By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
EAST VILLAGE — The former Amato Opera house on the Bowery will be reborn as a dinner theater space under a proposal unveiled by its new tenant Thursday.
The historic property at 319 Bowery — home to the celebrated opera company for nearly a half-century before closing last year — will continue to host performances ranging from plays to cabaret shows, said Enrico Ciotti, a theater veteran who owns V Bar in the East and West Villages in addition to the opera house.
“We’re honored to have a chance to get into this space,” he told Community Board 3 Thursday night during his pitch for a full liquor license, adding that the theater’s founder, Tony Amato, has lent his support to the project.
Ciotti said he also plans to retain the opera house's name pending approval from the former occupants, but he was unsure whether or not he would keep the longtime signage gracing the all-white building near East Second Street.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot space will include about 80 theater seats on the ground and mezzanine levels, and a full-service restaurant on the third floor with 33 tables and seating for 66.
Two bars will serve drinks until 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until 3:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday — raising concerns among some board members that the theater may come to resemble something more like embattled nightclub The Box, which has a well-documented history of problems.
An attorney for the new operators, Frank Palillo, said the space “couldn’t survive” without liquor sales, and Ciotti argued that a restaurant/bar component would be necessary to generate income.
One critic of the proposal who lives nearby and works in theater had some harsh words for the operators, claiming that this stretch of the Bowery is already oversaturated with nightlife options and that the dinner theater plan is “just a smokescreen” for a club.
Ciotti is partnering on the project with Josh Lord, who owns the East Village tattoo parlor East Side Ink and another bar in Williamsburg. Both proprietors acknowledged this is their first time opening a theater venue.
Regardless, one committee member looked very favorably at the application, despite reservations by others on the board.
Ariel Palitz, a nightclub owner herself, said the concept represented “a tremendous benefit to the neighborhood.”
The committee ultimately voted to support the establishment, provided the new tenants adhere to their stated plans.
Ciotti added that the theater wouldn’t open for at least a year.
