Palace Theatre Celebrates Centennial on West Broad Street
The downtown Columbus venue opened as a vaudeville and movie house in 1926, survived scheduled demolition in 1978 and remains in active stage use.
The Palace Theatre at 34 W. Broad St. in downtown Columbus celebrates its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, a century after the venue opened its doors as a vaudeville house.
The exterior marquee of the historic Palace Theatre at the base of the LeVeque Tower on West Broad Street in downtown Columbus.
Credit: General Ization / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 Image source
Opening Day on Broad Street
Billed as "A Theatre of a Thousand Wonders", the Palace Theatre opened Nov. 8, 1926, as a vaudeville house. The Keith-Albee Palace Theatre opened with Bebe Daniels in "The Campus Flirt" as a grand vaudeville and movie house.
Designed by architect Thomas Lamb, who also designed the Ohio Theatre, the auditorium drew inspiration from the Palais de Versailles in France. The Palace was adorned with chandeliers, a grand staircase, a mural and a fountain. Because the hall was built primarily for vaudeville performers who sang and spoke without microphones, great attention was paid to the theatre's acoustics under the personal supervision of vaudeville mogul Edward Albee.
Backstage Hospitality for Touring Troupes
Backstage, the Palace Theatre's dressing-room tower functioned like a small hotel. Troupes collected room keys and mail at a dedicated front desk, prepared meals in kitchen facilities, used a children's playroom and occupied dressing rooms named after vaudeville tour cities.
Animal acts received dedicated accommodations as well, including a sub-stage porcelain bath. Builders also constructed a connecting stage ramp because many animals would readily walk upstairs but refused to walk down.
Mid-Century Stardom and Threatened Demolition
In 1929, the theater was renamed the RKO Palace Theatre. “I saw Lucille Ball play here, Jack Benny was here. Bill Bojangles Robinson played here,” said Todd Bemis of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts. The Palace Theatre had a huge boom when Mae West came to town in 1938, with folks wrapped around the exterior of the building waiting to buy tickets. The Palace Theatre became home to big bands in the 1940s, performing on what was called a rolling stage. On March 12, 1942, the theater hosted the picture's world premiere, screening Henry Fonda in "The Male Animal."
After nearly 50 years of presenting motion pictures, the venue shuttered its doors in September 1975. Neglect set in as furnishings and crystal fixtures were stripped out, and the landmark was scheduled for demolition in 1978.
Katherine LeVeque's Rescue and CAPA Stewardship
Owner Katherine LeVeque stepped in to restore the Palace, investing $3 million of her own money to add new seats, plumbing, wiring and a new roof. The renovated Palace Theatre reopened in February 1980 as a performing arts center, with the Osmond family debuting the restored venue.
Following nearly a decade of restoration and private investment, LeVeque donated the theater to CAPA in 1989. CAPA operates the 2,695-seat Palace Theatre as downtown Columbus's "workhorse", hosting touring musical artists and comedians alongside dance companies, Broadway in Columbus and local arts organizations.
Previously, in October 2026, Pique Media reported that CAPA announced a centennial tribute concert at the Palace Theatre.
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CAPA Announces Centennial Ray Charles Tribute Concert at Palace Theatre
Supporting evidence (1)
Previously, in October 2026, Pique Media reported that CAPA announced a centennial tribute concert at the Palace Theatre.
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CAPA Announces Centennial Ray Charles Tribute Concert at Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre brings Ray Charles' music back to its stage for one-night-only centennial concert
Supporting evidence (3)
The Palace Theatre at 34 W. Broad St. in downtown Columbus celebrates its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, a century after the venue opened its doors as a vaudeville house.
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The Palace Theatre will celebrate its 100th anniversary by bringing Ray Charles' music back to a stage where he performed throughout his career.
The Palace Theatre at 34 W. Broad St. in downtown Columbus celebrates its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, a century after the venue opened its doors as a vaudeville house.
Read supporting passage
Billed as "A Theatre of a Thousand Wonders," the Palace Theatre opened Nov. 8, 1926, as a vaudeville house.
Billed as "A Theatre of a Thousand Wonders", the Palace Theatre opened Nov. 8, 1926, as a vaudeville house.
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Billed as "A Theatre of a Thousand Wonders," the Palace Theatre opened Nov. 8, 1926, as a vaudeville house.
https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/210
Supporting evidence (12)
The Keith-Albee Palace Theatre opened with Bebe Daniels in "The Campus Flirt" as a grand vaudeville and movie house.
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The Keith-Albee Palace Theatre was opened on November 8, 1926 with Bebe Daniels in “The Campus Flirt” as a grand vaudeville and movie house.
In 1929, the theater was renamed the RKO Palace Theatre.
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It became the RKO Palace Theatre (Radio Keith Orpheum) in 1929.
Bill Bojangles Robinson played here,” said Todd Bemis of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts.
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“I saw Lucille Ball play here, Jack Benny was here. Bill Bojangles Robinson played here,” said Todd Bemis of the Columbus Association For the Performing Arts
The Palace Theatre had a huge boom when Mae West came to town in 1938, with folks wrapped around the exterior of the building waiting to buy tickets.
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The theater had a huge boom when Mae West came to town in 1938. “There’s a photo of folks literally wrapped around the outside of the building waiting to buy tickets to get into see Mae West,” Bemis said.
The Palace Theatre became home to big bands in the 1940s, performing on what was called a rolling stage.
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The Palace Theatre became home to big bands in the 1940s. “They used to have what they called a rolling stage on the theater,” Bemis said.
On March 12, 1942, the theater hosted the picture's world premiere, screening Henry Fonda in "The Male Animal."
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The world premiere of Henry Fonda in “The Male Animal” was held at the RKO Palace Theatre on March 12, 1942.
