By Gretchen Berger
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our dear friend and staunch neighborhood activist, Dan Meltzer, who passed away on Nov. 6, 2014, at age 74.
A native New Yorker and longtime resident of the Upper West Side and West 74th street, Dan was a noted writer and journalist, a journalism teacher at NYU and other colleges, and a playwright. But his friends and neighbors also knew him as a passionate community organizer and activist. In that arena, one of his most notable accomplishments was saving the landmarked Beacon Theater from its proposed conversion to a discotheque back in the 1980s.
Located on Broadway at 74th street, the cavernous Beacon, a 3-tiered 2,800+-seat theater, was originally built as a vaudeville and movie palace in 1929 by Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel, who built the Roxy Theater and later the legendary Radio City Music Hall. In 1979, the Beacon’s highly-ornamented interior was designated as a city landmark.
However, in the 1980’s, the Beacon ran into some tough times and a prominent developer of discos wanted to renovate the theater and transform it into a night club. In 1985, under the threat of conversion, Dan formed Save the Beacon committee. Serving as its chairman, he worked tirelessly to create a large coalition of neighbors, music business people and high-profile philanthropists to protect this landmark from its demise.
Over several years, the committee collected more than 20,000 petition signatures, organized numerous demonstrations, plus held fundraisers and engaged in other community activities to promote their cause and persevere against well-financed developers. Finally, in 1987, the committee prevailed when a judge ruled that the conversion would violate the theater’s protected landmark status — no small accomplishment. Now leased by MSG Entertainment, the Beacon recently underwent major renovation and was restored to its former glory. Today, it continues to be a major star-studded concert and event venue, featuring a wide range of cultural performances — from the Allman Bothers to the Dalai Lama and the Tony Awards.
So long, Dan. We will miss you, your activism and your wicked sense of humor. And thank you for preserving one of the city’s great architectural treasures.
Image from an interview with Meltzer on Eldridge & Co.
So long Mel, have a good trip.
Thank you for being a staunch advocate for the Beacon’s survival into another century.
Thanks for all you did.
I cannot imagine a NYC without The Beacon Theater.
Thank you so much for publishing this beautiful tribute to my wonderful cousin. He was indeed a remarkable man, who had a terrific wit. Joan Wile
I didn’t know that Dan helped save the Beacon. My mother lived in this neighborhood when the Beacon first opened and went to its first movie (I think it vwas the silent film, the Hunch Back of Notre Dame wih Lon Chaney). She loved the Beacon and especially the wonnderful organ that was raised from beneath the stage before the films started. When I moved back to the West side some 49 years ago, the Beacon occasionally showed silent films and I had the good luck to listen to the organ.
I never got to know Dan well but whenever we met each other on the street, he was always very friendly and I felt that he had a good heart. My sincere condolences to his family and close friends.
Tom Siracuse