BALAEGYPTIANTHEATER MAINLINE GEM
Donation protected
Bala Theatre is a historic 1926 theater building at 157 Bala Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Philadelphia architectural firm Hoffman-Henon. The 1,450 seat theater opened as an Egyptian Theatre on September 15, 1926. It features Egyptian Revival architecture stylings.
Opened as the Egyptian Theatre on September 15, 1926, in the Montgomery County suburb of Philadelphia. The movie palace was designed by Philadelphia architects Hoffman & Henon, and had 1,450 seats including a balcony. The theatre was opened as a Warner Brothers theatre. The facade has an Egyptian Revival theme which extends to the two side wings containing retail stores.
After a vestibule lobby is the main lobby. A set of grand stairs leads upstairs to the mezzanine promenade and restroom suites. Best viewed from the mezzanine is a mural of Cleopatra and her attendants. The mens suite has a furnished lounge. The balcony is no longer available to the public and is now partly used by the current projection booth. The original projection booth, no longer used, is above.
In 1955, A.M. Ellis Theatres took over the theatre from Stanley Warner, renamed it the Bala Theatre, and operated it into the 1980’s. In 1987, the Sotolidis family purchased the theatre to save it from closing. The Bala Theatre is featured in David Naylor’s 1987 book, the National Trust Guide ‘Great American Movie Theatres’. Photographs taken during the run of “The Mask” (1994) show the exterior and auditorium and are on view at the website of HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) of the Library of Congress. 1993 epics shown include “Gettysburg” and “Schindler’s List”.
In early-November 1994, the Bala Theatre closed for triplexing, and reopened March 3, 1995 with “Boys on the Side”, “Billy Madison” and “Shallow Grave”. Architect Mitch Abromowitz of Fountainhead Associates in Lansdale designed the sensitive triplexing of the huge auditorium. Abromowitz was reported in an April 10, 1995 Philadelphia Inquirer article as stating that he had worked 30 years on theatre renovations including for owners who only inserted walls down the middle of their auditoriums despite the historic architecture. He was pleased that brothers and mother, Constantine and Isaak , Irene , Bill Sotolidis, the Bala Theatre owners, were concerned about keeping the historic interior. Contractors viewed the sensitive triplexing as a loving rejuvenation of the theatre, and trusting the owners, were willing to accept deferred payment for their fees for the expensive undertaking.
The still very large middle auditorium with 427 seats has the stage constructed for vaudeville, the proscenium arch with its huge movie screen, organ lofts, and ornate front exits. Also on view in the middle auditorium is most of the gorgeous plaster Egyptian ceiling relief, including the four Egyptian figures. Part of the plaster ceiling extravaganza is depicted in a 1928 Voigt Company catalog. Two additional auditoriums created from the side seating have 192 seats each and screens that are 21 feet wide, 11 feet tall.
We now are asking for support to keep this Gem of the
Main Line going . After abuse of weather, time,
and people , the Theater is in need of new equipment and upkeep to the building .
“We deeply regret that, due to circumstances beyond our control, and without our knowledge,
the Bala Theater ceased operation.
The community’s long standing support of this wonderful historic resource,
that we all love, has been and is appreciated with words
we cannot fully express but that we deeply feel. Our hope is that operation of the theater will resume as soon as possible.
The timetable for this is uncertain at the moment,
so we ask for your patience as we move ahead to
restore this gem to its former elegance.”
Please help keep
the one and only EgyptianBalaTheater, Open ASAP !
" GOD BLESS US ALL !!! "
Opened as the Egyptian Theatre on September 15, 1926, in the Montgomery County suburb of Philadelphia. The movie palace was designed by Philadelphia architects Hoffman & Henon, and had 1,450 seats including a balcony. The theatre was opened as a Warner Brothers theatre. The facade has an Egyptian Revival theme which extends to the two side wings containing retail stores.
After a vestibule lobby is the main lobby. A set of grand stairs leads upstairs to the mezzanine promenade and restroom suites. Best viewed from the mezzanine is a mural of Cleopatra and her attendants. The mens suite has a furnished lounge. The balcony is no longer available to the public and is now partly used by the current projection booth. The original projection booth, no longer used, is above.
In 1955, A.M. Ellis Theatres took over the theatre from Stanley Warner, renamed it the Bala Theatre, and operated it into the 1980’s. In 1987, the Sotolidis family purchased the theatre to save it from closing. The Bala Theatre is featured in David Naylor’s 1987 book, the National Trust Guide ‘Great American Movie Theatres’. Photographs taken during the run of “The Mask” (1994) show the exterior and auditorium and are on view at the website of HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) of the Library of Congress. 1993 epics shown include “Gettysburg” and “Schindler’s List”.
In early-November 1994, the Bala Theatre closed for triplexing, and reopened March 3, 1995 with “Boys on the Side”, “Billy Madison” and “Shallow Grave”. Architect Mitch Abromowitz of Fountainhead Associates in Lansdale designed the sensitive triplexing of the huge auditorium. Abromowitz was reported in an April 10, 1995 Philadelphia Inquirer article as stating that he had worked 30 years on theatre renovations including for owners who only inserted walls down the middle of their auditoriums despite the historic architecture. He was pleased that brothers and mother, Constantine and Isaak , Irene , Bill Sotolidis, the Bala Theatre owners, were concerned about keeping the historic interior. Contractors viewed the sensitive triplexing as a loving rejuvenation of the theatre, and trusting the owners, were willing to accept deferred payment for their fees for the expensive undertaking.
The still very large middle auditorium with 427 seats has the stage constructed for vaudeville, the proscenium arch with its huge movie screen, organ lofts, and ornate front exits. Also on view in the middle auditorium is most of the gorgeous plaster Egyptian ceiling relief, including the four Egyptian figures. Part of the plaster ceiling extravaganza is depicted in a 1928 Voigt Company catalog. Two additional auditoriums created from the side seating have 192 seats each and screens that are 21 feet wide, 11 feet tall.
We now are asking for support to keep this Gem of the
Main Line going . After abuse of weather, time,
and people , the Theater is in need of new equipment and upkeep to the building .
“We deeply regret that, due to circumstances beyond our control, and without our knowledge,
the Bala Theater ceased operation.
The community’s long standing support of this wonderful historic resource,
that we all love, has been and is appreciated with words
we cannot fully express but that we deeply feel. Our hope is that operation of the theater will resume as soon as possible.
The timetable for this is uncertain at the moment,
so we ask for your patience as we move ahead to
restore this gem to its former elegance.”
Please help keep
the one and only EgyptianBalaTheater, Open ASAP !
" GOD BLESS US ALL !!! "
Organizer
Balaegyptiantheater Bet
Organizer
Lower Merion Township, PA
