Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater .
104-519: In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure from Dream Theater after 25 years, with Mike Mangini taking his place as drummer of the band. In October 2023, 13 years after his departure, the band announced his return. During his time out of Dream Theater, Portnoy remained active, with a variety of bands and projects, including Adrenaline Mob , Avenged Sevenfold , Transatlantic , Yellow Matter Custard , Flying Colors , The Winery Dogs , Liquid Tension Experiment , Metal Allegiance , Sons of Apollo ,
208-527: A computer science major at Bentley University . After graduating, he started programming software for the Patriot Missile program. In 1987, Mangini scored one of his first high-profile gigs, playing drums for Boston's Rick Berlin Band. This would be his first collaboration with bassist Philip Bynoe . In 1991, Mangini joined the thrash metal band Annihilator , playing drums on several tracks for
312-483: A proscenium arch. The space is designed with both sculpted decorations and murals by Kjoldgaard. As of 2022 , the Beacon Theatre has 2,894 seats. The theater's operator, MSG Entertainment , classifies the mezzanine level directly above the orchestra as a loge level. Two stories above the orchestra is the balcony level, which is divided into two sections: a lower balcony in the front and an upper balcony in
416-495: A comedy routine by Sandra Bernhard in 1994. The 14th Dalai Lama also gave two series of lectures at the Beacon in 1999 and 2003. The Beacon continued to host plays, musicals, and other live acts in the 21st century. These included the children's musical Questionable Quest in 2000; Tyler Perry 's play Madea Goes to Jail in 2005; and Perry's off-Broadway drama The Marriage Counselor in 2009. Cirque du Soleil staged
520-549: A dispute in 1959, when the owners of the nearby Embassy Theatre filed a lawsuit, alleging that Warner Bros. had showed favoritism by selling distribution rights for three films to the Beacon rather than to the high bidders, the Embassy. Starting in 1962, the Beacon also showed United Artists pictures through the UA's "Premiere Showcase"; the first film shown under this program was Hong Kong . In January 1966, Brandt announced that
624-581: A firm in August 1976, Singmet, which produced some of its own shows for the Beacon. The theater was closed in 1976 after Singer and Metz went bankrupt, and it was planned to be replaced by a supermarket. Kazuko Hillyer announced plans in February 1977 to convert the Beacon into a performing arts center. Hillyer, a Japanese-American, said she wanted to make the theater "a center for the two heritages we all have". Hillyer immediately booked dance shows for
728-418: A fragment of " Eruption " by Van Halen . In Nightmare Cinema, he went by the stage name "Max Del Fuvio". Portnoy played bass guitar and xylophone during a song on Liquid Tension Experiment 2 . He has also contributed lead and harmony vocals to numerous projects. In 2008, Portnoy organized a tour called Progressive Nation . Dream Theater headlined the touring festival and were joined by Opeth , Between
832-540: A full-time teaching position at the Berklee College of Music in the Percussion Department. He resigned in 2010 after joining Dream Theater. Mike played drums for the band Into The Great Divide on their self titled album released in 2018. The album is all instrumental that has many similarities to his former band Dream Theater. In 2023, Mike released his first solo album, Invisible Signs, under
936-443: A future restoration of the Beacon, which closed for a major renovation in August 2007. Beyer Blinder Belle was hired for the project, fixing longstanding issues such as a leaking roof and damage to original decorations. The restoration also involved replacing the electrical system, upholstering the seats, restoring decorations in the lobby and the auditorium, and upgrading backstage functions. The workers restored features such as
1040-401: A live-performance venue in the 1970s, the Beacon still occasionally hosted film screenings. These included a series of Cuban films in 1978, a marathon run of Russian films in 1979, and a "worst-film festival" in 1980. The theater also hosted a silent-film festival in 1985, accompanied by music from the organ, as well as the film Koyaanisqatsi with a live accompaniment in 1988. The Beacon
1144-656: A memorial to actor John Barrymore in 1982; a show in honor of jazz musician Duke Ellington in 1989; and the Zappa Plays Zappa concert in 2006, a tribute to musician Frank Zappa . The Beacon has also been used for parties, such as a 1988 event to celebrate the opening of the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera , as well as a birthday party for then-U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton in 2006. The Beacon has also been used for benefits. For example, in 1975,
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#17327914314911248-431: A mortar and a machine gun in the Beacon's rotunda lobby while playing a short film in the auditorium. The theater also hosted bond -buying events during the war. Brandt Theatres acquired the Beacon in 1944 as the 120th theater in its chain. Two years later, the Beacon began presenting films and stage performances for children during Saturday matinees. The Beacon implemented a policy of presenting only first runs at
1352-580: A new sound system. The operators reupholstered the seats, installed new carpets, and repainted the ceiling and statues. The theater continued to show movies until the renovations were finished. When the Beacon reopened in October 1974, Stephen Metz took over the theater's bookings, using the Beacon primarily for rock concerts. A writer for Newsday said of the Beacon: "A rock ballroom is not just what Manhattan needs, but that may be what it's getting." By
