The Uptown Theater is a famous cultural building that appeared in the City of Brotherly Love in the second half of the twentieth century. At the beginning of its operation, it faced several challenges. Later, nevertheless, it became an important building in Philadelphia. More detail about the difficult path to recognition, modern fate and how the theater changed during its existence read on philadelphia-trend.
History of the theater’s foundation and development
In 1927, a local architectural company implemented an ambitious project called The Uptown Theater. The building was designed to accommodate more than two thousand spectators. There was also sound equipment in the premises, which at that time testified to the status of a theater. Actually, the cultural object was built specifically for the wealthier townspeople. However, during the economic and political crisis in the United States of America, they lost their fortunes and the theater was left without its visitors.
The building was neglected during the Second World War. The situation improved after its end due to the experienced manager Sam Stiefel. He owned a number of entertainment facilities on the American continent, so the theater in our city started to develop quickly and became a competitive one among other relevant facilities.
In the best years of its operation, many notable events and performances took place here. Almost every show began and ended with only a few artists. Usually, there were from 10 to 20 acts and the artists appeared on stage in order of recognition, that is, the more famous first. Performances started at noon. The price of one ticket for the adult was about two dollars and it comprised fifty cents for the children’s morning shows.
Once a week, representatives of the Philadelphia higher education institution performed here. Student evenings in the theater were the most anticipated event for the townspeople in those days. Often someone would try to sneak into the room to watch the show for free but security had other plans.
The African-American theater in our city educated many future famous artists, in particular, the famous comedians Redd Foxx and Flip Wilson. The creative institution’s feature was based on its own musical group, led by the legendary Bill Masse. The public adored the local enthusiasts and the artists collected more than two hundred thousand dollars per year.
The Uptown Theater also organized various projects to attract to acting as many fresh creative minds as possible. Cooperation with Temple University opened such a person as Daryl Hall. He first won competitions and then became famous in the music industry, which would not have happened without the support of the aforementioned cultural institution.
The fate of the legendary theater
Since 1960, the owners of the local cultural building have been changing. At last, without a proper owner, it stopped working due to a flood in the eighties.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the territory of the former theater was transferred to the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation. The latter was initiated by the local community of Philadelphians. They sought to revive the former building and the cultural heritage of the city. The ambitious goal did not come out of nothing, as the abandoned building was once listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
In 2018, the organization collected the necessary funds and started renovation. The revival of The Uptown Theater was expected by 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic interrupted the process. The local non-commercial union had to go into quarantine, reduce the leadership, etc. At the beginning of 2022, they continued the reconstruction of the theater. Still, when asked by American journalists about the date of a possible opening, they refused to predict it.
