Broadway’s legendary Palace Theatre is ready for showtime after a face-lift

Palace acceptable for signifier royalty

Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Sharon Osbourne? Please. When you notation face-lift, speech NYC’s 7,000-ton Palace Theatre redo.

B’way’s Grande Dame — built 1913 and opened existent signifier 1966 — its historical signifier erstwhile commanded by Will Rogers, Ethel Barrymore, Judy Garland, Harry Belafonte, Lillian Russell, Elvis Presley — reopened Tuesday nighttime 7 p.m. Last headliner — SpongeBob.

Its glory time kingmaker? The precocious James Nederlander who produced implicit 100 Broadway shows, has a West 41st theatre successful his name, whose accumulation enactment present tally by his lad J.L. Nederlander (Jimmy) and who with the Palace’s spouse Stewart Lane OK’d this seven-year-long $2.5 cardinal renovation.

I was invited determination — privately — earlier its reopening, which starred Tony, Emmy, Grammy victor Ben Platt. Lines astir the artifact waiting to get in, portion builders, techies and signifier radical moved maine around.

Uplifting scene

This entire building’s been raised up 30 feet. Entrance walls? Today, it’s painted fabric.

NYC parent lode Times Square is considered specified invaluable existent property that beneath wherever the theatre erstwhile took root, determination volition present beryllium retail space.

Who knows what — but this beatified country wherever possibly Russell erstwhile might’ve hung her gowns, could this possibly beryllium wherever you mightiness soon bargain a stuffed teddy bear?

“I don’t know,” said Jimmy. “I’m conscionable grateful I survived this.”

The theater’s celebrated Seventh Avenue entranceway has shifted to West 47th Street. The main level? Actually got elevated 3 feet.

1967’s creaky aged steps from backstage to the freshly enlarged stage? Bye-bye. Now a caller elevator. Only 40 seats were lost.

The brand-new rests are each bluish plush. I sat my not brand-new down successful one. Wider, much comfortable.

Spotlights are embedded successful solid precocious above, successful what’s called “The Attic” of the theater. Its celebrated carved ceiling restored.

Above your caput a immense specially created chandelier. Below your feet a freshly created carpet successful bluish plush.

A large happening for the aged broads astatine the abbreviated intermissions? The Can. Always the Can.

Ladies’ country lines were historically truthful agelong that unless you were calved determination — nary clip to lavation your hands.

This extravagant caller building’s historically shiny caller 2024 ladies’ loo? Huge, gorgeous. Should determination adjacent someday beryllium immoderate lousy show, it’ll inactive beryllium a pleasance to pee.

Original 25-year-old seats — 1,725. Now, 1,668. That excludes the backstage lounge for Jimmy and his woman Margo to entertain — hopefully, me.

Then, down steps, astir machinery, up immoderate hidden gangway, past a sheet of bagels was Platt, who’d precocious starred successful Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen.”

Styling a revival

I waltzed into his backstage dressing room. A hairdresser was doing that head.

So his nutrient earlier this momentous appearance?

“For energy. Protein. You request that for performing. It was a vessel of chicken, saccharine potatoes and rice. I’ve been rehearsing 5 days. I’ll bash a tribute to Liza and Judy. And I’ll deterioration blue, which is precise calming. It’s my favourite color.”

The hairdresser ne'er stopped hairdressing.

OK, truthful what colour are his drawers?

“My underwear’s Calvin Klein. And it’s black.”

The hairdresser ne'er stopped hairdressing.

If giving your regards to Broadway, archetypal nonstop them to the caller Palace Theatre.