1456-465: A production of the opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen . Michaele Vollbracht held a fashion show at the Beacon in 1982, although the theater's stage was poorly equipped to host such events. Near the end of the decade, the theater also hosted the melodrama 1000 Airplanes on the Roof . Live performances in the 1990s included a production of the musical The Wiz with an all-Black cast in 1993 and
1560-637: A recreation of Calder's set for a 1936 production of the work. During the early 1970s, the Beacon featured weekly professional wrestling matches. When the Beacon operated as a performing arts center in the late 1970s, it hosted appearances by dance companies such as the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre, the Murray Louis Dance Company, the Grand Kabuki troupe of Japan, and a festival called "Ballet at
1664-606: A scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston . There, he met John Petrucci and John Myung . They formed a band called Majesty, which was later changed to Dream Theater . Soon after they all left Berklee. Known for his technical skill as a drummer in Dream Theater, Portnoy has won 31 awards from the Modern Drummer magazine. He is the second youngest person (after Neil Peart ) to be inducted into
1768-548: A small number of operators were involved in the construction of movie palaces. Relatively few architects were responsible for these theaters' designs, including Walter Ahlschlager, Thomas W. Lamb , C. Howard Crane , and John Eberson . Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel was a successful theater operator who was prominent in the city's movie theater industry, having built the 5,920-seat Roxy Theatre on 50th Street in midtown during 1927. The Chanin brothers also had some experience in theatrical development, having built six Broadway theaters in
1872-418: A thrash metal/groove metal band also featuring Mark Menghi, David Ellefson ( Megadeth ) and Alex Skolnick ( Testament ); and BPMD , a supergroup/cover band also featuring Menghi, Phil Demmel ( Vio-lence ) and Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth ( Overkill ). He was also a member of PSMS, with Tony Macalpine , Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian. Portnoy also drummed with Twisted Sister from 2015 to 2016, following
1976-517: A venue for live show, it hosted concert appearances such as those of rock band Steve Miller Band , blues singer Dr. John , soul singer Wilson Pickett , and pop singer Tina Turner . When the theater was briefly used as a rock venue in the mid-1970s, several rock bands had appearances at the Beacon, including Supertramp , Queen (as part of their A Night at the Opera Tour ), Grateful Dead , and Return to Forever . Additional concerts in
2080-475: Is a founding member of Flying Colors , a progressive rock band also featuring Steve Morse , Neal Morse , Dave LaRue , and Casey McPherson . He also founded The Winery Dogs , a power trio also featuring bassist Billy Sheehan ( Mr. Big ) and guitarist Richie Kotzen (formerly of Mr. Big and Poison ); Sons of Apollo , a progressive metal supergroup also featuring Sheehan, Derek Sherinian , Jeff Scott Soto and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal ; Metal Allegiance ,
2184-408: Is a large stone-framed ogee arch at the fifth story, along with four blind arches to the sides. A stepped gable rises atop the auditorium's Amsterdam Avenue facade. Under the theater's marquee is a semicircular outdoor ticket lobby with tile flooring, which is recessed from the sidewalk. There is a ticket booth in the middle of the outdoor ticket lobby. The ticket booth was originally gilded and
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#17327914314912288-645: Is also a founding member of Transatlantic , a progressive rock "super-group" featuring former Spock's Beard keyboardist/vocalist Neal Morse , Flower Kings guitarist Roine Stolt and Marillion bassist Pete Trewavas . Outside of Transatlantic, Portnoy has worked with Neal Morse extensively, appearing on most of his solo albums. He is a member of The Neal Morse Band , featuring guitarist/vocalist Eric Gillette , bassist Randy George, and second keyboardist/vocalist Bill Hubauer. Portnoy has also recorded and/or toured/performed live with Umphrey's McGee , OSI , Hail! , Stone Sour , Fates Warning , Overkill and G3 . Over
2392-686: Is an entertainment venue at 2124 Broadway , adjacent to the Hotel Beacon , on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1929, the Beacon Theatre was developed by Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel and built as a movie palace , with 2,894 seats across three levels. It was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager with decorations inspired by the Renaissance , Ancient Roman , Ancient Greek , and Rococo styles. The theater
2496-472: Is designated as a New York City interior landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The facade is relatively plain and is made of brick and stone, with a marquee above its entrance on Broadway. The outdoor ticket booth leads to a vestibule and a multi-story rotunda lobby under the hotel, with a mural by Danish artist Valdemar Kjoldgaard in the lobby. The auditorium
2600-545: Is in an adjacent structure on the eastern part of the site, near 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue . The auditorium's side walls have ornate arched doorways and murals, while the multicolored ceiling has a chandelier. The proscenium arch has Greek columns and is flanked by large statues. The orchestra pit has a Wurlitzer organ, one of three in a theater in Manhattan. The theater was originally proposed in January 1927 as
2704-463: Is made of stone and the upper stories are made of brick. Both facades have blind openings without any windows. There are horizontal band courses above the first and fifth floors, corresponding to those on the hotel's facade, as well as an arcade near the auditorium's roof. On 75th Street, there is a large arch at the center of the facade, with a stone frame, along with three blind arches on the fifth-story band course above it. On Amsterdam Avenue, there
