Will Philly music museum rock the Suzanne Roberts Theatre?

AT THIS POINT, the idea of a bricks-and-mortar shrine to Philadelphia's rich, diverse and influential musical history seems almost as old as the city itself. But a group that includes some of Our Town's most revered musical monikers has started the ball rolling toward making the dream reality.

According to George Pettignano, a New York-based CBS-TV executive who is spearheading the drive to create the facility, those behind what is being referred to as the Philadelphia Music Museum & Hall of Fame are eyeing the financially beleaguered Suzanne Roberts Theatre at Broad and Lombard streets.

While the project is in the early stages, Pettignano said he and his minions - including '60s teen sensation Bobby Rydell, '50s rock pioneer Charlie Gracie and members of the veteran R&B unit the Tymes - envision a multi-use complex that includes memorabilia displays, interactive stations detailing the many facets of the city's musical story, a theater that would be used for both archival video presentations and live performances, a restaurant and catering capabilities for private functions.

That the Suzanne Roberts is the group's target property apparently came as a surprise to officials at the theater that is the home base of the 40-year-old Philadelphia Theatre Company.

"We know nothing about this and have every optimistic reason to believe that we will continue to be permanently housed at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre," read a statement released yesterday through the PTC's publicist.

Among the local mahoffs supporting the concept is U.S. Rep. Rep. Bob Brady, D-Phila., who sees the creation of such a repository as the proper response to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's snub of Philly when its officials selected Cleveland, Ohio, as its home in 1986.

"It kills me every time I see the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," said Brady. "I'm really pissed off the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is not in Philadelphia."

Brady, who blamed former Mayor Wilson Goode's disinterest in hosting the international Hall of Fame for Philly failing to be the chosen site, suggested that as with virtually everything else in the world, the main issue with creating a local music museum is money. Estimates of the cost for such a facility are between $7 million and $9 million, according to those in the know.

When asked if federal funds might be available, Brady replied: "To be honest, the only avenue I can go to is the Smithsonian [Institution]. They're always interested in museums, and by virtue of being the ranking [Democratic] member of the House Administration Committee, they come under me. So, I have good contacts there."

According to Pettignano, who was brought to the project by Linda Hoffman, Rydell's administrative assistant and, since 1960, president of his fan club, if everything goes according to plan, the complex could be open within 18 months to two years.

It's unlikely such a project would be successful without the participation of the Philadelphia Music Alliance, the nonprofit that, since the late-1980s, has administered the plaque-laden Walk of Fame along the portion of South Broad Street known as the Avenue of the Arts. That, said Alan Rubens, the PMA's chairman, seems likely.

A Philly Museum/Hall of Fame "is something the PMA would be 150 percent supportive of," said Rubens. "We think it's way overdue, and we would support it every way we can.

"The Walk of Fame on Broad Street could be a little yellow brick road leading into the Philadelphia Music Museum."

Blog: philly.com/Casinotes