A dazzling mural currently blankets the facade of a famous North Philadelphia theater, which turned 90-years-old in February but remains vacant.
Beaming of pastel colors, the Uptown Theater’s front has, since 2018, become an attraction all its own, serving as the backdrop for photos taken by awe-inspired passer-byers.
A fresh coat of paint has certainly helped the Uptown Theater stand out, given that its exterior no longer features the crowded marquee, which more than fifty-years ago attracted long lines of music fans to Broad and Dauphin Street.
“People who knew the Uptown have nostalgia for what’s painted up there, while younger people can see the silhouettes of the fun their parents had,” said Mr. Yumy Odom, a high-ranking member of the Uptown Entertainment Development Corporation, who I spoke to on Monday afternoon at City Hall.
It’s likely new scores of eyes will rest on the Uptown Theater’s mural next month, when Philly Free Streets – an hours-long car-free zone that enables bikers, runners and walkers to explore and engage various neighborhoods – returns to North Broad.
On August 3rd, from 8am-1pm, City Hall to Broad and Butler Street will be a roamer’s utopia, city officials announced on Monday at a press conference where Mr. Odom and others spoke.
Various institutions along that route will be presenting unique and fun offerings.
Uptown Theater officials, for example, will offer guided tours from 10a-1pm. And jazz pianist Mr. Alfie Pillott, one the many local performers associated with the Uptown Theater’s heyday, will give an 11am concert.
Only four Philly Free Streets have occurred thus far, three of which have taken place along North Broad.
Mr. Brian Abernathy, the City’s Managing Director, said the reason for this is because North Broad Street is one of the most vibrant parts of Philadelphia.
Undoubtedly, there’s a renaissance along North Broad Street.
The Metropolitan Opera House, which opened on Broad and Master Street in 1908, has undergone a $55 million renovation. It’s now known as The Met and is operated by Live Nation Philadelphia.
The lavish Divine Lorraine Hotel, which was built between 1892 and 1894, was closed in 1999. Mr. Eric Blumenfeld purchased the property at a Sheriff’s sale in October of 2012. And by late 2017, all renovations were nearly complete and 25 of the 77 apartment units at Broad and Ridge Ave had been sold.
There’s also currently a massive development at Broad and Spring Garden Street and a $25 million-dollar renovation of the former Blue Horizon boxing venue, which sits at 1314 N. Broad Street.
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So, what do all these investments mean for the Uptown Theater?
“It’s our turn,” Mr. Odom declared to me.
Mr. Odom on Monday promised that a big announcement regarding the Uptown Theater would come next month. He wouldn’t divulge more than that.
Hoping to get the scoop, I called Ms. Linda Richardson, the Executive Director of the UEDC, on Thursday afternoon. A decades-long acquaintance, Ms. Richardson confirmed the forthcoming announcement but, like her colleague, was tight-lipped.
However, she did say that the time is right for investing into the 50,000 square-foot art-deco building at 2240 N. Broad Street. And that the political will is finally in place.
The North Philadelphia Delegation, which includes State Senator Sharif Street and City Council President Darrell Clarke, are all in sync now with UEDC’s efforts, Ms. Richardson said.
The long-term tenacity of the UEDC’s Board of Directors is said to have influenced politicians’ cohesiveness.
Mrs. Shalimar Thomas, Executive Director of The North Broad Renaissance, a non-profit organization that markets the northern stretch of the city’s longest street to visitors, investors and stakeholders, called UEDC officials a “dedicated team.”
After Monday’s press conference, Mrs. Thomas told me that because North Broad Street, as a whole, is being improved upon, the timing is good to “bring the pieces together to revitalize the Uptown.”
“Whenever I tell people what we do, they always ask what’s going on with the Uptown and the Blue Horizon,” Mrs. Thomas revealed.
Another mural will soon be painted on the side of the building, in the exact spot where a depiction of Mr. Georgie Woods, a former WDAS-FM disc-jockey who hosted star-studded shows at the Uptown Theater in the late 60s and early 70s, once appeared.
The mural of Mr. Woods – which was commissioned by Mural Arts Philadelphia, the nonprofit whose also responsible for the newer painting on the building – was destroyed by the theater’s leaky roof.
“I’m determined to redo it,” said Ms. Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “We love the Uptown … and we’re going to do a new mural on the Uptown!”
Ms. Golden began working in the City in the 1980s. Soon after her arrival, she began hearing stories about how the Uptown Theater was a “vibrant and incredible place” with extraordinary music.
“Whatever we can do for the Uptown, we’re going to do, because it’s such an important and meaningful institution,” said Ms. Golden. “We all need to remember to shine a light on it, lift it up, and know that this is part of Philadelphia’s history and needs to be a part of Philadelphia’s future.”
Thanks for reading! Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® and I’m Drumming for Justice!™
Christopher “Flood the Drummer®” Norris is an award-winning journalist, online content producer and professional drummer currently serving as the CEO of Techbook Online, a Philadelphia-based news and event company, and the host of the Drumming for Justice podcast. Subscribe here.
Photo Credit: Christopher “Flood the Drummer” Norris – ©2019.—
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