The Scarab Scene

Together, We Made 2025 Unforgettable

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who supported the Egyptian Theatre in 2025. Whether you partnered with us as a sponsor, attended an event, served as a volunteer, helped to sing our praises online and throughout the community, or had the means to donate financially, we appreciate ALL the ways you champion the theatre.

Stay tuned for our upcoming annual report – coming soon!

Volunteer Shoutout

The Egyptian Theatre hosted 157 events in 2025. We were fortunate to have 62 active volunteers among our ranks, ranging from 19 to 75 years of age. We are grateful to have their help in staffing the majority of these events. Together, this group accounted for a staggering 1,952 service hours!

Simply put : we couldn’t do this without their help.

While ticketed events are the primary opportunity for volunteers to help, there are other occasions throughout the year, such as decorating for the holidays, maintaining seasonal landscaping, and assisting staff at various offsite community events.

Our next Volunteer Training and Onboarding session is coming up on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. These sessions run from 5:30pm-6:30pm and do not require an RSVP. Bring a friend, or make a new one – we would love to see you here!

Jazz at the Egyptian

On Saturday, February 7th, in a time-honored tradition, the Egyptian Theatre hosted the 9th annual “Jazz at the Egyptian” concert featuring performances by Jazz in Progress, the DeKalb High School Jazz Ensemble, the Sycamore High School Jazz Ensemble, and the NIU Jazz Orchestra. Here is what some of these groups had to say about their involvement in this unique concert over the years:

“It’s a lot of fun to be able to share our songs with a large audience, and to show that the library of a big band doesn’t have to be strictly jazz. We’re very excited to be involved again this year!” – Aaron Butler, Jazz in Progress

“Performing on the same program with the great local high school and NIU jazz bands is an annual highlight for Jazz in Progress. The large enthusiastic audience in the beautiful Egyptian Theatre is unlike any other venue we perform.

The Jazz in Progress members hope that our being included in the Jazz at the Egyptian performance will convey to the younger musicians that their performance need not end when they graduate from school. Their love of performing music can continue with other musicians from all walks of life.” – David Lehman, Jazz in Progress

“As the event has grown, so has the audience, the quality of the performances, and the community celebrating jazz in DeKalb. The DHS Jazz Ensemble has a particularly strong group this year, with 10 outstanding seniors and exactly half of the band participating in the 2026 Illinois All State Music Festival in some capacity. Our set features some truly outstanding musicians, and we cannot wait to share it with our great local jazz community.” – Steven Lundin, DeKalb High School

A staff favorite, this event is central to the theatre’s mission, serving as a regional arts center for entertainment and community involvement. We are not only proud to have hosted blossoming and flourishing local musicians on our stage for nine years, but to have also donated over $25,000 cumulatively in support of local music education.

Investing in Incremental Improvements

Judy Hensley’s connection to the Egyptian Theatre began in 1996, when she became involved as a parent helper with Beth Fowler Dance Company – longtime producer of featured dance performances at the theatre. Over the course of eight or so years, she helped with dancer management during shows and even helped paint many of the set pieces.

Years later, Judy became indirectly involved at the theatre again, this time assisting Ray Binkowski, former owner of Fitworkz Gym in DeKalb, former Egyptian Theatre board member, and longtime promoter of the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders (OCB) for the Midwest States region. Since 2008, Judy has helped to check in participants in the days leading up to each competition. On the day, she helps to organize and queue up participants to keep everything running smoothly.

Knowing Judy had experience beyond painting sets for dance shows, Ray suggested she might be able to lend her talents to the theatre. A 96-year-old building like this requires year-round maintenance. Admittedly, some of the Art Deco adornment throughout the auditorium has begun to show some wear and tear. Beginning this past fall, Judy has applied her skill with a paintbrush to painstakingly color-match and carefully refresh all the intricate paint details, namely around the proscenium (the arch that separates the audience from the stage) and columns throughout the main level of our auditorium.

Judy’s contributions to the theatre are symbolic on many levels. It’s characteristic of so many of the wonderful people who have lent their time and talent working to preserve this special place over the years. Sometimes, small projects may get lost in the grandeur of the Theatre, but they all add up to a big impact. They might be hard to spot, unless you overlook the patchwork as surfaces are prepared for new paint. Each is important and goes a long way in keeping the theatre looking its best.

From volunteering backstage as her daughter danced on stage to now helping spruce up the theatre so that current dancers feel just as special, Judy is helping keep the magic alive for everyone who visits the Egyptian Theatre.

We Tried Our Best to Keep Juli Busy

A title that says it all. Our Fall intern through the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership, Juli Reyes, quickly gained a reputation amongst staff for mastering ALL the assignments we sent her way, at record speed. Seriously. We had to expand our usual guidelines for “intern projects” and create an open-ended to-do list where we could each contribute ideas in order to generate more opportunities where she could pitch in.

Like many interns, Juli began her journey at the theatre on the “quiet observer” end of the spectrum. However, as is often the case in this environment, she very quickly tapped into the passionate creativity we each bring to our roles and the genuine respect we have for one another’s time and talent. It seemed to quiet her fears and help her find her own voice throughout the office, during staff meetings, and at our events.

When the time came for Juli to say “goodbye”, not only could we actually hear her say the words out loud, we knew we were bidding farewell to someone who would truly exceed their potential. We wish her all the best in finishing her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at Northern Illinois University in the Fall of 2026, and as she embarks on her next chapter.

Meet Myah, Our Newest Intern

Myah Mackey is our 21st intern through the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership, with her role beginning on January 27, 2026. Her tasks will include working on our “Backstage at the Egyptian” blog, preparing thank you cards for members who will attend upcoming events, helping us plan for the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s annual day of giving – known as Give DeKalb County – as well as general marketing assistance. 

Myah is working on a Bachelor of Science in Human Development & Family Sciences with a minor in Nonprofit and NGO Studies at Northern Illinois University and is set to graduate this Spring.

Myah is looking forward to a semester of community-focused work and to seeing how a nonprofit operates day-to-day. We are excited to have her this semester and to support her professional journey in the nonprofit sector.

Archiving with Alisha

Alisha Loehrl became the theatre’s first-ever archival intern in November of last year. She is a junior at Northern Illinois University, majoring in history and anthropology. Her role was made possible, in part, through a grant we received from the Illinois Arts Council (IAC). During her time working at the theatre, she has also counseled with the DeKalb County History Center and DeKalb Public Library in order to ensure we are applying best practices in preserving and archiving what is found.

Alisha’s initial project has been to organize and catalog newspapers featuring advertisements and stories about the theatre, many of which were compiled by previous board members. While this work continues, she has recently begun the next effort toward preserving these artifacts, so that we can eventually share this history with the public through a new exhibit.

“Archival research has always interested me in the field of history – the feeling of holding a physical piece of history in my hands is indescribable and continues to inspire me. The physical media helps me feel more connected to the history attached. Something that I’ve been shocked by in my work is the physical pieces of the building from pre-renovation. I love getting glimpses of the building with more of the original 1920’s charm.”
-Alisha Loehrl; Egyptian Theatre, Archival Intern

Drawn to the theatre by its nonprofit rebirth and commitment to preserve this historical building, Alisha hopes to find even more information about the theatre’s long-standing legacy and its past interactions with the local community. If you have any insights or stories that could help piece things together, please don’t hesitate to reach out.