Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium was an amphitheater and athletic facility built on the campus of the City College of New York. It opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1973.
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[edit] History
The Doric-colonnaded amphitheater was built between Amsterdam and Convent Avenues, from 136th to 138th Street in 1915.[1] Financier and philanthropist Adolph Lewisohn donated the money for construction. The stadium hosted many athletic, musical, and theatrical events and was one of New York's public landmarks. It was demolished in 1973 to make way for the $125 million North Academic Center.[2]
Besides sporting events, the stadium was used for performances by Ella Fitzgerald, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic (sometimes called the "Stadium Symphony Orchestra"), Marian Anderson, and Eugene Ormandy. George Gershwin played his Rhapsody in Blue. Performers ranged from Van Cliburn, Jascha Heifetz, and Yehudi Menuhin to Leontyne Price, Pete Seeger, Jack Benny, and conductor Kurt Adler of the Metropolitan Opera.
[edit] In film
The derelict stadium was used in the 1973 film Serpico directed by Sidney Lumet, in a scene with Tony Roberts and Al Pacino. It also appeared as the setting of the final scene of the 1945 film Rhapsody In Blue in which Oscar Levant performs the title composition, with an orchestra conducted by Paul Whiteman, as a memorial to the composer.
[edit] References
- ^ Automobile Blue Book, Chief Points of Interest in Upper Manhattan, 1920
- ^ Horsley, Carter B. (April 5, 1973). "Lewisohn Stadium, Center for Culture, to Be Razed". New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40710F63C5F10738DDDAC0894DC405B838BF1D3. Retrieved 2008-12-15. "A $90-million academic center is planned to replace Lewisohn Stadium-the amphitheater and athletic field of City College that served as the city's summer cultural center for about half a century."
[edit] External links
- http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/plazasite/plazahistory/history1.htm (HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.)
Coordinates: 40°49′09″N 73°57′04″W / 40.819105°N 73.95119°W
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