The Mishler Theatre – Altoona, Pennsylvania

The Mishler Theatre. What an iconic and historic treasure in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

For years we had kept the idea of exploring this intriguing destination on the back burner, ever since Peepaw’s brother Grant told us of its existence. But as we planned a visit to Washington D.C. earlier this year, we remembered Grant’s description and we just had to see it for ourselves!

Explore Altoona partially sponsored our visit to Altoona and Blair County, but, as always, all comments and recommendations made on this post are mine and mine alone. 

Our busy morning in downtown Altoona began with a delicious breakfast at Tom & Joe’s Diner, followed by a tour of the beautiful Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Then it was time for our long-awaited backstage tour of that gorgeous Altoona landmark, The Mishler Theatre!

Welcome to the Mishler!

Check out that smile on our guide Patrick’s face as he opened the golden door for us. 

We stepped into the ornate lobby where we were met by our theatre guide Kate Schaffer. Kate is the Executive Director of the Blair County Arts Foundation.

Kate has been a promotor of the Mishler Theatre for decades. In fact, she first performed on that hallowed stage in a dance recital…when she was four years old! So, to say she has a love for that building would certainly be an understatement.

Kate was quick to introduce us to C’Jay Castello, the Technical Director of the Mishler.

C’Jay’s passion for his profession and his love of that historic building soon became crystal clear. He quickly offered to remove the floor mats so we could see the mosaic floor tiles. (I assured him that wasn’t necessary.) But I could see how the Mishler name was predominately displayed…even on the floor.

After our brief introductions we stepped inside.  It was like stepping back in time. 

I noticed this photo of Isaac Mishler displayed on the wall.

And I was shocked at how much that photo resembled early photos of Peepaw and his brothers Grant and Steve. There is certainly a strong family resemblance! And when it comes to ancestry, we are 99% convinced that Peepaw and Isaac Mishler (the Mishler Theatre founder) ARE related.

The Mishler Name Connection

The Mishler families both shared generations of family in the Lancaster County area of Pennsylvania. And both families were Mennonites. But our search for that missing link have stalled at the moment. Isaac left his Mennonite faith behind when he left Lancaster, and according to our research, it appears that his family cut ties with him for that reason. That could explain why he is not listed in family history, at least in what we’ve been able to find so far. But we certainly plan to keep the search alive!

First Impressions…

What was our feeling as we stepped into the actual theatre? Here was Peepaw as he tried to capture the moment.

He actually had tears in his eyes as he surveyed the beautiful surroundings that bear his family’s name.

I’m sure both Patrick and Mark were both happy to see both of our emotional reactions. What an incredible, opulent venue located in that small city of Altoona of less than 50,000 residents!

I do wish I could have read Peepaw’s mind at the moment he walked onstage.

During the renovation, one of the elegant chandeliers was purchased for $300 at an MGM movie studio auction! Plus, the acoustics in the Mishler Theatre are absolutely incredible.

Kate shared a story about the time when Bernadette Peters performed on that stage.

Kate said Ms. Peters walked to center stage to rehearse her musical numbers. And her first word was “WOW.” The acoustics are so incredible you can whisper on the stage…and hear it all the way in the back of the theatre.  (I know it’s true, because we tried it!) 

A Single Lightbulb…

Now…about that single light bulb located on the stage. Do you know what it is?

That lamp is called a Ghost Light. When a theatre building is dark and empty, a ghost light is left burning on the stage. That lamp remains lighted to prevent anyone from injury from walking into objects or from actually falling off of the stage in the darkness. But some say it also serves another purpose. It is rumored that every theatre has a ghost! And that Ghost Light is there to chase away mischievous ghosts, and to also provide light for any talented spirits to see and to perform or even “dance” on the deserted stage. (I rather like to imagine that version!)

After our visit to the Mishler Theatre I’ve now added another item to my Bucket List. I would love to watch a play, or The Nutcracker ballet, or a performance of the Altoona Symphony Orchestra from the comfort of one of those gorgeous box seats. (Fingers crossed…and toes too!)

Backstage…Stage Left

Our theatre guides even gave us a backstage tour. These steep stairs lead to the catwalk high above the rear of the stage.

C’Jay explained the complicated and intricate ropes and pulley system. The Mishler Theatre is one of the few remaining American theatres still using the sandbag method to raise and lower the massive curtains.

Kate happily shared stories about her backstage memories through the years, and we loved every minute of listening to her that day.

C’Jay even showed us how he makes it “snow” on the stage! These huge louvers can be moved back and forth to allow “snowflakes” to fall.

I even captured some of those snowflakes to bring home as souvenirs.

Even though Kate was pressed for time that morning she even took us downstairs to show us the dressing rooms.

Just imagine the stars who have prepared for performances in that room…for more than a century! 

The walls are adorned with posters showing some of them…from vaudeville and beyond!

Our final stop on our theatre tour took us to the lounge, where theatre patrons can purchase drinks before and after performances. It is an absolutely wonderful place! Patrons can even purchase their drinks to be served in plastic lidded Mishler glasses so they can be taken with them into the theatre during performances. (We would treasure a Wine Wednesday performance while holding the Mishler glasses we were gifted with!) 

The “Spiritz” Lounge

In 2014, Nancy and Steve Sheetz of Altoona donated the funds to create the Spiritz Lounge. (The Sheetz family owns a large chain of convenience stores and coffee shops, with headquarters in Altoona.) The lounge is named “Spiritz”, in memory of all who have appeared in the theatre. And the word is spelled with a “z” to honor the Sheetz family for their generous donation.

The designers of the lounge chose to incorporate all the pipes and ductwork into the design of the beautiful space. (If only those pipes could talk!!)

As Kate escorted us up to the main lobby, she pointed out the “wall of fame” where some of the past performers are featured.

Now just imagine how thrilled we were when Kate presented us with this incredible coffee table book called Altoona’s Historic Mishler Theatre book! We will treasure it always! And it will be read by us and by future generations of our Mishler family.

Yes…our visit to The Mishler Theatre will live always in our hearts and in our memories. And our only hope is to return again, to experience for ourselves the magical vibe created by Isaac Mishler more than a century ago.

BRAVO!