State Theatre (Cleveland) facts for kids
Main chandelier in the State Theatre
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| Address | 1519 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio  United States |
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| Owner | Playhouse Square Center |
| Capacity | 3,200 |
| Current use | Performing arts center |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1921 |
| Rebuilt | 1984 |
| Architect | Thomas W. Lamb |
The KeyBank State Theatre is a famous theater located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of several theaters that make up Playhouse Square, a large performing arts center. A well-known architect named Thomas W. Lamb designed this beautiful building. It first opened its doors in 1921.
Contents
A Look Back at the State Theatre's History
How the Theater Was Built
The theater was originally known as Loew's State Theatre. It was built in a style called Italian Renaissance. This means it looked like grand buildings from old Italy. When it opened on February 5, 1921, it could hold 3,400 people.
The theater was designed to show both vaudeville acts and movies. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts, like singers, dancers, and comedians.
The World's Longest Lobby
The State Theatre has a very special feature: a super long lobby! It stretches for 320 feet (about 98 meters). This was the longest lobby in the world for a single theater. It was built this way because the theater's main sign, called a marquee, needed to be seen from Euclid Avenue.
Inside this long lobby, there are four huge murals painted by James Daugherty. These murals are called The Spirit of Pageantry—Africa, The Spirit of Drama—Europe, The Spirit of Cinema—America, and The Spirit of Fantasy—Asia. They add to the theater's grand look.
Saving the State Theatre
In 1967, the theater was changed to show special movies using a system called Cinerama. However, the theater faced money problems and closed in February 1969. Many other theaters in Playhouse Square also closed around that time.
In 1970, a picture of one of the lobby murals, The Spirit of Cinema America, was featured in Life magazine. This inspired people to create the Playhouse Square Association. This group worked hard to save the theaters.
In 1972 and again in 1977, there were plans to tear down the State and Ohio Theatres to build a parking lot. But people spoke up and protested, and the theaters were saved!
A New Beginning
In 1973, a new group called the Playhouse Square Foundation took over the management of the State, Ohio, and Palace Theatres. Later, in 1977, Cuyahoga County bought the Loew's Building, which included the State Theatre.
Also in 1973, a musical show called Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris started playing in the State Theatre's lobby. It was supposed to run for only three weeks, but it was so popular that it played for two years! This made it the longest-running show in Cleveland's history.
In 1978, the State Theatre became part of the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical building.
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Restoration and Reopening
Work to restore the theater began in 1979. It was a big project that finished in the summer of 1984. A new stage area was added, costing $7 million.
The State Theatre reopened on June 4, 1984. It became the home for the Cleveland Ballet and Cleveland Opera. After the restoration, the theater's seating capacity was changed to 3,200 people.
In 2017, the theater was renamed the KeyBank State Theatre. This was to honor a large gift of $10 million given to Playhouse Square. Today, it continues to be a busy place for many exciting performances.