2808-473: Is mainly a drummer and backing vocalist he also contributes lead vocals, bass guitar and keyboards. Mike Mangini Michael Anthony Mangini (born April 18, 1963) is an American musician, primarily known as the former drummer of progressive metal band Dream Theater , with whom he played between 2010 and 2023. He has also played for bands and artists such as Annihilator , Extreme , James LaBrie , and Steve Vai . Before joining Dream Theater, Mangini
2912-437: Is part of the Hotel Beacon building and was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager for Samuel L. "Roxy" Rothafel . The Beacon's auditorium is mostly along the rear of the hotel, facing Amsterdam Avenue to the east and 75th Street to the north, although the main entrance is on Broadway to the west. The theater and hotel are near several other buildings such as The Ansonia apartments to the southwest, The Astor apartments to
3016-867: The Bahamas . Portnoy organized the cruise with help from Derek Sherinian , and music festival company, Sixthman. Portnoy performed in three different bands on the cruise, Transatlantic , Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian (PSMS), and Bigelf . Also rounding out the cruise were a large number of other progressive rock artists, Jon Anderson , Adrian Belew 's Power Trio, Devin Townsend Project , King's X , Spock's Beard , The Flower Kings , Pain of Salvation , Anathema , Riverside , Periphery , Animals as Leaders , The Safety Fire , Tony Harnell & Bumblefoot , Beardfish , The Dear Hunter , Haken , Jolly, Anneke Van Giersbergen , Mark Mikel, and his son, Max Portnoy's band, Next to None. Portnoy describes what
3120-501: The Modern Drummer Hall of Fame, at 37 years of age. He was one of the main songwriters during his first tenure with Dream Theater. He co-produced six of their albums with guitarist John Petrucci , starting from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory through Black Clouds and Silver Linings . In the spring of 2010, Portnoy filled in for Avenged Sevenfold 's former drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan , who died during
3224-503: The Nightmare tour was completed, in part due to the significant controversy surrounding his departure from Dream Theater. Following this, Portnoy announced that he asked to return to Dream Theater, but was turned down by their lawyer as the band had already brought Mangini fully onboard and he had left his tenured teaching position at Berklee College of Music to join the band. On October 25, 2023, Dream Theater announced that Mike Portnoy
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3328-597: The United Palace . The organ was abandoned by the early 1960s, but it was not removed because the removal cost was too high for the theater's operators. The organ was restored in 1967 and remained in use at the Beacon until it was sealed in 2009. Movie palaces became common in the 1920s, between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression. In the New York City area, only
3432-566: The 1970s included a three-night appearance by singer Carole King in 1976. After Kazuko Hillyer took over in 1977, she moved her Coffee Concerts to the Beacon from Alice Tully Hall . Under Hillyer's operation, the theater also hosted acts such as Canadian Brass and Peter Schickele in 1978. Among the Beacon's concert bookings in the early 1980s were those by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis , R&B singer Millie Jackson , bluegrass acts Osborne Brothers and Jim & Jesse , and jazz musicians Sarah Vaughan and Zoot Sims . Other acts during
3536-550: The Allman Brothers Band . It has also hosted other types of live performances, including dance troupes and plays. The Beacon has additionally been used for broadcasts, tapings, films, and ceremonies such as the Tony Awards . The Beacon Theatre is at 2124 Broadway , on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City , along the east side of the avenue between West 74th and 75th Streets . The theater
3640-542: The Beacon Hotel and Theatre would remain operational. The Beacon Enterprise Company, in which Warner Bros. owned 75 percent of the stock, was subsequently recorded as having leased the theater. The Beacon was one of several movie theaters that Warner Bros. operated along Broadway; the others included the Warners, Hollywood , Winter Garden , and Strand . At the end of January 1932, Warner Bros.' operating lease on
3744-578: The Beacon Theatre expired, and the Central Amusement Corporation took over. The Chanins said the new management allowed the Beacon to show movies from more than one producer. The Beacon largely continued to produce straight pictures, but it also broadened its offerings to radio broadcasts, such as Tru Blu Beer's Broadway Bandwagon in 1935. To recruit soldiers during World War II , the United States Army exhibited
3848-478: The Beacon Theatre, and guitarist Trey Anastasio performed an eight-week virtual residency called "The Beacon Jams" in late 2020. The first live show in the Beacon's modern history was the Yiddish vaudeville Bagels & Yox , which closed after two days in 1967. The Beacon hosted a performance of Erik Satie 's symphonic drama Socrate in 1967, in tribute to the mobile artist Alexander Calder , featuring
3952-490: The Beacon as one of the Upper West Side's few movie palaces that remained in theatrical use. The Beacon also continued to screen talking pictures such as Ulysses , as well as live shows including a ballet production in 1968. The Beacon implemented a "first second run " policy in 1971, showing reruns of films that had just premiered (as opposed to reruns that had already been shown at other theaters). Accordingly,
4056-403: The Beacon as well. When the theater opened, Women's Wear Daily described Kjoldgaard's murals as being "themselves worth a king's ransom". A reporter described the theater in general as "a true bit of Bagdad on Broadway", while another critic called the theater's interior "like walking into an Arab sheik's tent". The Beacon Theatre's entrance and lobby are within the hotel building, while
