Still glowing from our show at the Apollo Theater, were sad to find out about the potential destruction of another historic Harlem, NYC venue, the Renaissance Theater and Casino. The venue, opened in 1921 was home to music by Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington, exuberant dances like the Lindy Hop, critical anti-lynching meetings held by the NAACP, and served as home to the Harlem Black Fives, a legendary basketball team in the era of segregated sports. (Read the NY Times article here: nyti.ms/1v06T0q) Weve traveled around the country and the world and have seen theaters of a similar age, like the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, restored to their former glory and enjoying a new life as venues while preserving their historic past. At the same time, weve seen the destruction of many of the theaters and clubs weve played in our 17-year history in New York, and have felt a similar sense of disconnection and bitterness as much of our past is erased right before our eyes. Once places like these are gone, they are gone. Whatever high-rise will continue to serve as an erasure of the parts of the past we need to remember, no matter what. Please take a moment to sign the petition made to NYC Mayor Bill diBlasio to halt the demolition and open a conversation into the possibilities for historic preservation of the Renaissance Theater and Casino: https://change.org/p/nyc-mayor-bill-deblasio-halt-the-destruction-of-harlem-s-historic-renaissance-casino
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 17:24:37 +0000
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