Civic Theatre of Allentown facts for kids
Civic Theatre of Allentown in May 2004
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| Address | 527 North 19th Street Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. 18104 |
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| Coordinates | 40°36′12″N 075°29′59″W / 40.60333°N 75.49972°W |
| Current use | Stage productions, Education programs, Film presentations |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Years active | 1928, 1930-1952, 1953-Present |
| Website | |
| Official website: http://www.civictheatre.com/ | |
The Civic Theatre of Allentown is a special place in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is also known as the Nineteenth Street Theatre. This theater first opened its doors on September 17, 1928. It is the oldest movie theater in Allentown.
Today, the Civic Theatre offers many exciting things. You can watch live plays and musicals there. They also have fun educational programs for students. Plus, they show unique independent and international movies. In July 1957, a group called Allentown's Civic Little Theatre bought the building. Since then, they have put on many amazing stage shows. In 1994, the group officially changed its name to the Civic Theatre of Allentown. The theater building on 19th Street was recognized as a historic place in 2024.
The Civic Theatre puts on a full season of live plays. This includes four main shows each year. They also create special plays just for children. The theater's movie section shows many different independent films. These are often movies from other countries. They usually cost less than tickets at regular movie theaters. About 60 to 80 different movies are shown each year. The Theater School helps over 350 students learn about acting. They have classes in the fall, winter, and summer.
Contents
The Theatre's Story
How It Began
In the early 1920s, many new buildings were being built. This was happening in the West End of Allentown, Pennsylvania. People wanted homes with yards and more open space. They also wanted less noise than in the busy center of Allentown. In just four years, over 150 homes with yards were built there. Along with the houses, plans were made for shops, offices, and restaurants. The Civic Theatre was a very important part of this new plan.
The theater is located at 527 North 19th Street in Allentown. It was created by Rubin Mainker and Alex Minker. It first opened on September 17, 1928. The Allentown Morning Call newspaper reported on its grand opening. They said, "No expense has been spared." The inside walls were painted green. They had beautiful gold and silver decorations. The outside of the building was bright yellow. It had fun designs of birds, flowers, butterflies, and elephants.
The very first movie shown at the Civic Theatre was a silent film. It was called The Sawdust Paradise. The owners had bought a special Moller DeLuxe theater organ for $16,000. This amazing instrument is still sometimes played for audiences today. Even with big crowds at the start, the theater had problems. It was hard for the owners to keep it open. Silent films were also becoming less popular. So, in December 1928, the movie theater closed.
Showing Movies Again
In 1930, the theater was sold to L.J. Chamberlain of Amusements Inc. It was changed so it could show movies with sound. It became a "second-run" theater. This meant it showed popular movies after they had already played at bigger theaters. These bigger theaters were in the main entertainment area downtown. The Civic Theatre was in a neighborhood. Prices were much lower here. During the 1930s, an adult ticket cost 20 cents. A child's ticket was only 10 cents.
The theater did well through the 1930s and 1940s. But after World War II, television became popular. Fewer people went to the movies. So, the theater closed again in February 1952.
However, in May 1953, the theater reopened. Albert Moffa, who owned the Americus Hotel, bought it. He bought it from Amusements, Inc. for $90,000. The theater's movie system was updated. It could now show 3D films, which were very popular then. The first movie shown was the 1953 musical Down Among the Sheltering Palms.
Becoming the Civic Theatre
In the mid-1950s, Harold Heydt managed the movie theater. He started showing movies from other countries. In July 1957, Allentown's Civic Little Theatre announced something big. They bought the 19th Street Theatre from Moffa for $95,000. This was the first permanent home for this community theater group. They had been around since the late 1920s. The group was made of volunteers. They started to make the stage bigger. People in the community wanted the Moller organ to stay. So, the theater kept it.
Since taking over, the Civic Theatre of Allentown has changed a lot. They now offer several plays each year. They also show many independent and international films. The Civic Theater School teaches acting to young people. Students from ages 4 to 18 can take classes. In 1991, William Sanders became the artistic director. He has led the theater to put on A Christmas Carol every year.
In 1994, the theater's marquee (the sign outside) was greatly improved. It really needed to be updated. Money was raised for the repairs. A grant from the Trexler Trust also helped pay for it. The Alvin Butz Inc. construction company did the work.
Besides its main historic theater, Civic Theatre of Allentown owns Theatre514. This is a production center with a 92-seat theater. It is right across the street from the main building. Civic uses Theatre514 for its independent and international film series. They also use it for more plays and shows. This second theater was greatly updated in the summer of 2014.
Many talented people from the Lehigh Valley area have performed at the Civic Theatre. These include Michaela Conlin from Fox's Bones. Also, Dane DeHaan from In Treatment. Michael McDonald worked on the Broadway show Hair. Daniel Roebuck was in The Late Shift. Actress Amanda Seyfried was in Mama Mia. And actress Christine Taylor was in The Wedding Singer.
What's Happening Now
The Civic Theatre moved into the digital movie age in August 2013. They replaced their old 35mm film projectors. They now use modern digital projectors. The Civic Theatre's live play group has put on plays based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. This production has special events. There was an exhibit about it at Allentown's Liberty Bell Museum. The Civic's recent play Young Frankenstein was very popular. It was their most attended musical in recent years. Their play Breakfast at Tiffany's was the first time it was performed after its run in New York City in 2013.
The Civic Theatre started a big renovation project. This project has two parts. It will make the auditorium look new again. It will also improve the stage equipment. The backstage and front-of-house areas will also be better. Mills and Schnoering Architects are leading the project. Stages Consultants are helping with the theater and sound.
See also