4160-427: The Beacon reduced its ticket prices to $ 1.00–1.50, even as its competitors retained higher ticket prices. Though the reduced ticket prices increased the theater's income by 15 to 20 percent, the Beacon's owners were looking to sell the theater. Following the closure of rock venue Fillmore East , Bow Wow Productions proposed hosting rock concerts at the Beacon in 1971. The concert series began later that year, and
4264-472: The Beacon several times, including in 2008, 2010, and 2015. The Beacon Theatre started hosting the New York Music Awards in 1987, the year after the award was founded. The awards were hosted annually at the Beacon until 1992. The Broadway League temporarily relocated the Tony Awards , the annual ceremony for Broadway theatre , to the Beacon in the early 2010s due to prior bookings at
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4368-567: The Beacon was still hosting concerts; along with the Apollo, it was one of two venues in Manhattan with frequent rock, pop, and soul concerts. The theater's operators filed an appeal of the Supreme Court's ruling in October 1988. The New York Court of Appeals overturned the Supreme Court decision, sending the plan back to the LPC. By 1989, the theater's operators no longer intended to turn
4472-502: The Beacon would present legitimate plays along with films. The first live show under this policy, a Yiddish vaudeville show, was canceled after two days. The next year, members of the American Association of Theatre Organ Enthusiasts restored the Beacon's long-unused organ. The Beacon then screened silent pictures accompanied by organ music, starting with The General . By then, Boxoffice magazine characterized
4576-625: The Beacon". During that era, the Beacon also hosted another performance of Socrate alongside the opera Four Saints in Three Acts , as well as an Elizabeth Swados musical with a cast composed entirely of children. In the early 1980s, the Beacon continued to host dance and musical performances, including the National Dance Company of Senegal, an annual Hasidic Song Festival, the Guangdong Yue Opera, and
4680-571: The Beacon's bookings in October 1981 and booked jazz and contemporary musicians for the theater. Martin wanted to stage Broadway shows at the theater, but he faced competition from the Shubert Organization and the Nederlander Organization , the two largest operators of Broadway theaters. The Beacon was renovated in 1982, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places the same year. The theater
4784-426: The Beacon, and she intended to spend $ 75,000 on renovations. The same year, Concert Arts Society was recorded as having leased the theater for 15 years. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Beacon Theatre as an interior landmark on December 11, 1979, citing the theater's "dramatic effects of rich ornamental details". 50/50 Productions, a company operated by Steve Martin, took over
4888-413: The Beacon, including You Are All Diseased (1999). Conan O'Brien taped his Late Night 10th anniversary special at the theater in 2003, and O'Brien briefly returned in late 2011 to tape shows for his series Conan . Some of the concerts at the Beacon have been taped as well. Duran Duran recorded a live concert at the Beacon on August 31, 1987, called Live at the Beacon Theatre . The theater
4992-608: The Beacon. In late 1991, the Beacon was temporarily converted into an IMAX theater; the IMAX format's large screen necessitated that most of the seats be closed off due to poor sightlines. The theater was then refurbished again in the early 1990s for rock concerts. Feltz continued to manage the Beacon until 2006. That November, the theater was leased for 20 years to MSG Entertainment's parent company Cablevision , which also leased Radio City Music Hall and owned Madison Square Garden . Cablevision committed at least $ 10 million toward
5096-662: The Beacon. The band Hot Tuna performed annually through the 1990s and 2000s, and rock band Steely Dan has also had many residencies at the theater. From 2014 to 2017, singer Mariah Carey hosted her annual residency All I Want for Christmas Is You: A Night of Joy and Festivity at the Beacon, featuring songs from her Christmas albums Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas II You alongside some of her biggest hits. The first leg of Carey's residency commenced in December 2014, followed by performances in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Bob Dylan has also had numerous annual residencies at
5200-430: The Broadway ticket booth, which had been painted over numerous times, and the chandelier above the auditorium, which had been hanging from a coffee tin. The project involved 1,000 workers and was completed in February 2009 for $ 16 million. MSG Entertainment split from Cablevision in mid-2009 but continued to operate the Beacon Theatre and its other venues. The Beacon's lighting system was upgraded in 2014 to accommodate
5304-453: The Buried and Me and 3 . Portnoy stated, "I've been wanting to assemble a package tour like this for many years now. With all of the festivals and package tours that go through America, I've been talking with our manager and agent for over 10 years now about doing something that focuses on the more progressive, musician-oriented side of hard rock and metal. I decided it was time to stop talking
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#17327914314915408-534: The Neal Morse Band , and BPMD . Portnoy was born on April 20, 1967 in Long Beach, New York . He is Jewish . His father, Howard Portnoy (1940–2009), worked as a DJ at a local radio station. Mike and his father later moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California , to work at KRML radio station after watching the 1971 film Play Misty for Me . His mother died on November 16, 1984, when the private plane she
