The Egyptian Theatre Eager to Welcome Back Guests This August

Last updated July 13, 2021 by Mariah Hebbeln

The iconic downtown Boise theatre has been closed for more than a year, but not for much longer. Elliot Prestwich, the Egyptian’s new Director of Operations, remarked that while COVID forced the theatre to shut its doors, it was a good stopping point to tackle a running list of repairs and renovations they wanted to accomplish. As their team checks off their tasks, like touching up the intricate painted designs in the lobby hallways, or installing a new tap for next door vendor, The Tap House, the first show is set to take place on August 5th.

What Changes Are Coming to the Theatre?

The Egyptian Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the fall of 1974 and had encountered many changes before then. It was originally opened as the Egyptian, then later changed to the Fox, Ada, and finally back to the Egyptian in the ’70s. So while the popular event center has been closed despite COVID restrictions being lifted, the changes you can expect will not be immediately visible. This was an intentional effort by the theatre’s board to preserve the building’s historical origins for many more decades.

In an effort to make the theatre more “green,” many of the lights will be switched to energy-efficient LEDs. The projector is also set to get a big upgrade to 20K along with a customized and immersive new sound system being installed.

Did you know about the large Organ hiding underneath the stage? You can see its pipes discreetly incorporated into the design on the left and right sides of the stage. The theatre is looking to begin fundraising in the future to raise $250,000 for the necessary repairs to make it operational.

The Egyptian Theatre Eager to Welcome Back Guests This August

What Events Are Coming To The Egyptian This Year?

The Egyptian Theatre is known for hosting a wide variety of events. This includes events like the Wild and Scenic Film festival, Napoleon Dynamite showing with a coordinating costume contest, comedy shows from acts like Bob the Drag Queen or Silent Films with their 17mm film projector. Originally constructed as a movie theatre in 1927, the Egyptian team has adapted the space to host any kind of act. Fun fact, if you stand at the front of the theatre’s seating, you will notice they start with row B. This is because, with the stage adaptations, the original front row had to be removed.