Posted April 6, 201411 yr Playhouse Square tours that take place once per month. 4 of the 5 are toured (State, Ohio, Palace, and Allen), the Hanna is not on the tour. sometimes you see less on a particular month than another because if there are shows in a theater then the stages/backstages etc are usually restricted. I went the first Sat. in March, and today's tour. The cameras i used dont really do these theaters justice, and I am not usually a caption writer but decided to do this anyway. Here are PHS interiors, elements of which will soon be outside...and, yes, a part of the Hipp lives on State Theater entrance off Euclid Ave. (Largest of the 5 vaudeville theaters at PHS) through the next set of doors through the next set, all of this makes for what is the longest theatre lobby in the world Inside this Lobby is where it all started Inside this portion there are the 3 chandeliers and murals by James Daugherty Inside the "house" of the State the magificent dome w chandelier On the State's stage The State's stage is HUGE Anyone thats been on this tour can attest to all the narrow serpentine hallways and tiny staircases that ar underneath and above. They connect these 4 theaters fronting Euclid Ave, or lead to dressing rooms, etc We end up on the Palace stage On March's tour, an organist was on the Palace stage to add to the 1920s feel Out at the Euclid Ave entrance of the Palace, this foyer contains the old ticket boxes Our tour guide in March, he did an awesome job What was once the men's parlor/restroom (Palace). men played cards, billiards etc Original phone booths in the mens parlor (now storage) Moving out to the unbelievable Lobby and mezzanine of the Palace. The K is for Keith (B.F. Keith) and are found occasionally throughout. In this lobby, the chandeliers are not original and only 3 pieces of original art remain. there were massive amounts of paintings on the walls, but the original chandeliers and art were sold in anticipation of demolition. Thats actually the case with much of these PHS theaters. Any replacemnts are of the era though. on the mezzanine of the Lobby the famous urn, an original piece In the house of the palace over to the Ohio...through some more hallways, the underbelly sections again Through the window, the Hermit Club is visible Up to the house of the Ohio The chandelier in the dome of the Ohio is 1 from a pair that used to hang in The Hippodrome. The other is in the Palace down in Columbus Destroyed by both fire and water in the past, the Ohio Lobby is only a shell of its fromer self. It seems like it could be dressed up a little but has never been. on the way to the Allen (and Second Stage and Lab Theatre) is the Bulkley Building arcade onto the Allen and its substages Hidden elements of the Allen's original theater, covered up just with screens and glass so that the original could be revealed easily. On the stage at the Allen, looking out to the house out to the 1920s Lobby / rotunda Out the Allen's foyer doors to Euclid Ave. Neat tour of treasures that were almost all lost
April 6, 201411 yr I did the tour in March too with the last group of the day. So thankful that Playhouse Square puts these on. It was a great way to learn about the neighborhood and I suggest it to anyone who hasn't gone. Thanks for sharing!
April 6, 201411 yr Great photos! Cleveland is incredibly lucky to have an asset like Playhouse Square. Such beautiful theaters. “To an Ohio resident - wherever he lives - some other part of his state seems unreal.”
April 6, 201411 yr Awesome photos. Reminds me how long it's been since I've been inside the PHS theaters. Crazy how close these things came to demo. Shame on that generation.
April 6, 201411 yr Is there ever a time when all five of the theaters play something all at once? I mean, if Wicked comes to Cleveland, how do they decide between all five theaters? Those are some gorgeous interiors. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 6, 201411 yr Is there ever a time when all five of the theaters play something all at once? I mean, if Wicked comes to Cleveland, how do they decide between all five theaters? Those are some gorgeous interiors. From a technical standpoint a show the size of Wicked would not fit in all of them.
April 6, 201411 yr Is there ever a time when all five of the theaters play something all at once? I mean, if Wicked comes to Cleveland, how do they decide between all five theaters? Those are some gorgeous interiors. They choose depending on the number of tickets they expect to sell, the stage dimensions needed for costumes/set pieces, amount of fly space needed, possible stage configurations, available pit space (if there's an orchestra), etc. Shows with many large set pieces (i.e. Wicked) will usually have to go in the State theater because it offers the largest stage and the most fly space. Broadway shows will choose between the state or the palace usually because they can expect to fill 2,800-3,400 seats a night. It's all about the right fit and the economics.
April 6, 201411 yr Fantastic photos, thanks for posting! I remember when 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' came to Cleveland, they had to switch the show from the Palace to the State because the costumes wouldn't fit through the backstage of the Palace. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
April 7, 201411 yr Very nice set Clueless. ... What an awesome asset we have in our PHS theatres. I must make it a point to take this tour.