5512-525: The Roxy Midway Theatre. Roxy severed his involvement and Warner Bros. took over the theater, opening it on December 24, 1929. The Central Amusement Corporation took over the Beacon in 1932, and Brandt Theatres assumed operation in 1944, running it for three decades. The theater started presenting live entertainment in 1966, and Steven Singer and Barry Kerr renovated it into a rock venue in 1974. After Singer's bankruptcy , Kazuko Hillyer turned
5616-526: The Top of the World . Distance over Time , Mangini's fourth studio album with Dream Theater, featured his debut as a lyricist, on the song "Room 137". On October 25, 2023, Dream Theater announced that Mangini was leaving the band and that their former drummer Mike Portnoy was returning in his place. The departure was amicable, as Mangini stated that his tenure was "an intense and rewarding experience" and that he
5720-459: The acoustical properties of the auditorium to accommodate sound films . Warner Bros. unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the rights to screen First National Pictures films at the new Beacon. The renamed Warner's Beacon Theatre opened on December 24, 1929, with the talking picture Tiger Rose featuring Lupe Vélez . Originally, the Beacon played one motion picture per week, which ran continuously from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Among
5824-403: The auditorium is in its own structure to the east. The hotel's facade is plain in design, and the theater's entrance is on the southern section of the hotel's Broadway facade. Above the theater's marquee , the hotel building contains arched windows on the second floor and a brick facade on upper stories. The facade of the auditorium faces 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, where the first floor
5928-476: The back. When the theater opened, there was a smoking-room balcony behind the auditorium, with ventilation ducts in the ceiling. There was also a fireproof projection booth in the rear. The original seats were characterized as "fully upholstered" folding seats with large amounts of legroom. The side walls of the orchestra contain ornate arched doorways. Above each of the arches are theatrical masks, which are flanked by swags and cartouches. Above these arches are
6032-517: The balcony's side walls, which are divided into two bays by fluted pilasters. Each bay contains a piece of a mural by Kjoldgaard; according to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission , these represent "oriental scenes with caravans of elephants, camels, and traders". The ceiling above the front of the auditorium contains a red, gold, green, and blue color scheme and is designed to resemble
6136-470: The band returned in 1992 1994, and annually after 1996; a New York Times article in 2002 called the band's performances "as sure a sign of spring as the reappearance of robins and bellybuttons". The band recorded a live album at the theater in March 2000, releasing Peakin' at the Beacon that November. In 2009, the Allman Brothers Band celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Beacon with shows dedicated to
6240-516: The band's album Set the World on Fire . He went on to tour with the band in support of this album until 1994. That year, he joined Boston hard rock band Extreme , replacing original drummer Paul Geary . Mangini played on three songs on Extreme's 1995 album Waiting for the Punchline , and appeared with the band on the Late Show with David Letterman . After Extreme disbanded in 1996, Mike
6344-422: The band's founder and original frontman, Duane Allman . The band could not perform at the Beacon in 2010 because the theater was hosting an extended run of a Cirque du Soleil production, but the band was invited back in 2011. The band played the final show of its career at the Beacon Theatre on October 28, 2014, after 238 total concerts at the theater. Other bands and musicians have also had residencies at
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#17327914314916448-464: The cruise was like: “Progressive Nation at Sea still remains one of my proudest career memories…at the time, music cruises were just beginning to blossom and to be given the opportunity to assemble such an amazing lineup was a dream come true for me". Since Progressive Nation at Sea 2014 , Portnoy went on to join forces with another cruising progressive rock music festival, Cruise to the Edge , to merge
6552-529: The death of longtime drummer A. J. Pero . He also played with the band at their one-off performance in 2023. In the April 2001 edition of Modern Drummer and Portnoy's website, he names Neil Peart , Ringo Starr , John Bonham and Keith Moon as influences. Portnoy played bass when Dream Theater performed as the fictitious band Nightmare Cinema . Before live performances of "Trial of Tears", he would sometimes switch instruments with John Petrucci and play
6656-491: The decade included gospel singers Al Green and Shirley Caesar , pop musician Laurie Anderson , pop/jazz guitarist Earl Klugh , juju singer King Sunny Adé , and jazz singer Cab Calloway . In the early 1990s, the Beacon hosted such musical offerings as folk-rock duo Indigo Girls , a rock-and-soul revue, a concert with several country performers, singer Tracy Chapman , pop rock band Crowded House , and gospel singers BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans . The latter half of
6760-518: The decade saw appearances by performers including rock musician Ian Anderson , jazz tenor Sonny Rollins , Italian blues singer Zucchero Fornaciari , as well as a classical music concert. Concert performances continued in the early 2000s, including those by singer Liza Minnelli , the Wynton Marsalis Septet, singers Norah Jones and Gillian Welch , rock band Radiohead , and blues musician Bonnie Raitt . Paul Simon gave
6864-538: The draped roof of a tent. A Venetian-style chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling. The proscenium arch consists of Doric-style columns on either side, supporting the top of the proscenium. The latticework of the proscenium had openings for the sound coming from the theater's organ. Flanking the proscenium are bronze female figures, which measure 30 ft-tall (9.1 m) and depict Greek goddesses. Women's Wear Daily described these figures as "heroic-size bronzes of Amazons with spear and shield". Above
