Connor Palace
Connor Palace is a historic theater in Cleveland, Ohio, and one of the principal venues in the Playhouse Square complex.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Connor Palace is a historic theater at 1615 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It forms part of Playhouse Square, one of the largest theater-restoration and performing-arts complexes in the United States. The venue is known by its present name as well as by several historical names, including Palace Theatre, B. F. Keith-Albee Palace Theatre, and RKO Palace. Its identity has therefore changed alongside the entertainment technologies and management structures that shaped American theater during the twentieth century. Construction began in the early 1920s as part of vaudeville impresario Edward F. Albee’s plan to make Playhouse Square the flagship district of the Keith-Albee Orpheum circuit. John Lorange and his partners had first assembled property along Euclid Avenue, envisioning a concentrated entertainment district that could reposition an area then regarded by some observers as commercially weak. Albee joined the undertaking and developed the Palace alongside the Allen Theatre, Ohio Theatre, and State Theatre. The Palace was the last of the four principal Playhouse Square theaters to be built and was reportedly the most expensive, with contemporary estimates placing construction costs between $2 million and $3.5 million. Designed by the Chicago firm Rapp and Rapp in a French Renaissance style, the theater was conceived as a highly elaborate entertainment environment rather than merely an auditorium. Its interior used marble, gold accents, paintings, chandeliers, decorative furnishings, and a large hand-woven carpet. Notable features included the Main Hall gallery, a large blue urn near the entrance, extensive backstage amenities, seven floors of dressing rooms, and a large stage. The building was also associated with a prominent rooftop electrical sign, an early predecessor to the illuminated Playhouse Square sign visible today. The Palace opened on November 6, 1922, with vaudeville performer Elsie Janis as the headline act. The opening was sold out and attracted prominent figures from the theater and motion-picture industries. During its first years, the venue presented twice-daily vaudeville and welcomed performers including Fanny Brice, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. George Burns and Gracie Allen were married on its stage in 1926. The theater also presented Black entertainers and minstrel shows, reflecting both the racial exclusions and the complex performance culture of the era. The rise of radio, cinema, and later television gradually altered the Palace’s business model. A movie screen was installed in 1925, and the theater showed silent films, talking pictures, Technicolor productions, and mixed programs combining film with live entertainment. In the 1930s it operated under the RKO name. Alcohol service was introduced after Prohibition ended, and the venue continued adapting its amenities to changing audience expectations. In 1956, management installed a Cinerama system, including a substantially larger screen, three projectors, and a new sound system. The conversion required the removal of approximately 1,800 seats, but the novelty did not prevent a longer-term decline in attendance. Suburbanization, television ownership, and the collapse of traditional vaudeville weakened Cleveland’s theater district after World War II. By the 1950s the Palace had ceased presenting live vaudeville as a regular attraction and had become primarily a movie theater. It closed on July 30, 1969, after an air-conditioning failure during a screening of 'Krakatoa, East of Java.' The closure occurred as Playhouse Square faced severe deterioration and possible demolition. A preservation campaign led by the Playhouse Square Association, with Ray Sheperdson as a central organizer, sought to save the theaters and restore the district. The group obtained nonprofit status in 1970, raised support from local organizations, secured temporary operating arrangements, and used cabaret performances to generate funds. In 1976, the preservation organization merged with the Playhouse Square Operating Company to form the Playhouse Square Foundation. The Palace and neighboring theaters were subsequently brought under coordinated management, and plans were developed to connect their lobbies into a unified complex. The theater’s survival transformed it from a threatened former movie palace into a continuing performing-arts venue within Cleveland’s revitalized theater district.
History
The venue originated in the early 1920s, when Edward F. Albee and local property developers sought to establish Playhouse Square as a major Midwestern entertainment center. The Palace was built as the fourth and final principal theater in the original complex. Its design by Rapp and Rapp combined French Renaissance styling with an unusually elaborate interior, including marble, artwork, chandeliers, decorated public spaces, extensive dressing rooms, and substantial backstage facilities. The theater was originally dedicated to Benjamin F. Keith, Albee’s former partner, and opened as the B. F. Keith-Albee Palace Theatre on November 6, 1922. Its first commercial era was dominated by vaudeville. The opening program featured Elsie Janis, and the theater soon became a major stop on the Keith-Albee circuit. The Palace presented twice-daily programs and hosted entertainers such as Fanny Brice, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. It also became associated with notable individual events, including the 1926 marriage of George Burns and Gracie Allen on its stage. The venue’s programming reflected the popular entertainment culture of the period, including both minstrel shows and appearances by African American performers. Cinema increasingly displaced live vaudeville. A screen was installed in 1925, and the theater later added sound equipment, showed one of Ohio’s early talking pictures, and incorporated Technicolor and other film innovations. During the 1930s it became known as an RKO theater. Film eventually became the main attraction, while live variety acts declined. In 1956, RKO installed Cinerama equipment, requiring three projectors, upgraded sound, and the removal of roughly 1,800 seats. The installation generated initial public interest but did not reverse the effects of television, suburban migration, and changing leisure habits. By the late 1960s the Playhouse Square district was in poor condition. The Palace closed on July 30, 1969, after an air-conditioning breakdown during a film showing. Demolition and conversion to parking were subsequently contemplated. Preservationists organized through the Playhouse Square Association, led in important respects by Ray Sheperdson, and worked with civic groups, local donors, and legal advocates to prevent the theaters’ destruction. The organization obtained nonprofit status in 1970, raised seed money, secured a temporary lease, and used cabaret events to support the rescue effort. In 1976, it merged with the Playhouse Square Operating Company to create the Playhouse Square Foundation. By 1977, permanent leases for several of the principal theaters, including the Palace, had been obtained under unified management. The rescue campaign laid the foundation for the venue’s continued life as a performing-arts theater and for the broader restoration of Playhouse Square.