April 7, 201411 yr I saw wicked at the State Theatre in January. It was truly awesome, I love that venue. I noticed the state was looking a little rough around the edges, any immediate plans to fix it up?
April 7, 201411 yr Is there ever a time when all five of the theaters play something all at once? I mean, if Wicked comes to Cleveland, how do they decide between all five theaters? Those are some gorgeous interiors. They choose depending on the number of tickets they expect to sell, the stage dimensions needed for costumes/set pieces, amount of fly space needed, possible stage configurations, available pit space (if there's an orchestra), etc. Shows with many large set pieces (i.e. Wicked) will usually have to go in the State theater because it offers the largest stage and the most fly space. Broadway shows will choose between the state or the palace usually because they can expect to fill 2,800-3,400 seats a night. It's all about the right fit and the economics. That makes sense. Thanks! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 7, 201411 yr A great photo set! Thank you. I am proud to say my late father was a grant-writer for Ray Shepherdson when things were just getting started more than 40 years ago. Certainty was far from assured back then. My father was always an arts/culture aficionado and a strong supporter of Cleveland. He's the reason why I am and remain a staunch defender and advocate for this city. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 7, 201411 yr Some really fantastic interiors! These theaters are a wonderful asset for Cleveland, but I was curious about their use as well. It seems like the Ohio cities tend to get one 'Broadway Across America" show at a time, so are the theaters generally only used one at a time? It looks like these spaces would be too large for some of the regional companies. Wouldn't it be fantastic if there could be a little 'Broadway' district in Ohio, where each theater had a show going every night. Sadly, without the population and tourism base of NYC or London, it makes that kind of scenario difficult.
April 8, 201411 yr ^I think you're underestimating how much the Playhouse Square theaters are already used, especially on the weekends. This Saturday, for example, there are nine different events scheduled, occupying four of the five large venues, and two of the smaller spaces: http://www.playhousesquare.org/events-tickets/event-calendar It's true there is generally only one Broadway show at a time, but that series is just one of many tenants. Also, two of the large venues have been substantially reconfigured (with a delicate touch) to accommodate the city's two main professional theater companies. Among other things, the reconfiguration reduced seating capacity to better fit the legitimate theater crowds.
April 8, 201411 yr Thanks for sharing - great pics!!! I went on a tour several years ago, but it appears you got to see much more than my group. I've always loved the Reinberger Rotunda.
April 9, 201411 yr Thanks for the photos. It is really incredible what has happened at Playhouse Square. Abandoned theaters decaying on the verge of demolition all restored and now composing the second largest theater district in the country. Beyond the cultural asset, the job creation and impact on Downtown Cleveland are remarkable. The real estate arm now owns and has renovated many of the buildings surrounding the theaters themselves, and may soon facilitate residential development next to the Hanna Building. Euclid and 14th/Huron could look drastically different today is Shepherdson did not have the balls to try to do the impossible. I'm glad that crazy guy was there.
April 9, 201411 yr ^I think you're underestimating how much the Playhouse Square theaters are already used, especially on the weekends. This Saturday, for example, there are nine different events scheduled, occupying four of the five large venues, and two of the smaller spaces: http://www.playhousesquare.org/events-tickets/event-calendar It's true there is generally only one Broadway show at a time, but that series is just one of many tenants. Also, two of the large venues have been substantially reconfigured (with a delicate touch) to accommodate the city's two main professional theater companies. Among other things, the reconfiguration reduced seating capacity to better fit the legitimate theater crowds. I wasn't underestimating, I honestly had no idea how the theaters were used. Good to see that they are used pretty often, and with multiple theaters in use simultaneously. How is the area around Playhouse Square? One would expect that area to be pretty active and vibrant because of the amount of people coming for the theatre.
April 9, 201411 yr Thanks for the photos. It is really incredible what has happened at Playhouse Square. Abandoned theaters decaying on the verge of demolition all restored and now composing the second largest theater district in the country. Beyond the cultural asset, the job creation and impact on Downtown Cleveland are remarkable. The real estate arm now owns and has renovated many of the buildings surrounding the theaters themselves, and may soon facilitate residential development next to the Hanna Building. Euclid and 14th/Huron could look drastically different today is Shepherdson did not have the balls to try to do the impossible. I'm glad that crazy guy was there. Ooops! My bad -- my father worked for Ray Shepherdson, not Falco. Thanks for jogging my memory. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
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