Altoona Pennsylvania

Mishler Theatre

“As a spirit, I can do what I did as a living owner!”

“Teasing in a playful manner is hard to resist!”

DESCRIPTION

“This theatre truly belongs to the people.”

Wow! From the street view, it is truly beautiful, which stands out to travelers like Tom and I. We haven’t visited many buildings that are so meticulously done.

Made of red brick and Indiana limestone balustrade, it show-cases the Beaux-Arts style in most creative ways.

In an article written by Lu Donnelly for the website, https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-01-BL11, she describes the intricate designs on the frontage of the building.

Donnelly states, “The limestone first story has ornate poster display windows on each side of the central entrance. Columns on the second story flank colorful representations of the muses and culminate on the third story in statues of Terpsichore and Melpomene, the muses of song and dance, and tragedy.”

While the glorious frontage beckons people to enter, the inside makes a fantastic environment for stage performances and occasionally for film showings. No wonder people flock to see the many stage, dance and concerts held here.

Like the outside decor, the Beaux Arts style is on steroids throughout the lobby and the auditorium. It is definitely “an eclectic mix of elaborate decorative Italian and French Renaissance elements.”

The auditorium has orchestra seating, and two other tiers of seating above that. Around the sides of the large stage on the second tier are private boxes. Nine-hundred people can see a showing, and they enjoy the bigger seats that were installed after a successful fundraiser, called “Funds for Buns.”

The ceiling of the auditorium truly takes the breath away, being a large, high space with intricate designs and a spectacular chandelier hanging in the middle.

Besides offering every kind of arts presentation, there is also a children’s program, offering stage performances and films for the whole family.

HISTORY

The story of the Mishler Theatre begins with its first owner, Isaac Charles Mishler. In 1862, he was born in Lancaster, PA. His father was a carriage builder-turned-businessman. In his formative years, he learned from his father how to run a business.

Coming from the merchant class, he figured out what kind of business he wanted in life, and went after it with determination.

As a teenager, his first job was working at Woolworth’s, where he discovered that he was great as a salesman, with a personality that won over many.

In 1881, at the age of almost nineteen, he came to Altoona to work at the Altoona Railroad Company, where they built electric engines, among other things. He found work in one of the many repair shops.

During this time, he discovered how much he loved fine tobacco. After saving his money, in a few years he started a tobacco store which featured high-class cigars in downtown Altoona.

He put into practice what he had learned from his Dad and his stint at Woolworth’s. His business became very successful, becoming a popular place to buy cigars.

When he was barely into his twenties, he put his toe in the water of the entertainment business and invested in local semi-professional and minor league baseball teams.

He learned two things. “First, popular entertainment was profitable. Second, it helped foster the kind of civic spirit that united communities.” (https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-258) In other words, it planted the seed of caring about the community at large, seeing how much people enjoyed being entertained.

As he matured, he realized that he loved the theatre. After being in a successful partnership at Altoona’s Eleventh Avenue Opera House, he went to a neighboring town, Johnstown, and took over two theaters there. He also took over a theater in Trenton.

Having three theaters under his control, he created his own vaudeville circuit, and lured better acts to both towns, becoming very successful at promoting his theatres. He saved his money and had quite a nest egg to invest.

By the turn of the century, his dream was to build his own theatre. He put $120,000 of his own money into it, to be sure all the bells and whistles he wanted were done, like an early version of air conditioning and fire safety precautions like sprinklers, twenty exit doors, and a fire-proof curtain.

First, he found a great location, just around the corner from his Opera House, and not far from the train station. It would be easy for traveling shows headed to Broadway to book at his theatre, before or after their New York gigs.

He hired a well-known Philadelphia architect, Albert E. Westover, a Beaux Arts specialist, who designed the theatre.

To accommodate a wide range of shows, the stage was built to be much larger than usual for performance theatres, (eighty-four feet wide and forty-two feet deep).

The Mishler Theatre opened to great acclaim on February 15th, 1906, but burned down just nine months later in 1907, when The Rothert building next door caught fire, and strong winds blew the fire into the Mishler basement. While all the interior was burned, the outside walls held firm and unblemished.

