New Lyric Theatre
5123 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19144
5123 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19144
4 people
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Built as the Manheim Theatre, later renamed the Lyric Theatre, then finally re-named the New Lyric Theatre. The Manheim/Lyric/New Lyric Theatre was located at 5123 Germantown Avenue in Lower Germantown, a mere five blocks south of Germantown and Chelten. This was a 1,000 seat theatre that opened as the Manheim Theatre in 1914.
When it closed in 1971, it was called the New Lyric Theatre. Not sure when the name changes came about. This theatre was actually one of the last of Germantown’s theatres to close. Only the Walton and the Bandbox survived longer.
The New Lyric Theatre has now been demolished.
Contributed by
DennisMcG
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
This is what the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings site shows for this theater:
Lyric Theatre. Also known as: New Lyric Theatre (1935); Manheim Amusement Palace; Manheim Theatre .
Project Chronology
1914 ADDITIONS/ALTERATIONS by John Allen
1935 ADDITIONS/ALTERATIONS New marquee, and interior repainted
c. 1970-c. 1975 Burned
Seating capacity: 1000
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 320 style 135A was installed in the Manheim Theater on 5/30/1920.
As a kid,I used to go to the New Lyric on Saturday afternoons with my brothers.After the show,we would ask Mr. Lewis if we could help him to clean up before the next show.He gave us passes for next week. Sad to say,the theater was not restord,but,torn down and a small shopping center is in its place. So sad!
The theatre was renamed the New Lyric (from the Manheim) in 1935, with the alterations and the new marquee. The marquee only read “Lyric”, but it was always called the “New Lyric Theatre”. That might have to do with there already being another Lyric Theatre ion Philadelphia at the time.
Here is a link to a photo of the New Lyric Theatre after it closed in the 1970s:
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Here is a link to a sad photo of the New Lyric Theatre on fire. The fire destroyed the theatre and it was razed afterwards:
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