The Pearl Theatre was a theatre in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Opened in 1927 with 1400 seats, it was a notable jazz and dance venue and had a glamorous reputation among the rich and famous. In 1931, the

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

played here. Duke Ellington,

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

, and many other prominent jazz ensembles of the period performed here.

Bennie Moten Benjamin Moten (November 13, 1893 – April 2, 1935) was an American jazz pianist and band leader born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. He led his Kansas City Orchestra, the most important of the regional, blues-based orchest ...

and the Kansas City Stompers's featuring

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

on piano performed at the club in November 1931, and in December 1932 the audience raved all week about their "

Moten Swing Moten is a surname. Notable people with the name include: *Bennie Moten (1894–1935), American jazz pianist and band leader born in Kansas City, Missouri *Benny Moten (1916–1977), American jazz bassist *Eddie Moten (born 1981), American footbal ...

"; the doors of the theatre were let open to the public who came crammed into the theatre to hear the new sound, demanding seven encores on one night. Pearl Bailey was discovered at the theatre, where she entered and won the theatre's amateur song and dance contest and was to be paid $35 a week to perform there for two weeks, however, the theatre closed during her engagement and she was never paid. The Pearl Theatre closed in 1963 and was demolished after 1970.

Modern cinema

Another Pearl Theatre on 1600 N Broad Street,

, which functioned as a modern cinema complex, closed in August, 2016. It was reopened a few years ago as the AMC Broadstreet 7.

References

External links

Cinema Treasures: Pearl Theatre
Theatres in Philadelphia Jazz clubs in Philadelphia Templetown, Philadelphia Defunct jazz clubs in the United States {{jazz-venue-stub