As Mishler had underinsured it, and he hadn’t recovered financially from the cost of building it, he scraped the funds together needed to do so by selling his Trenton theatre, financing through insurance, and loans that were guaranteed by friends, who were more than willing to help.

Devastated, but resolved, Isaac just rebuilt it all over again quickly for the community, hiring tradesmen working around the clock to recreate it. It was amazing how fast a new roof and more fire-proof precautions were installed. Just months after the disastrous fire, the theatre reopened in 1907 with much celebration!

He had no trouble booking top talent from “vaudeville, the legitimate stage, opera, the concert hall, and the lecture circuit.” https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-258

Such entertainers as George Burns, W.C. Fields, Harry Houdini, George Jessell, Al Jolson, Ed Wynn, Sarah Bernhardt, George M. Cohan, Lillian Russell, Jascha Heifitz, Isadora Duncan, Maude Adams, Ethel Barrymore, and John Philip Sousa, made their way to the Mishler Theatre on their way to and from the New York stages.

Isaac was open to showing silent films as well, adding a screen and bringing in an orchestra to provide music for such films as A.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation,” and “Way Down East.”

People also loved to come and see travelogues by Lyman Howe.

Caring about the Altoona community, he also presented local theatre performances from high schools and other local theatrical organizations, events and of course fund-raisers for charities of all kinds.

In 1923, Isaac Mishler retired, and went home to Lancaster to manage the local Opera House. After Mishler sold his beloved Mishler Theatre in 1931, it continued on showing popular films for many years.

Maintenance was neglected, until it was abandoned in the 1950s, and was scheduled to be torn down in the 1960s. In steps the Blair County Arts Federation, The Altoona Community Theatre and the people of the community to the rescue. Together they raised enough money to buy it, and started the long process of restoring it.

It was reopened in 1969, with The Sound of Music on stage. By 2024, it has cost more than 1 million dollars over the years, most of it raised through community fund-raisers, as it is a beloved place in Altoona.

I’m sure that the spirit of Isaac Mishler is well pleased, as he resides at his favorite place in this world.

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS

When the living fail to take care of a spirit’s special building, the spirit often will come back to inspire better care, and even manage the restoration process. After it has been restored, the spirit may stick around, not quite trusting the living to do a good job, and still may feel the need to supervise.

The Easton State Theatre of the Arts, PA (Spectral theatre manager Fred Osterstock became its guardian with patience and perseverance. During renovations, this spirit again went all out to encourage).

Eldridge Hotel, KS (The spirit of Col. Shalor Eldridge is the spectral host and manager, friendly toward all. He feels the need to keep an eye on things, because his building nearly became a flop house).

The Colorado Hotel, CO (The spirit of the first owner is still front and center, even correcting decor mistakes).

Mishler Theatre, PA (During the 1950s, The Mishler Theatre became an abandoned, forlorn shell of its former glory, and was nearly torn down. Preservation efforts brought it back to life. The spirit of Isaac Mishler is an enthusiastic supporter!).

People who are committed to their labors of love where they worked hard and accomplished much, sometimes choose to spend their afterlives in their favorite place, doing what they love the best in spirit form.

Elsinore Theatre, OR (The spirit of George Guthrie watches to see the quality of the staff and the acting and lighting during rehearsals. If performances are fine, he walks away. If someone’s work is lacking, he will breathe down the neck of the offender, and stare intensely at him or her).

Hollywood Pantages Theatre, CA (The spirit of Alexander Pantages wears many hats as spectral owner. He has been a rescuer of a lady in destress, an inspector of work being done by specialists, and an appreciative audience member).

The Easton State Theatre of the Arts, PA (A spectral theatre manager, Fred Osterstock, became its guardian through his patience and perseverance. During renovations, he again went all out to encourage. He continues to keep an eye on the living).

Mishler Theatre, PA (The spirit of Isaac Mishler is an enthusiastic spectral owner who loves to watch it all, and help when he can).

Patrons who enthusiastically support the theatre, often continue to do so as spirits, attending shows and performances.

Kansas City Music Hall, MO (While most spirits who enjoy this space are model spectral guests, there is always a joker in every crowd, in this case a male spirit who has claimed a seat, and will sit on anyone who dares to sit there).