6968-542: The early films screened at the Beacon were Once a Gentleman (1930), A Soldier's Plaything (1931), and The Lawless Woman (1931). The Chanins took over the Beacon Hotel and Theatre in April 1930, four months after the theater had opened. Amid speculation that the Chanins might redevelop the site (in the past eleven years, the brothers had torn down every structure that they had bought), Irwin Chanin announced that
7072-583: The end of 1948; the British picture Don't Take It to Heart was the first to be screened under this policy. During 1949, the films shown under this policy included double features such as Easy Money / My Brother's Keeper , as well as traditional single features like A Yank Comes Back and Temptation Harbour . The Beacon continued to show double features throughout the 1950s, such as The Frightened Bride / The Caretaker's Daughter in 1953. The Beacon also screened Warner Bros. films. This caused
7176-407: The entrance vestibule, contains fluted pilasters on either side. Above the doorways is a landscape mural by Valdemar Kjoldgaard. Some time before a renovation in 2008, the mural had been covered with wallpaper, though the artwork was restored during the renovation. On the eastern wall of the rotunda is a passageway flanked by Ionic -style pilasters, which reach from the floor to the ceiling. Above
7280-489: The first performances at the Beacon after it reopened in 2009, and Leonard Cohen performed the same year. Artists who performed at the Beacon in the 2010s included Goldfrapp , Fiona Apple , Cat Stevens , Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets , The Tragically Hip , and Coldplay . The rock band the Allman Brothers Band was at one point the most frequent performer at the Beacon, appearing there nearly every year from 1989 to 2014. After their first performance in 1989,
7384-462: The live album Alive in an Ultra World . During a hiatus on Vai's Ultra Zone tour in 2000, Mangini returned to Boston, where he served as an associate professor at Berklee College of Music . He also formed the short-lived band Tribe of Judah with former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone and bassist Pat Badger . Mangini appeared on his second and third Annihilator albums titled All for You and Metal , respectively. In 2005, Mangini accepted
7488-529: The mid-1920s. The Chanins acquired a site on 75th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in 1925 for the construction of a hotel and an attached theater. Two years later, in January 1927, the Chanins sold the site to the Havemeyer Construction Company. Film producer Herbert Lubin negotiated the sale on behalf of Roxy, who would operate the theater on the site, known as the Roxy Midway Theatre. Roxy retained Ahlschlager to design
7592-434: The name Mangini. In late 2010, Mangini auditioned to succeed Mike Portnoy as the drummer for Dream Theater . He had previously appeared on three solo albums by Dream Theater's lead singer, James LaBrie . Mangini was announced as Dream Theater's new drummer on April 29, 2011, several months after he actually joined. He appeared on every Dream Theater release from 2011's A Dramatic Turn of Events to 2021's A View from
7696-553: The new hotel and theater, and the Chanins were hired as the consulting engineers for the project. The sale came one month after Lubin established the Roxy Circuit, which planned to operate numerous movie theaters in New York City, with the midtown Roxy Theatre as its flagship. In April 1928, S. W. Straus & Company underwrote a $ 4.45 million loan on the Midway project, which at the time was nearly completed. An airway beacon
7800-540: The next year, the Beacon had gained a reputation as a rock venue. A New York Amsterdam News reporter said in 1976 that the Beacon "has transcended a galaxy of live-entertainment theaters" and had become a competitor to the Apollo Theater in Harlem . Some residents raised complaints about the noise and crowds at the rock concerts, though Singer and Metz addressed most of these complaints. Singer and Metz formed
7904-725: The northwest, and the Central Savings Bank Building to the south. The Beacon Theatre had been designed as a miniature version of the earlier Roxy Theatre in Midtown Manhattan , which Ahlschlager also designed. Whereas the Roxy Theatre had been designed with Moorish and Renaissance -inspired elements, the Beacon contains a variety of styles, including Renaissance, Ancient Roman , Ancient Greek , and Rococo -inspired elements. Danish artist Valdemar Kjoldgaard designed numerous murals for
8008-425: The passageway is a decorative panel, as well as an archway with full-height colonettes on the mezzanine and balcony levels. On either side of the passageway on the rotunda's eastern wall are Rococo-style stairways. The lowest flight connects to the mezzanine level. Two more flights provide access to both the bottom and the top rows of the steeply raked balcony. The auditorium has three levels of seating and
8112-443: The planned dance floor was too large under zoning regulations. The city government approved the plan after the dance floor's size was reduced. Two benefit concerts were hosted to fund the groups that opposed the theater's conversion. In September 1987, a New York Supreme Court judge overturned the LPC's approval of the conversion on the grounds that it would threaten the quality of the theater's architecture. During this time,
8216-466: The planned nightclub, Olivier Coquelin , said he and his architect Charles A. Platt (a former LPC commissioner) had chosen the Beacon Theatre for conversion specifically because of its landmark status. Coquelin's company signed a seven-year lease for the theater that April. The nightclub would be built as a freestanding structure within the auditorium, thus reducing the need to modify the protected interior spaces. Area residents expressed concerns that