- 1977
Permanent leases secured
[1]The preservation organization obtained permanent leases for several principal theaters, including the Palace, bringing them under coordinated management.
- 1976
Playhouse Square Foundation formed
[1]The Playhouse Square Association merged with the Playhouse Square Operating Company to create the Playhouse Square Foundation.
- 1970
Preservation organization gains nonprofit status
[1]The Playhouse Square Association formalized its preservation campaign as a nonprofit organization.
- 1969
Theater closes
[1]The Palace closed on July 30 after an air-conditioning failure during a film screening.
- 1956
Cinerama conversion
[1]A three-projector Cinerama system and upgraded sound equipment were installed, requiring substantial seat removal.
- 1930
RKO-era operation
[1]The venue operated under the RKO theater identity as film became increasingly central to its business.
- 1926
Talking-picture technology introduced
[1]Speakers were installed, allowing the theater to present an early talking movie in Ohio.
- 1925
Motion pictures added
[1]A movie screen was installed as cinema began to supplement the venue’s vaudeville programming.
- 1922
Palace Theatre opens
[1]The theater opened on November 6 with Elsie Janis headlining a sold-out vaudeville program.
Products and positioning
A historic Cleveland performing-arts venue positioned around architectural heritage, large-scale theater production, and its role within the Playhouse Square district.
Performing-arts venue · 1922
Connor Palace theater
The principal venue itself is a historic theater auditorium and production facility in Playhouse Square. It was originally designed for large-scale vaudeville and later adapted for film, Cinerama, cabaret, and theatrical programming. Its architectural identity includes French Renaissance decoration, marble and gold detailing, historic artwork, chandeliers, a large stage, and extensive dressing-room and backstage spaces.
Live entertainment · 1922
Vaudeville programming
During its early decades, the Palace served as a major Keith-Albee circuit venue for twice-daily vaudeville. Programs combined comedians, singers, variety performers, musical acts, and specialty attractions. This programming established the theater’s original commercial identity and brought nationally recognized performers to Cleveland.
Cinema · 1925
Motion-picture programming
Beginning in 1925, the venue added films to its schedule and subsequently showed silent pictures, talking movies, Technicolor productions, and RKO releases. Cinema gradually replaced vaudeville as the principal draw, culminating in the installation of a Cinerama system in the 1950s.
Marketing campaigns
- 1970Playhouse Square preservation campaign
Cleveland, Ohio
The Playhouse Square Association organized a civic preservation effort to prevent the Palace and neighboring theaters from being demolished or converted to non-theatrical use. Ray Sheperdson and local supporters raised funds, secured nonprofit status, and developed interim uses for the threatened venues.
Outcome. The campaign helped preserve the Palace, supported temporary performances and fundraising events, and eventually contributed to unified management through the Playhouse Square Foundation.
Brand decisions
1976
Merge preservation and operating organizationsM&ABackground
Saving the Palace and the other Playhouse Square theaters required a more durable institutional and operating structure.
Action taken
The Playhouse Square Association merged with Playhouse Square Operating Company to form the Playhouse Square Foundation.
Aftermath
The new foundation provided a framework for coordinated restoration, leasing, and management of the theater complex.
1956
Install CineramaGeneration changeBackground
Widescreen cinema technologies were being promoted as a way to compete with television and renew interest in movie theaters.
Action taken
RKO management installed a Cinerama screen, three-projector system, and updated sound equipment, removing approximately 1,800 seats to accommodate the installation.
Aftermath
The opening attracted large crowds, but attendance declined again during the late 1950s and 1960s.
1925
Add motion pictures to vaudeville programmingStrategyBackground
Growing public interest in cinema and radio placed pressure on a theater originally built around live vaudeville.
Action taken
Management installed a movie screen and began presenting films alongside live attractions.
Aftermath
Film gradually became the venue’s primary commercial attraction as vaudeville declined.
Sources1 sources
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