Friday, May 17, 2013

Palace Theater Columbus Ohio

 The Place Theater in Columbus Ohio is a beautiful beautiful old theater.  Any time you have the chance to see a performance here it's a special night.  Do treat yourself and go, you'll not be sorry.  Theaters used to be far more then a building to watch a movie, or hear a concert, they  themselves were beautiful works of art.  You're limited in what you can take pictures of, though I saw some people ignoring the signs that asked that you not photograph in certain areas and certainly NOT during a performance, there are always those rude people who feel they mean everyone but them.  This is the main entrance and where will call is.  Look at the marble, the intricate carvings and details.  Do click to enlarge.
 One of the many elaborate chandeliers. 
 We were seated on the main floor, to the left is the stage, across and up the special boxes, and to the right you can see the edge of the balcony.  The balcony is actually my favorite place to sit, but when we got our tickets as part of a fundraiser, we didn't know where they would be; as we didn't get to select them.
 A terrible attempt, once again (we really ought to give up, lol), at self portraits hubby and me.  We keep wondering how the kids always pull it off.  I was leaning back in an attempt to get in the picture, not a good look.
Here you can some better detail of the special boxes that were above and to our left as well as those across.  Gorgeous.  Someday perhaps we'll pay the big buck and get tickets there...maybe.

We enjoyed The Tenors, previously known as The Canadian Tenors.  They were fabulous!

The theater opened back in 1926, and was primarily used for Vaudeville Acts of the day.  Because Vaudeville performers needed to be heard, the acoustics were truly focused on in the theaters design.  Many great performers have taken the stage here like: Bing Crosby, Nat "King" Cole, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Jackie Gleason, Gypsy Rose Lee, Glenn Miller, Mae West, and Jack Benny to name a few.

The Palace Theater holds some interesting history.  Back in the 30's, 40's and 50's, many traveling acts stayed for several days or a week at a time.  The back stage area of the theater, was in fact like a hotel for the performances.  They had their rooms, a front desk to pick up their keys, a play area for the performers children, and even a pet bath below the stage with a ramp.  The rooms were titled for the various cities along the vaudeville tour.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

8 comments:

  1. I enjoyed this! I went to Columbus once, but all I really remember is that it was June and too cold to swim and that I went to a laser light show w/ my great grandparents for the 4th of July. (I was 7).

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  2. What a gorgeous place! Your blog is so fun...I never know where you're going to 'turn up' :-)

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  3. Another fun and informative post, Sandy. My mom finished her last two years of high school in Columbus, and we lived there in the early 50s. Don't know for sure if I ever went to the Palace, but it's possible. Thank you. xoA

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  4. Congratulations on completing the A-Z Challenge! Just stopping by to say hello from the 2013 Post A-Z Road Trip!
    Thoughts Of Beauty In The Stillness Of Dawn...

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  5. I have fond memories of time spent at the Palace Theater when I lived in Columbus. It is a treasure!

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  6. Hubby and I used to go watch the laser light shows too, there were fun. And right your are about being to cold to swim. Pools open this wkend, and we don't have a window in the house even opened, Beth.

    Nice to see you again godhasnoproblems, funny how many connections we have Annis. Which high school did you Mom attend?

    Hi Andy, thanks for popping in. How long ago did you live here in Columbus Kim?

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  7. Looks super, in a lovely traditional way. appears to have a big, special night out feel that minimalist modern theatres will never understand. I suppose different horses for different courses. I adore the chandeliers, classy place. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  8. So beautiful! I love live performances, especially when they take place in an old venue like this. The architecture is so incredible. I've seen people get kicked out of shows for taking photos; that would make people listen!

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