At the bend in the shoreline that is Corlears Hook, an amphitheater fits right in. This East River Park bandshell was funded in 2001 by consumer rights activist Erin Brockovich as part of an ABC episode titled Challenge America With Erin Brockovich: The Miracle in Manhattan. The project’s budget was $4 million with a 6 day timeframe and pro bono labor provided by Tishman Construction.
The Brockovich bandshell is a humble replacement for the original 1941 theater, which has been in a state of ruin since at least 1973. Its brief moment of glory was in 1956 when Joseph Papp ran a free production of Julius Caesar here. The following summer his show relocated to Central Park, where it runs to this day.
Despite desperate protests of East Villagers and Lower East Siders, East River Park is undergoing a thorough transformation, resulting in the loss of thousands of trees and many of its classic structures as part of the East Coast Resiliency Project, meant to shore up the coastline in case of another Superstorm Sandy, which decimated many areas of the city and environs in October 2012. I do not know the current status of the “Brockovich Bandshell” or whether it will be restored when the park reopens.
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6/2/23