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Ohio Theatre
The Ohio Theatre was originally named the Loew's and United Artists Ohio Theater, and cost about $865,000. It first opened in March 1928 as a movie house and was built for Marcus Loew. The theater was designed by Thomas Lamb and decorated and furnished by Anne Dornan who spent over $1,000,000 in decorations. Inside, the design has been described as lavish Spanish-Baroque. Lamb is also known for having designed the original Madison Square Garden, New York's Ziegfeld Theatre and here in Columbus, the RKO Palace Theatre in the Leveque Tower.
Loew sent Dornan around the world, selecting art and furnishings for the theater. She even went on Safari to obtain authentic decorations for the "African Corner" in the lower lounge.
The first show on March 17, 1928 began with an orchestral performance followed by a newsreel followed by a live revue, and finally the feature film, Divine Women starring Greta Garbo and Lars Hanson.
The grand chandelier is supported by a steel bar through the ceiling support beams. Every 2 years, the chandelier is lowered for a thorough cleaning and light bulb change (which takes 2 hours to bring down and requires 7 people to operate the crank).
The plaster ceiling is suspended from the roof by cables and the side panels are 23-carat gilded shells. The entire ceiling, chandelier and stained glass panels can be lit in several colors.
The magnificent Morton Theater organ was installed in 1928 for $21,000. The organ is equipped with a number of sound effects made by bells, cymbals, drums, whistles and marbles (to make the sound of waves). The pipes and sound effects for the organ are located behind the large gold drapes on either side of the stage.
Major Renovation
Facing certain destruction, a group of concerned citizens rallied to save the Loew's Ohio Theater from the wrecking ball in the late 1960s. On March 2, 1969 just months from scheduled demolition, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra performed at an open rehearsal to a packed hall inside the theater. This performance proved to any sceptic that the theater was able to draw a big crowd, and that the theater was outstanding for live performance. In fact, the acoustics were excellent, even better than most modern music venues at the time.
The group of concerned citizens formed the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA). Their goal: save the Loew's Theater and turn it into a high quality performance hall. They were successful and CAPA was able to later buy the property for just $2 million-- a real bargain.
Then the real work began: restoring the hall to its original splendor. With decades of wear and lack of documentation it was difficult to tell what the original color scheme was until a plaque in the lobby was removed revealing the original color pallette. The stage, backstage area and orchestra pit were all inadequate for modern performances and were re-designed. They even found a textile mill willing to reproduce the elaborate carpet patterns of the original carpeting.
The official reopening concert took place in October 1970, with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra playing Beethoven's Consecration of the House, with maestro Evan Whallon at the podium.
The stage was enlarged in 1984 to double its original depth, and the entire stage floor was resurfaced in fir and maple. The main curtain at the Ohio Theatre weighs 700 pounds. Originally the Loew's Theater seated 3,079 guests. However, during a recent major renovation, the main floor and loge seats were replaced with more comfortable, wider seats, reducing the seating to 2,897. Also added at the time was the $16.5 million John W. Galbreath Pavilion.
Ohio Theatre's lush interior, excellent acoustics, and state-of-the-art stage facilities have made it a favorite of leading performers including Carole King, Julie Andrews, Yo-Yo Ma, Yanni, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Kenny G. Canadian Brass, Liza Minnelli, John Denver, Kodo Drummers of Japan, the Boston Pops, Garrison Keillor, Lyle Lovett, Itzhak Perlman, and Dan Fogelberg.
The Ohio Theatre Gift Shop
Staffed by volunteers from both the CAPA Colleagues and the Opera Columbus Opera Guild, the Theatre Shop features arts and entertainment-related items including collectible, signed German Nutcrackers and opera glasses. The Theatre Shop has a wonderful collection of classic film and theatre posters, cards and unique OSU items The Shop is also known for its beautiful jewelry selection.
The Shop is open Tuesday - Friday from 11 AM until 4 PM. It is also open before, during and after any performance at the Ohio Theatre. All proceeds benefit CAPA and the Opera/Columbus.
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