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December 27, 1932: The Opening of Radio City Music Hall

December 27, 1932: This day marked the opening of the world's largest indoor theater at the time, Radio City Music Hall in New York City. For its gala grand opening show, it presented a six-hour extravaganza which incurred a loss of half a million dollars in three weeks. The theater underwent renovation to restore it to its original decorative charm. It now carries an Art Deco theme and is the seat of entertainment. It can accommodate 6,200 people and is still a common destination among New York visitors. Audiences still get wowed during the holiday season by the internationally acclaimed Rockettes' performance on the theatre's stage, which is made up of nearly 10,000 square feet.

The Radio City Music Hall was built on a 12-acre (49,000 m²) complex in midtown Manhattan known as Rockefeller Center. It was developed from 1929 until 1940 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and interior designer Donald Deskey in the Art Deco style.
Before it was known as "Radio City" and "Radio City Music Hall," the name was International Music Hall. The opening show of The Music Hall on December 27, 1932  was not a success. But on January 11, 1933, The Music Hall presented  a spectacular stage show, Rothafel, at the Roxy Theatre in New York City.

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