Columbus Palace Theatre

Current Name of Theater: Palace Theatre
Current Type: performance theater
Seats: 2,827
Website: www.capa.com
Historic Names of Theater: Keith-Albee Palace, The Palace Theatre, RKO (Radio Keith Orpheum) Palace
Address: 34 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 469-9850
Year Built/Style: 1926
Original Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
Original Cost:
Listed on National Register:
History of Theater: The Palace Theatre was designed by Thomas W. Lamb in his signature “Adam” style, reminiscent of the 18th century neo-classical work of the Scottish architects James and Robert Adam. Originally named Keith-Albee Theatre, its construction was personally supervised by the vaudeville mogul Edward Albee of the Keith-Albee circuit. It opened in 1926 as the Keith-Albee Palace and featured live vaudeville along with silent feature films, an orchestra and Miss Buckeye, a wonderful Style 260 3/16 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ.
The dressing room tower in the backstage area was designed as a small hotel, complete with a “front desk,” where performers picked up their room keys and mail. Kitchen facilities and a children’s playroom were available. The dressing rooms are named after cities on the vaudeville touring routes. The under stage room includes an animal shower and small sanitary stable, along with a ramp built for hoofed animals to help facilitate their transport to and from the stage during the Vaudeville era.
In 1929, the Palace was renamed the RKO (Radio Keith Orpheum) Palace. While the insurance company behind the Citadel complex went bankrupt in the early 1930s, their financial mismanagement did not affect the day to day operations of the RKO Palace Theater.
The theater was closed as a movie theater by RKO in 1975.
Cost of Rehabilitation:
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Renovation Story:
The theater was later renovated and preserved by owner Katherine LeVeque as a home for Opera Columbus and touring Broadway shows. In 1989, the Palace Theatre was purchased by the non-profit theater management company CAPA, which consolidated its administrative functions with those of the Ohio Theatre. The Palace now hosts performances by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Jazz Arts Group, the Broadway Series, and scores of CAPA-sponsored shows.
The Palace’s Wurlitzer organ was removed in the 1960s by the Central Ohio Theatre Organ Society and is now installed at Thomas Worthington High School in Worthington, Ohio.