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Palace Theater
Designed in the spirit of France’s Palais de Versailles, the 2,827-seat Palace Theatre is located at the base of the LeVeque Tower on Broad Street. Adorned with a chandelier, grand staircase, a mural, a hall of autographed pictures, and a fountain, the Palace is a delightful destination for an evening of the arts. Originally a vaudeville house, special attention was paid to the theatre’s acoustics when it was built-consequently, there’s not a bad seat in the house!
During the '30s, '40s, and '50s, the Palace Theatre was the most active live show theatre in Columbus. Still a popular venue today, the theatre rarely has a dark night. Among the many events showcased are CAPA concerts, performances of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Columbus Series, special events, and several local community events and shows.
Since shows were usually in town for days and sometimes weeks, the backstage area was designed with the actors’ traveling needs in mind. The dressing room tower was organized like a small hotel complete with a "front desk," where performers picked up their room keys and mail. There were also kitchen facilities and a designated children's playroom for touring performers. Dressing rooms are all named after cities on the vaudeville touring routes and they still bear those names today. In designing the theater, animals were also considered: below stage, a porcelain animal bath was installed. There is also a ramp leading to the stage, as many animals will go up stairs, but not down.
See also these other Columbus Theatres: