Ohio Theatre

With more than 100 performances each year, the Ohio Theatre is one of the state’s busiest performing arts facilities. It's lush interior, outstanding acoustics, and state-of-the-art stage facilities have made it a favorite of leading CAPA-presented performers such as Carole King, Julie Andrews, Yo-Yo Ma, Yanni, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Kenny G, Canadian Brass, Liza Minnelli, John Denver, the Boston Pops, Garrison Keillor, Lyle Lovett, Itzhak Perlman, and Dan Fogelberg. When Scottish-born architect, Thomas W. Lamb designed the Ohio Theatre, he envisioned “a palace for the average man.” It opened in 1928 as a Loew's movie house, complete with its own orchestra and theatre organ. In addition to movies, live performance shows touring the Loews circuit found a home on the Ohio stage. During the heyday of vaudeville, many top performers played the Ohio, including Milton Berle, Ray Bolger, Cab Calloway, Buddy Ebsen, Martha Raye, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Kate Smith, and a young emcee with a violin named Jack Benny.