8320-473: The production of the band's fifth album Nightmare . On May 5, 2010, Portnoy released a statement on his status with Avenged Sevenfold on their official website, concluding his working relationship with the band. In September 2010, Portnoy announced he was leaving Dream Theater. The band hired Mike Mangini to take his place after inviting and holding auditions with seven "world-class" drummers. Avenged Sevenfold chose not to continue working with Portnoy after
8424-542: The proscenium are green and gold plaster draperies. The theater originally had a curtain that contemporary media described as the only "contour curtain" in a movie theater in the United States. The Beacon also retains its original Wurlitzer organ in its orchestra pit. The organ was manufactured in 1928 and contains four manuals and 19 ranks. The Beacon is one of three theaters in Manhattan that retains its original organ, along with Radio City Music Hall and
8528-540: The renovations would damage the landmarked design features. Preservationists and community groups, including the Committee to Save the Beacon Theatre, organized in opposition to the plans. The LPC voted to approve the plan in July 1986. Afterward, Coquelin said he would need to spend $ 3 million to renovate the theater because of its deteriorated condition. The city rejected the conversion proposal that December because
8632-576: The short-lived vaudeville-based show Banana Shpeel at the Beacon in 2010, and the musical The Lightning Thief had performances at the Beacon before opening on Broadway in 2019. In addition, comedian Jerry Seinfeld started a residency at the Beacon in 2015, and comedian Ali Wong appeared at the theater in 2021. The theater's stage has hosted a variety of broadcasts and films. For example, VH1 broadcast its popular production Divas Live from there in 1998 and 1999. Many of George Carlin 's HBO comedy specials were broadcast from or filmed at
8736-469: The talk, lace up and finally walk the walk." In 2009, the tour returned with Dream Theater headlining once more and joined by Zappa Plays Zappa , Pain of Salvation , and Beardfish . In 2014, Portnoy rebooted Progressive Nation as a 4 day cruising music festival called Progressive Nation at Sea . The event took place on the Norwegian Pearl on February 18-22, 2014 sailing from Miami, FL to
8840-471: The theater charged ticket prices of up to $ 7.50 on these shows. The Beacon's concerts in 1971 tended not to have long runs due to disagreements between promoters and the theater's operators. By the early 1970s, the theater was still showing movies but was dimly lit and deteriorating. In March 1974, the Beacon was leased by Vidicoth Systems, a company operated by Steven Singer and Barry Kerr. The new operators spent $ 250,000 on renovations, including $ 75,000 on
8944-474: The theater hosted a jazz concert to fund opposition to Riverside Church 's planned sale of its radio station WRVR-FM . A concert was hosted in December 1986 to fund opposition to the Beacon Theatre's proposed conversion into a nightclub, followed by another concert in June 1987 for the same purpose. The biennial autism-awareness benefit " Night of Too Many Stars ", hosted by Jon Stewart , has also been hosted at
9048-411: The theater hosted about 70 performances a year; box-office figures were available for 52 of these events, which collectively grossed $ 8 million and had 136,000 total patrons. During the Beacon's 2008 renovation, The New York Times referred to the venue as the " Carnegie Hall of rock rooms". The theater has long hosted R&B , pop, and jam bands and rock concerts. Early in the Beacon's history as
9152-494: The theater into a nightclub, having hired MSG Entertainment as the theater's exclusive booking agent for several years. The Committee to Save the Beacon Theatre expressed optimism but continued to monitor the theater's usage. Following the efforts of the Committee to Save the Beacon Theatre, Nanci Callahan founded the West Side Cultural Center, which was to stage children's programming, dances, and operas at
9256-428: The theater into a performing arts center in 1976. Following a failed attempt to convert the Beacon into a nightclub and restaurant in 1986, the theater remained in use as a live music and entertainment venue. Madison Square Garden Entertainment took over in 2006 and renovated the Beacon shortly afterward. Over the years, the Beacon has hosted numerous concerts. Some acts have appeared for extended residencies, including
9360-560: The venue's events, which at the time included concerts, comedy, broadcasts, and film screenings. For over a year, from early 2020 to July 2021, the Beacon Theatre was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . A new sound system was installed at the Beacon in August 2022. After the Beacon Theatre started presenting live performances, it became one of the most popular concert halls in New York City. In addition, it has hosted other types of live events such as comedy specials. By 2006,
9464-773: The vision and musical lineups. CTTE has been sailing annually since then. Portnoy and his wife Marlene (née Apuzzo) live in Upper Saucon Township in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania with their children, Melody Ruthandrea (born May 3, 1997) and Max John (born March 7, 1999). Portnoy is a recovering addict and has openly discussed it. The five song set Twelve-step Suite deals with his experience of substance abuse. He edged away from alcohol and drugs in April 2000 and has remained sober since then. Portnoy endorses Tama drums, Sabian cymbals, Promark drumsticks and Remo drumheads. Though Portnoy
9568-405: The west (leading from the street) and to the east (leading to the main lobby) both curve into the vestibule. East of the vestibule is a circular rotunda with Rococo-inspired decorations. The rotunda ceiling is as high as the auditorium itself; it contains moldings of rosettes and coffers , as well as a large chandelier hanging from its center. The western wall of the rotunda, which leads from
