Radio City Music Hall

Even as a performer, my father had always been interested in stage production. After months of searching for work, a friend at the Lamb's Club suggested he interview for a job opening he'd heard about, third-assistant Stage Manager at Radio City Music Hall. Joseph managed to land the job and quickly became a student of stagecraft on a gigantic scale.

Located on West 50th Street and Sixth Avenue (what, thanks to Fiorella LaGuardia, non-New Yorkers call the Avenue of the Americas), the Music Hall is the largest indoor theater in the world. Opened in 1932, the Music Hall was part of what was then known as the "Radio City" complex, its principal tenant the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). It became instantly famous for its live stage shows that employed over a hundred singers, dancers, extras and, of course, the world-famous chorus line dancers, the Rockettes*.

One of the biggest stages in the world, with enormous wings and fly-space, it had elevators that could raise and lower colossal sets, even the entire orchestra. It boasted a special effects system connected to a nearby Con Edison generating station that could draw steam to create clouds, fog, even rain on the stage. It was the ultimate train set and Joseph quickly became a master at driving it.

He soon became first-assistant Stage Manager. At his podium just offstage, he could make a 100-foot set-piece disappear into the ceiling with a wave of his hand. This too would prove fateful for the next step in my father's career - this new thing called television.


* The Rockettes had been the 'Roxyettes', a staple at the rival Roxy Theater on Seventh Avenue. But when they abandoned their live stage show, the Rockettes moved a block east to the Music Hall.