Astor Theatre

730-42 Penn Street,
Reading, PA 19602

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Showing 26 - 31 of 31 comments

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 7, 2009 at 7:02 am

Here is a pre-opening sketch from the Irvin Glazer Theater collection:
http://tinyurl.com/lztuxb

JimmiB
JimmiB on May 18, 2009 at 6:34 pm

Seeing these photos is almost enough to make me cry. I was an usher there in the late 50’s. At that time it was operated by William Goldman Theatres of Philadelphia. I believe the building was still owned by the Schad family, who owned the Astor and Strand Theatres in Reading and I think also a theatre in Hamburg, PA., under the name “Schad Theaters”. The manager at that time was J. Lester Stallman, and upon his retirement, Clayton Evans, manager of the Strand, become the Astor’s manager. After the Astor closed, it reopened for a short time as an X-rated movie house. I know a group trying to save the theatre had reopened it again. I remember going there for a Reading Community Theatre production of “Hair”, and also a benefit show by Barry Manilow. There were several other live concerts after that. Unfortunately, it took so long for the “powers that be” to decide what to do with the Astor that the building had deteriorated to the point of being beyond restoration. What a shame.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 17, 2009 at 2:56 am

Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dztpqu

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on February 20, 2009 at 9:21 pm

7 June 1941 Box Office states the Astor in Reading reopened May 28, with the world premiere of the movie “In the Navy”

teecee
teecee on June 8, 2005 at 1:37 pm

Must have been used for concerts in the 1970s (after closing as a movie theater?). Hot Tuna performed here on 11/19/76.

atmos
atmos on April 21, 2005 at 1:16 pm

There is a 72 page book on this theatre.It is called,THE ASTOR THEATRE:A MAGICAL REALM OF ROYALTY BY EILEEN DIETRICH.