9672-544: The years, Portnoy has created tribute bands to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rush, and the Who. After his departure from Dream Theater, Portnoy formed several new bands, starting with Adrenaline Mob , a traditional heavy metal / hard rock band with singer Russell Allen (of Symphony X ) and guitarist Mike Orlando . On June 4, 2013, however, Portnoy announced his departure from Adrenaline Mob, citing scheduling conflicts. Portnoy
9776-694: Was a faculty member at Berklee College of Music . Between 2002 and 2005, he set five World's Fastest Drummer records. Mangini appeared on the Discovery Channel show Time Warp , displaying his drum skills for high-speed cameras. Mangini first started playing the drums when he was two and a half years old, being inspired by Ringo Starr of The Beatles . He would mimic Buddy Rich performances. Other influences include Bobby Colomby , Danny Seraphine , John Bonham , Neil Peart and Terry Bozzio . After graduating, from Waltham Senior High School in 1981, Mangini put aside his music studies to pursue
9880-617: Was also used in late 2006 for the filming of Shine a Light , a film of a live concert by the Rolling Stones . Joan Baez celebrated her 75th birthday with a concert at the theater on January 27, 2016, which was broadcast on PBS 's Great Performances and released on CD and DVD. She also included the theater in her worldwide Fare Thee Well tour with three concerts in September 2018 and in May 2019. Even after being converted into
9984-642: Was grateful to have had "experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor.". Mangini served as the drummer for Dream Theater bandmate John Petrucci on the G3 tour, along with bassist Dave LaRue , in 2012 and 2018. In 2015, Mangini joined progressive rock band U.K. for their Final World Tour . Mike plays and endorses Pearl drums , hardware and percussion. He plays and endorses Zildjian cymbals, Vater drumsticks, Remo drumheads and Shure microphones. Beacon Theatre (New York City) The Beacon Theatre
10088-466: Was informed through drummer Jonathan Mover that guitarist Steve Vai was auditioning drummers for his live band. Mike successfully auditioned for Vai's band and relocated to Los Angeles . From late 1996 to early 2000, Mangini was drummer of Vai's live ensemble, which also included bassist Philip Bynoe, guitarist Mike Keneally and beginning in 2000, guitarist Dave Weiner . Mangini appeared on Vai's studio albums Fire Garden and The Ultra Zone , and
10192-450: Was made of marble, glass, and metal. Prior to its renovation in 2009, the ticket booth had been painted over several times. East of the outdoor ticket booth are glass and metal doors, topped by transom windows, which lead to an indoor vestibule . This vestibule has a low ceiling with lamps and Renaissance-style molded bands. The north wall contains mirrors and signs, while the south wall has another ticket booth and an office. The doors to
10296-612: Was placed on top of the hotel, and the project was renamed the Midway Beacon, a name that was kept as late as June 1928. The Roxy Circuit never operated the Midway Theatre because, in July 1928, the company sued to get out of its lease. None of the other planned theaters in the Roxy Circuit were ever built, in part because of the start of the Great Depression shortly afterward. The New York Herald Tribune
10400-438: Was renovated again in 1985. Andy Feltz became the Beacon's manager in 1986. That February, the theater's owners announced plans to convert the Beacon into a nightclub and restaurant with a discotheque . At the time, the Beacon was the only mid-sized live-concert venue in Manhattan; the two other similarly sized venues in the borough, Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall , were largely used for classical music. The operator of
10504-699: Was returning to the band, Portnoy having gradually reconciled with the band throughout his 13-year absence before lastly reconciling with James LaBrie in 2022 at the band's show at the Beacon Theatre in New York. His first album with the band in 15 years, Parasomnia , will be released on February 7th, 2025. Portnoy is known for his many side projects and tribute bands. He is a founding member of Liquid Tension Experiment , an instrumental progressive rock band featuring fellow Dream Theater members John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess along with bassist Tony Levin . He
10608-726: Was riding in, with her boyfriend, crashed off the Atlantic City coastline. His father's job as a DJ helped Portnoy gain an appreciation for music at an early age, as he had access to his father's collection of LPs . He developed a preference for bands Rush , Queen , Led Zeppelin , The Who , Iron Maiden , and the Beatles , among others. Portnoy claims to be self-taught as a drummer, though he did take music theory classes in high school. During that period he began playing in local bands. With Rising Power and Inner Sanctum he recorded and released independent albums. Portnoy left Inner Sanctum, his last high school band, after being awarded
10712-581: Was temporarily converted to an IMAX theater for the screening of the film Stones at the Max in 1991. Some film screenings continued at the Beacon through the 21st century, such as the film Walk the Line in 2005 and a premiere of the film Suicide Squad in 2016. The Beacon has also hosted some films for the annual Tribeca Film Festival , including Love, Gilda in 2018 and Apocalypse Now in 2019. The Beacon has hosted several tributes. These included
10816-476: Was using the "Beacon" name exclusively by June 1929. At the time, Warner Theatres was considering acquiring the theater, which had been completed for a year but was unused. After RKO Pictures considered leasing the Beacon, Warner Theatres ultimately bought the theater in November 1929, turning it into a first-run showcase for Warner Bros. films on the Upper West Side. Warner Theatres then conducted changes to
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