| rdfs:comment | - The Hyperion Club was the brainchild of a pair of local Harlem businessmen. Looking to capitalize on the boom of the Roaring ‘20s and on the local Harlem Renaissance, the duo were interested in building a hall for music. Owing to their own diverse origins, both men pledged that the theater would not be segregated, unlike many other halls and theaters of the time. The theater opened in 1922 to immediate success, and quickly became a local hotspot. Its main theater boasted a 1,200-seat capacity, while its secondary theater boasted 400 seats.
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| abstract | - The Hyperion Club was the brainchild of a pair of local Harlem businessmen. Looking to capitalize on the boom of the Roaring ‘20s and on the local Harlem Renaissance, the duo were interested in building a hall for music. Owing to their own diverse origins, both men pledged that the theater would not be segregated, unlike many other halls and theaters of the time. The theater opened in 1922 to immediate success, and quickly became a local hotspot. Its main theater boasted a 1,200-seat capacity, while its secondary theater boasted 400 seats. Many of the most popular composers, musicians, singers, and bandleaders of the era either got their start at the Hyperion or played there at least once. Along with other theaters and halls in the area, the Hyperion was pivotal in turning jazz, blues, spirituals, and swing mainstream. Thanks to connections with organized crime, alcohol and other good times were plentiful, adding to the Hyperion experience. Like similar establishments, the theater went into a decline after World War II. When maintaining the theater was no longer profitable, its original owners sold it to a film making company, where the building became a prop storage facility and a set. In 1983, the City of New York recognized the architectural, historical, and cultural significance of the Hyperion and designated it a New York City Landmark.
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