The Pearl Theatre was a theatre in Philadelphia. It was a notable jazz and dance venue and had a glamorous reputation among the rich and famous. In 1931, the Nicholas Brothers played here. Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and many other prominent jazz ensembles of the period performed here. Bennie Moten and the Kansas City Stompers's featuring Count Basie on piano performed at the club in November 1931, and in December 1932 the audience raved all week about their "Moten Swing"; the doors of the theatre were let open to the public who came crammed into the theatre to hear the new sound, demanding seven encores on one night. Pearl Bailey was discovered at the theatre in which she entered the theatre's amateur song and dance contest and was paid $35 a week to perform there for two weeks but the theatre closed during her engagement and she wasn't paid.
Modern cinema
A Pearl Theatre on 1600 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, which functioned as a modern cinema complex, closed in August, 2016.