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#OnThisDay, the Morosco Theatre opened in 1917 in Times Square in a moment where it seemed as if the theater bubble would never burst. But the Depression Era was not kind to Broadway: many theaters near the Morosco were converted to movie houses, turned to burlesque, or closed. 
As stars who had made a name for themselves onstage left New York for Hollywood’s silver screen, institutions like the Morosco had less and less leverage to justify their existence in the face of developers’ forceful attempts to redevelop the Times Square area.
The Morosco Theatre, along with the Bijou, Helen Hayes, Astor, and Gaiety Theatres, were victims of the “Great Theatre Massacre of 1982” in which several historic theaters were demolished to make way for a 50-story hotel.
Though many of these theaters were deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, development efforts continued on and demolition plans were made, despite a robust save-the-theater campaign.
On demolition day in March 1982, as machines made their way toward the theaters, stars including Richard Gere, Celeste Holm, and Susan Sarandon joined throngs of others in blocking the machines’ paths. They would be among the 160-plus individuals arrested for trespassing.
As the wrecking ball swung into the side of the Morosco, theater advocate and preservation ally Joe Papp was quoted as saying, “I felt like I was being hit… I started to cry.” #savethetheaters
Though the “Theatre Massacre” was a great loss for New York’s preservation community, it catalyzed the creation of the Broadway Theatre District. For a deeper dive into the history of the Theatre District and individual landmarks, check out more here: bit.ly/2D9Dtuh
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