The Palace Theatre was built for vaudeville, which means it was built for voices with no microphones. CAPA, which runs it, points out that the room's acoustics were designed for performers working without amplification. That is good news for anyone who came to hear a quiet song from the balcony.
A theater with a tower attached
The Palace opened on November 8, 1926, as part of the Keith-Albee chain of vaudeville and movie houses. Thomas Lamb, who also designed the Ohio Theatre, drew it up in the spirit of the palace at Versailles, and vaudeville boss Edward Albee supervised construction himself. It was built as part of the American Insurance Union Citadel, the tower that became the LeVeque Tower and stood as the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 to 1974.
Backstage history is the fun part. The dressing room tower was laid out like a small hotel, with rooms named after vaudeville touring cities, and a porcelain bath and a ramp were built backstage for the animal acts. Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Mae West and the Marx Brothers all worked this stage.
The theater became the RKO Palace in 1929 and showed movies until RKO closed it in 1975. Katherine LeVeque renovated it as a home for opera and touring Broadway, and CAPA bought it in 1989.
The seats
The Palace seats 2,695 across the main floor, boxes, loge, mezzanine and balcony. Look for chandeliers, a grand staircase and a hall of autographed photos on the way in.
CAPA notes that the lower boxes, loge, upper boxes, mezzanine and balcony are all reached by stairs, with no elevator. If stairs are hard for anyone in your group, buy on the main floor.
Getting there and parking
The Palace is at 34 West Broad Street, between High and Front Streets, right next to the LeVeque Tower.
- The Huntington Center Garage is one block south, the LeVeque Tower Garage is on North Front Street, and the Statehouse garage sits underneath Capitol Square.
- Downtown traffic can bunch up on weekend nights and during big events. Leave a little early.
- COTA buses run on High Street, a few steps from the door.
Before and after
You are in the middle of downtown. The Statehouse lawn is around the corner, and the Scioto riverfront is a short walk west. The Ohio Theatre, which CAPA runs alongside the Palace, is a couple of blocks away, the Southern Theatre is a few blocks south on Main Street, and the Davidson Theatre at the Riffe Center sits just down High Street.
Besides touring concerts, the Palace hosts the Columbus Symphony, the Jazz Arts Group, touring Broadway and CAPA's own presentations. Check our blues and jazz page for the next seated night downtown.