The country certainly needed a little sparkle this week back in 1932.
It was the height of the Great Depression and the middle of winter when Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City. Thousands of people came out to see the art-deco theater.
It was built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., who partnered with RCA to create a place where ordinary people could see extraordinary entertainment.
It was also the cornerstone of the Rockefeller Complex being built in a rundown part of Midtown Manhattan.
Radio City Music Hall remains the largest indoor theater in the world.
To date, more than 300 million people have attended events there.
I’m Stacey Vanek-Smith.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
