PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

In this newspaper interview, Badia Masabni speaks of a brand new club she intended to open on Emad el Din street in Cairo on December 8, 1938.

Source:
Al Ahram
December 3, 1938
Page 14

Badia located this new club next door to her original club, which had been taken over by Beba Ezz el-Din.

Click on the image below to see the article in more detail.

It was a surprise when Madame Badia Masabni announced that she had decided to form a new troupe to perform with this season on the stage of the Casino and Cabaret Badia. She has established the new club in the location of the Majestic Theater.

December 8 is the opening date decided upon for this new troupe, so I met with Madame Badia and I asked her, "What made you think of forming a winter season troupe, and why have you preferred to work in Egypt rather than traveling to other Middle Eastern countries?"

She responded, "I in fact think that working in Egypt sometimes requires travel to sister countries. However, when I found that certain situations didn't allow me to travel to sister countries, as well as the fact that I took a long hiatus here in Egypt, I decided to form my troupe again. I searched for another location other than Casino Badia which Beba now works at. I reached an agreement with the Majestic Theater which I have completely remodeled and improved and I've made some alterations to transform it into a suitable stage for presenting theater shows which are a type of song and dance operetta. I will let the audience be the judge when they see my new troupe and my hard work. They will either judge in my favor, or against me."

We saw the new faces of the chosen group of girls that will perform their innovative art for audiences who don't know them yet. But they will be sure to like them.

[Translator's note: The caption under the photo says, "Madame Badia Masabni".]

• Articles and Advertisements Featuring Badia Masabni and Her Businesses. An index to other resources on this web site.

Priscilla is a dancer of Lebanese heritage who enjoys researching the Golden Era of Egyptian dance. She owns a collection of more than one hundred classic black and white Egyptian films which is continually expanding.

Priscilla has also gathered a large library of dance related articles and clippings from Middle Eastern magazines and newspapers, many of which she has translated from the original Arabic to both English and Spanish.

Priscilla currently resides in Central America where she is a dance instructor.