The Late Show
When David Letterman switched networks from NBC to CBS, CBS bought the theater in February 1993 for $4 million from Winthrop Financial Associates of Boston. The theater was reconfigured into a 461-seat studio, with lighting and sound adjustments. The architectural firm that did the work, Polshek Partnership, notes on its web site that "to preserve the architectural integrity of the landmark, all interventions are reversible."
In 2005, it took nearly four months to retrofit the theater with the cabling and equipment necessary to broadcast high definition television.
Near the beginning of the first Letterman show in the fall of 1993, a quick reference was made to Sullivan's legacy, by splicing together several short clips of Sullivan introducing various acts, including, presumably, the singing group The Lettermen. This resulted in a fake clip of Sullivan saying, "And now, here on our stage... David... Letterman!" Letterman also joked that his crew opened an old closet in the theater which contained a 45-year old woman screaming, "Ringo!"
Read more about this topic: Ed Sullivan Theater
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