Stifel Theatre, MO (Spirits of all ages with an enthusiastic glow of happiness soak in performances on stage and enjoy the behind-the-scenes activity as well).

Orpheum Theatre, TN (The spirit of a twelve year old girl who died in front of the theatre, moved inside and enjoys watching all the performances on stage).

Mishler Theatre, PA (The spirit of a 1930s female patron still attends rehearsals and performances, though never showing herself in the auditorium (has no ticket?), but only in the original restroom).

MANIFESTATIONS

The spirits have found their afterlife fun, which makes it interesting for the living.

The Spirit Of Mr. Mishler

He has chosen to spend his afterlife in his beloved theatre, to keep his hand in things, while enjoying all the rehearsals and performances.

He is proud of the restorations done by the living.

Spectral Supervisor

His apparition has been seen walking into the wall where his office used to be.

His spirit’s footsteps can be heard, as he walks on the catwalk above the stage, where he can observe the action down below.

Willing to Help

He keeps a fatherly eye on the staff, and is willing to step in.

Late one night, the director of Guys and Dolls, Steve Heisel, was working with his lighting designer, Sue Polay. She was standing on a marked spot for the actor to stand during his song, where two lights would spotlight his performance.

While Sue stood on the actor’s marked spot, the two lights came on by themselves. Mishler had stepped in to help.

Discerning Taste in Music

Laura Letsche, a retired professor, works at the theatre as the sound and lighting tech.

When she works alone in the theatre, she plays her radio. When she is far away from it, the radio will change channels to Polka music, or turn off completely.

One evening, when she was coming into the empty theatre, she heard Polka music coming from her radio.

Children!

He enjoys interacting with unattended children.

When Laura was working on a performance’s sound or lighting, her daughter Madelene would explore, starting at the age of two.

She became friends with the spirit of Isaac Mishler, who wore funny hats, taught her about the history of the theatre, about the shows, and how he loved it.

Imagine her mom’s surprise when Madeline told her about her special friend later in her childhood.

He Loves a Fine Cigar!

Despite the no-smoking policy, the living are sometimes greeted with the smell of cigar smoke. Apparently, Mishler still enjoys this pleasure.

His unseen spirit has been noticed, sitting in an auditorium chair that was down, and smoking a cigar, that made a large cloud of smoke encircle the chair.

When his spirit stood up, so did the chair.

Spectral Female Patron

While her unseen spirit still loves to experience the performances along with her spectral spirit friends, she gets her chuckles by surprising the living.

She likes to play little jokes on the living who visit the original bathroom, flushing the toilet in the stall next to an occupied stall, to let the live person know that she is there with them.

Her Personal Appearances

From her clothing, it is thought she is from the 1920s era.

Her favorite place to be seen is in the original “powder room” (restroom), sometimes in ghost parts.

One witness saw her from the chest down, dressed in a fine, powder blue gown, facing the mirror.

She was wearing white nylons, but her leg muscles could also be seen.

The spirit disappeared after attending to her make-up, though her head wasn’t shown.

PARANORMAL FINDINGS

Most of the paranormal activity has been witnessed by the staff and crew members. They have had years of experiences.

I couldn’t find any hard evidence posted online. One article said that TV paranormal groups have investigated and got some hard proof.

In 2004, Ghost Hunters Season One: Episode Two, depended strictly on their equipment, and were not personable, but scientific. This was the big flaw in this series when they first started out.

The spirit of Isaac Mishler prefers not to communicate with outsiders who seem rude and not congenial. He thought that the folks in the Ghost Hunters TV Show were rude, and he didn’t cooperate.

Not only did they not get any results here, but they also declared Lizzie Borden’s Bed and Breakfast not haunted as well. OOPS! They have come a long way, and now use other techniques to encourage spirits to communicate with them so they can film activity.

STILL HAUNTED?

Yes Indeed!

The spirit of Isaac Mishler is having too much fun enjoying his theatre, and loves to interact and help the staff and work crews.

The spectral female patron may not be the only one who enjoys watching the performances. Most likely, she has a group of spectral friends she joins in the auditorium.