After nearly 50 years of presenting motion pictures, the venue shuttered its doors in September 1975.
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After almost fifty years of first run films, the Palace Theatre was forced to close its doors in September 1975 and in 1978 was scheduled for demolition.
Neglect set in as furnishings and crystal fixtures were stripped out, and the landmark was scheduled for demolition in 1978.
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“Many of the furnishings of the theater disappeared during that period, all the crystal was stripped out of the theater during the period because they didn’t want to maintain it, keep it clean,” Bemis said.
Neglect set in as furnishings and crystal fixtures were stripped out, and the landmark was scheduled for demolition in 1978.
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After almost fifty years of first run films, the Palace Theatre was forced to close its doors in September 1975 and in 1978 was scheduled for demolition.
Owner Katherine LeVeque stepped in to restore the Palace, investing $3 million of her own money to add new seats, plumbing, wiring and a new roof.
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Years later, his widow decided to reopen the theater after spending $3 million of her own money to renovate the building. She added new seats, plumbing, wiring and a new roof.
The renovated Palace Theatre reopened in February 1980 as a performing arts center, with the Osmond family debuting the restored venue.
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The theatre was renovated in 1979 and reopened in February 1980 as a performing arts centre.
The renovated Palace Theatre reopened in February 1980 as a performing arts center, with the Osmond family debuting the restored venue.
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The Osmand family debuted the newly renovated theater.
https://www.capa.com/palace-theatre/
Supporting evidence (9)
The Palace Theatre at 34 W. Broad St. in downtown Columbus celebrates its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, a century after the venue opened its doors as a vaudeville house.
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The Palace Theatre is located at 34 W. Broad Street between High and Front Streets, adjacent to the LeVeque Tower.
Designed by architect Thomas Lamb, who also designed the Ohio Theatre, the auditorium drew inspiration from the Palais de Versailles in France.
Read supporting passage
Architect Thomas Lamb, who also designed the Ohio Theatre, used France’s Palais de Versailles as inspiration for the Palace Theatre.
The Palace was adorned with chandeliers, a grand staircase, a mural and a fountain.
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Adorned with chandeliers, a grand staircase, mural, hall of autographed pictures, and a fountain, the Palace is a delightful destination for an evening with the arts.
Because the hall was built primarily for vaudeville performers who sang and spoke without microphones, great attention was paid to the theatre's acoustics under the personal supervision of vaudeville mogul Edward Albee.
Read supporting passage
Since the theatre was primarily a vaudeville house, and the performers had to be heard without amplification, great attention was paid to the hall’s acoustics. Construction was personally supervised by vaudeville mogul Edward Albee, and on November 8, 1926, the Palace opened its doors to the public as part of the Keith-Albee chain of movie/vaudeville theatres.
Troupes collected room keys and mail at a dedicated front desk, prepared meals in kitchen facilities, used a children's playroom and occupied dressing rooms named after vaudeville tour cities.
Read supporting passage
The dressing room tower was organized like a small hotel, complete with a “front desk,” where performers could pick up their room keys and mail. There were also kitchen facilities and a designated children’s playroom. The dressing rooms were named after cities on the vaudeville touring routes and still bear those names today.
Animal acts received dedicated accommodations as well, including a sub-stage porcelain bath.
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A porcelain animal bath was installed below the stage, as well as a ramp that led to the stage since many animals will go upstairs, but not down.
Builders also constructed a connecting stage ramp because many animals would readily walk upstairs but refused to walk down.
Read supporting passage
A porcelain animal bath was installed below the stage, as well as a ramp that led to the stage since many animals will go upstairs, but not down.
CAPA operates the 2,695-seat Palace Theatre as downtown Columbus's "workhorse", hosting touring musical artists and comedians alongside dance companies, Broadway in Columbus and local arts organizations.
Read supporting passage
Designed in the spirit of France’s Palais de Versailles, the 2,695-seat Palace Theatre is located at the base of the LeVeque-Lincoln Tower.
CAPA operates the 2,695-seat Palace Theatre as downtown Columbus's "workhorse", hosting touring musical artists and comedians alongside dance companies, Broadway in Columbus and local arts organizations.
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Among the many events hosted by the Palace each year are performances from CAPA-presented and touring musical artists, comedians, and dance companies, Broadway in Columbus, and local arts organizations.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/shining-spotlight-three-storied-capa-125625662.html
Supporting evidence (4)
Backstage, the Palace Theatre's dressing-room tower functioned like a small hotel.
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The Palace was built with performers in mind. Vaudeville mogul Edward Albee personally supervised construction, including acoustics designed for performers working without amplification. Backstage, the dressing-room tower functioned like a small hotel. Performers could pick up their keys and mail at a front desk, prepare meals in the kitchen and bring their children to a designated playroom.
Owner Katherine LeVeque stepped in to restore the Palace, investing $3 million of her own money to add new seats, plumbing, wiring and a new roof.
Read supporting passage
Saved: After years of decline, owner Katherine LeVeque began restoring the Palace while returning performances to its stage. After nearly a decade of investment, she donated the theatre to CAPA in 1989.
Following nearly a decade of restoration and private investment, LeVeque donated the theater to CAPA in 1989.
Read supporting passage
Saved: After years of decline, owner Katherine LeVeque began restoring the Palace while returning performances to its stage. After nearly a decade of investment, she donated the theatre to CAPA in 1989.
CAPA operates the 2,695-seat Palace Theatre as downtown Columbus's "workhorse", hosting touring musical artists and comedians alongside dance companies, Broadway in Columbus and local arts organizations.
Read supporting passage
Todd Bemis, CAPA's former vice president of operations, calls the Palace CAPA's "workhorse," welcoming an ever-changing lineup of acts.