Santander Performing Arts Center

136 North 6th Street,
Reading, PA 19601

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rivest266
rivest266 on June 22, 2014 at 12:30 pm

September 10th, 1922 grand opening ad in photo section

RickB
RickB on April 12, 2014 at 3:31 pm

Name of the theater has been changed along with that of the bank sponsoring it; it’s now the Santander Performing Arts Center. Web site has moved here.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 12, 2014 at 5:32 am

The June 11, 1921 issue of the Reading Times reported that the New York firm of E. C. Horne & Sons had been chosen to design the repairs and addition to the Rajah Temple which had been devastated by a fire the previous month.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 3, 2011 at 11:56 am

The old Rajah Temple was gutted by fire in May, 1921. The rebuilding project was extensive, costing approximately one million dollars and taking more than a year to complete. The five-bay facade of the original building was retained, though there were extensive alterations to its upper floors, but the rebuilt theater’s entrance was in a new annex that was erected adjacent to the surviving front portion of the original structure. The auditorium of the new Rajah Theatre was new construction as well.

The book “Reading in Historic Postcards” includes cards depicting the original and the rebuilt building on page 107. The text on the latter card says that the Austin organ installed in the rebuilt theater had cost $35,000.

rivest266
rivest266 on February 7, 2010 at 9:02 pm

An grand opening announcement from September 10th, 1922 is on this page at View link

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on August 10, 2009 at 2:17 pm

At July 2009 tour of Theatre Historical Society of America of this very interesting exotic theater, we were told there are now 1752 seats.

Rockatansky
Rockatansky on May 23, 2009 at 10:48 am

On Jan 23, 1919 Jack Dempsey fought there vs Kid Harris.

billmanb
billmanb on May 1, 2008 at 8:50 pm

I worked as an usher at the Rajah in the 1970s.
Locally Rajah was pronounced Roy-yah.
I have not been in it since Sovereign renovation. I hope they kept
the wonderful orientalist detailing.

EMarkisch
EMarkisch on September 9, 2005 at 11:50 am

Does anyone have any further information on the history, seating, etc. for the Rajah?