It was 100 years ago today that Houdini opened his full evening 3 Shows in One at the Alvin Theatre in Pittsburgh with a special Labor Day matinee. While Houdini had previewed the show in Cumberland, this marked the true start of his 1925-26 tour. Howard Thurston attended the opening show, perhaps to see what kind of competition he would be facing that season.
The Houdini show was extremely well promoted. He had arrived in the city early and threw down his famed $10,000 challenge for any proof of genuine membership. The show played the Alivn for two weeks. He was off to a great start!
The Alvin Theatre was located at 119 6th Street in Pittsburgh. While no longer a theater, the building still stands today.
Want more? I've created a Google map showing every stop on both his 1925-26 and 1926-27 3 Shows in One tours, available exclusively on my Patreon.
Do we know if any remnant of the theatre still exists within the building?
ReplyDeleteInterestingly I just found that the Bally’s Sports Club is permanently closed and a movie theatre will be opened in its place.
ReplyDeleteActually after a bit more research those plan were scrapped back in 2023:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.wpxi.com/news/local/plans-turn-old-bally-fitness-into-movie-theater-fall-through/275SXTSISZGQTIOSMATCQMGHPU/?outputType=amp
Thank you for this! Kind of crazy. It was a theater that they turned into a fitness club. And now it's too expensive to turn the fitness club into a theater.
DeleteMan. Harry would be kicking his feet and giggling over a theater becoming a gym! He would be PSYCHED! - Abby Martin
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