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Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today celebrated the grand opening of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum at 234 West 42nd Street in Times Square. The 85,000-square-foot Museum features six themed, interactive environments showcasing nearly 200 lifelike wax figures of New York's notable "movers and shakers," along with the world's most popular film, television, music, political, historical, social and sports celebrities.
The Mayor was joined by a star-studded cast at this evening's grand opening, including Tony Bennett, Donald Trump, Katie Couric, Dan Rather, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Evander Holyfield, Patrick Stewart, Al Roker, Liz Smith and RuPaul.
"Today we celebrate the continued rebirth of the New Times Square," said Mayor Giuliani. "Thanks to New Yorkers with vision and imagination, now when you look around 42nd Street and Times Square you notice the tremendous strides that have been made as a result of sensible cooperation between the City, the State and private industry. To date, nearly a billion dollars in private investment has been committed to the revitalization of 42nd Street, which has once again made Times Square a great place family entertainment."
The City contributed $13 million for the necessary condemnation efforts for the site on which the AMC Theaters and Madame Tussaud's Museum are located. Overall the City has contributed $62 million towards the redevelopment of 42nd Street. The Museum, which will create more than 150 new jobs, is expected to attract more than one million visitors per year.
Some of the exhibits visitors to the Museum will see include:
- Opening Night Party - Visitors will be welcomed into an elaborate Italian baroque garden party seemingly already in progress. Like at any good party, these New York celebrities are grouped together in eclectic combinations. Wax portraits of Woody Allen, Bette Midler, Nicolas Cage, Hugh Grant, Oprah Winfrey, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Donald Trump, among others, are present.
- Madame Tussaud's Story: Visitors are then taken back in time to the 18th century to learn "Madame Tussaud's Story," a 200-year history that depicts scenes from the French Revolution, the beheading of Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon's lover Josephine in prison.
- Behind The Scenes: Visitors get a glimpse into the fascinating processes of the Madame Tussaud's studio. Here they will discover the meticulous and artistic process involved in the creation of Madame Tussaud's world famous wax portraits. This multi-media display features photos, video and equipment demonstrating the painstaking methods and step-by-step processes used to create a portrait. Al Roker's clay likeness will be used as a model, which you can follow from the first sitting to the final touch-up of hair and make-up.
- The Gallery: Visitors will think they're at the United Nations discussing the future of the world with a remarkable collection of American presidents and other world leaders, as well as pioneers and scientists, all of whom have made significant contributions to society. Here visitors can mingle with the Dalai Lama, Maya Angelou, John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Buffalo Bill and Diana, Princess of Wales, among others.
- Popular Culture: Portraits of iconic celebrities and trendsetters who helped shape each decade of the 20th century are represented in vignettes highlighted by the fashions, trends, news and fads of the era. Included are such notables as Mikhail Barishnikov, Babe Ruth, Janis Joplin, Charlie Chaplin, the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Bill Gates and Neil Armstrong, among others. As the icons of the 21st century are yet to be determined, the last zone is largely void of portraits, as it represents the future.
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