Palace Theater, Cleveland
Encyclopedia
The Palace Theatre is a theater
on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, part of Playhouse Square. The theater was originally named Keith’s Palace Theater after B. F. Keith
, founder of the Keith-Albee chain of vaudeville and movie theaters. It was designed by the Chicago
architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp
in the French Renaissance style
, and originally housed live two-a-day vaudeville
shows. The $2 million theater opened in the Keith Building
on November 6, 1922, seating 3,100. The interior was clad with Carrara marble and 154 crystal chandeliers, and the main lobby, dubbed the “Great Hall,” was decorated with over 30 paintings.
The advent of the motion-picture age
led to the gradual replacement of the vaudeville acts with movies, although vaudeville maintained a presence at the theater until the 1950s. The Palace was subsequently transformed for the presentation of widescreen Cinerama
, which required the removal of 1,800 seats. On July 20, 1969 the theater shut down because of air-conditioning trouble, and remained closed because of financial difficulty. In November 1973, the Playhouse Square Foundation obtained the lease for the Palace, and began producing cabaret
shows in the partially-reopened theater in order to attract attention to its efforts to restore Playhouse Square. In 1978, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places
, along with the rest of the Playhouse Square group.
After a $36.4 million renovation project, the Palace Theatre completely reopened in 1988 with 2,714 seats, making it the second-largest theater on Playhouse Square.
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, part of Playhouse Square. The theater was originally named Keith’s Palace Theater after B. F. Keith
Benjamin Franklin Keith
Benjamin Franklin Keith was an American vaudeville theatre owner, highly influential in the evolution of variety theater into vaudeville.-Early years:...
, founder of the Keith-Albee chain of vaudeville and movie theaters. It was designed by the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp
Rapp and Rapp
The architectural firm Rapp and Rapp was active in Chicago, Illinois during the early 20th century. The brothers Cornelius W. Rapp and George Leslie Rapp of Carbondale, Illinois were the named partners and 1899 alumnus of the University of Illinois School of Architecture...
in the French Renaissance style
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
, and originally housed live two-a-day vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
shows. The $2 million theater opened in the Keith Building
Keith Building
The Keith Building is a skyscraper in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. At the time it was built in 1922, it was the tallest building in Cleveland. It houses the Palace Theater, Playhouse Square Center's second-largest theater. It has been a national historic building since 1978. In 1987 the Keith building...
on November 6, 1922, seating 3,100. The interior was clad with Carrara marble and 154 crystal chandeliers, and the main lobby, dubbed the “Great Hall,” was decorated with over 30 paintings.
The advent of the motion-picture age
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
led to the gradual replacement of the vaudeville acts with movies, although vaudeville maintained a presence at the theater until the 1950s. The Palace was subsequently transformed for the presentation of widescreen Cinerama
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
, which required the removal of 1,800 seats. On July 20, 1969 the theater shut down because of air-conditioning trouble, and remained closed because of financial difficulty. In November 1973, the Playhouse Square Foundation obtained the lease for the Palace, and began producing cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
shows in the partially-reopened theater in order to attract attention to its efforts to restore Playhouse Square. In 1978, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, along with the rest of the Playhouse Square group.
After a $36.4 million renovation project, the Palace Theatre completely reopened in 1988 with 2,714 seats, making it the second-largest theater on Playhouse Square.