Madison Theater

[mcsdetroitfriend]

So I'm confused. What really happened to the Madison? According to Forgottendetroit.com it was demolished, but that can't be because the marquee and the same building hold the Italian Bistro.

Was the interior just gutted and the shell left behind? Or something else.

Just curious

[Toolbox]

Try here for info.

[DetroitUA]

I'm sure Dan can confirm, but I believe it was gutted while the building and marquee remain.

[detroitbob]

The theatre portion of the building was demolished...the office building portion was gutted and rebuilt, so nothing remains of the original interior.

[Dabirch]

This thread makes me want to go to Madison's on Broadway...Jelk? Myers? Lurker? Anybody in?

[Gistok]

Actually part of the fancy plasterwork [[Greek Muses) around the Procenium of the Madison auditorium supposedly was salvaged and installed in the Eureka Lofts... can anyone confirm this?

I was in the Madison about a year before demolition. Arcadia movie palace book author Michael Hauser gave a private tour to Preservation Wayne members. It wasn't as bad as the United Artists [[condition wise). But it wasn't all that ornate either.

One of the really strange things about the Madison auditorium was that if you were seated in the back of the main floor seating... above you was an oval opening with railings. The balcony foyer on the level above you had a large oval cut out of the floor [[with a railing all around it)... and the balcony patrons going to their seats could look down onto the main floor patrons while they were in transit. It must have been annoying to main floor patrons having the balcony noise filtering down to them [[it would have been really annoying if Rocky Horror Picture Show was playing!).

As was mentioned... only the shallow office block portion of the Madison was saved. The development company [[Larson Co. of Warren) never finished their plans... and the auditorium site still sits empty... as parking. I always thought it would make a great site for a parking structure [[with 1st floor commercial) for Broderick Tower apartments/condos, with direct access thru a corner of the Madison office block.

Actually... IIRC... the original purpose of the auditorium demolition was to do just that... commercial on the 1st floor with parking structure above.

[Eric_c]

This thread makes me want to go to Madison's on Broadway...Jelk? Myers? Lurker? Anybody in?

AAAHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Burchi, you condescending prick! LOL!

[Toolbox]

This thread makes me want to go to Madison's on Broadway...Jelk? Myers? Lurker? Anybody in?

Hell yes! The wife and I will pick you up at the airport. Send your flight info to my phone!

Actually part of the fancy plasterwork [[Greek Muses) around the Procenium of the Madison auditorium supposedly was salvaged and installed in the Eureka Lofts... can anyone confirm this?

Yes there are pieces in the Eureka.

[wolverine]

Photo I took in 2004. Sorry for the quality. Was on the people mover

[East Detroit]

Angelina's is nice. I think eating there and remembering the concerts, like Black Flag.

[Gistok]

That's not a bad pic Wolverine...

One of the things I had completely forgotten about was that addition after the auditorium was gutted. I remembered during our Madison tour just how small and shallow the office block was... your pic confirms that... it required an addition for it to become useable as any kind of commercial space.

[Trumpeteer]

I worked as an usher at the Madison while in HS from 1967 - 70. I recall the manager's "office" was a small closet under the balcony stairwell and we ushers would walk down the far right auditorium aisle around in back of the screen and down a small stairway on the stage to get to our "dressing room" where our dark blue slacks/red coats were kept. That area below the stage was really cluttered, dimly lit, and dank as I recall. But on the upside I got to see Paint your Wagon and Woodstock a zillion times! We would escort patrons to their reserved seat for Paint Your Wagon and hopefully get a quarter tip. Plus all of us who worked there went to St. Gabe's in SW so the girls behind the counter would make a "bowl" out of heavy aluminum foil, fill it with popcorn and soak it in REAL foamy butter!! I went by in later years after it had been closed for a while and was able to at least peer into the front doors and make out the old lobby with ticket counter and our ticket stand still in place. Glad the marquee [[sp?) made it!

[Rocko]

I do like how they have kept the marquis even though actual theatre is gone, and how the Italian Bistro has repaired and maintained it since they've moved in. Does it light up at night? I haven't been down there recently.