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

This advertisement promotes the entertainment at Casino Badia and Cabaret Badia beginning July 15, 1940 at the summer location in Giza City.

The term "Cabaret" was used in those days to identify an establishment which served alcohol and geared the entertainment toward a more adult audience. The term "Sala" or "Casino" might be a place where people could go with their families to eat and watch a play, or it might offer a ladies only schedule on certain days of the week. A "Casino" such as Badia's was not a Las Vegas style gambling place - there was no gambling there. In those days there were many high class clubs in Cairo that called themselves "cabarets" and their advertisements used the term, including Badia Masabni's. Her club on Emad El Din street was called Casino Badia until midnight, then after midnight she called it Cabaret Badia. This was because after midnight the entertainment was different and alcoholic drinks were served.

Source: Origin publication and date not identified.

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

Casino and Cabaret Badia
Summer Location

At the English Bridge Giza Telephone 96260

Presents Beginning on Monday July 15th 1940

The Great Theater Play

El Seet Wala El Ghena (Famous Rather than Rich)

3 Parts, 5 Acts, Written by El Oustaz Ahmed Shoukry

Composed by El Oustazien Ahmed Sherif and Farid Ghosn, directed by El Oustaz Beshara Wakim

Starring:

Madame Badia Masabni

The International Dancer Taheya Carioca, Tsenrov Trio, Ballet Madgishi

Every Tuesday a Daytime Performance for Women at 6:30 p.m.

Every Friday and Every Sunday a Daytime Performance at 6:30 p.m.

• About the English Bridge. Background information about the English Bridge and the Cairo tradition of moving the theater groups to different locations for the summer.

• 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.