Cleveland Theater District

Cleveland Theater District
District

Playhouse Square

The Cleveland Theater District, [1][2][3][4] is the center of Cleveland's theater scene.[5] It includes Playhouse Square, which comprises ten performance spaces, five of which were built 1921-22.[2][6] Playhouse Square is the home of the KeyBank Broadway Series and five resident companies. The performing arts center also presents concerts, comedy shows, fine arts productions and youth theater performances.

The district suffered a downturn in the 1960s, followed by a restoration and a resurgence in the latter part of the century.[7] In 1996–97, it passed one million customers a year.[2] The Cleveland Theater District Development Corporation (CTDDC) - now Playhouse Square District Development Corporation (PDDC) - was created as a community development corporation to foster development in the theater district.[8][9] In April 2013, Playhouse Square unveiled plans for $16 million in improvements for the area's signage and lighting that would come to be known as "Dazzle the District."[10] The completion of Dazzle the District was celebrated on May 2, 2014.[11]

There is also a number of office buildings, hotels and businesses located within the district, contrary to popular belief it is not simply theatres. The main and 2nd tallest office building in the district is the 210 foot US Bank Centre [12] and the tallest and oldest office block in the district is the 272 foot Keith Building[13] which contains the Palace Theatre in the ground level of the tower. The Keith was for a short period the tallest building in the city when it was opened in 1922, but this title was taken over by the 365 foot AT&T Huron Road Building [14] in 1927, which was then also taken over by the completion of the 708 foot Terminal Tower in 1928.[15] So, within a decade the tallest building had not only changed name but changed district in the city from the Theatre (Keith) to the Gateway District (AT&T) to the Public Square (Terminal Tower).

In addition, the Theatre District is also the site of the Wyndham Hotel at Playhouse Square and the former locale of Sterling Lindner Davis and Halle Cleveland department stores. This section of the city is the home base for the BlueBridge Networks, which is a network database and cloud computing firm.[16] Blue Bridge is a direct reference to the Veteran's Memorial Bridge which is lit up with blue flood lights at night.

Wyndham Hotel at Playhouse Square

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Playhouse Square". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 John Vacha (2001). Showtime in Cleveland: The Rise of a Regional Theater Center. Kent State University Press. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ Carl Stimac, Nancy Loyan Schuemann (2008). Cleveland, Ohio: A Photographic Portrait. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ "450 jobs exit Halle Bldg for space on Superior", Stan Bullard, Crain's, January 23, 2006
  5. ↑ R. Wayne Ayers (2000). Cleveland and the Western Reserve in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "39 Steps, Kite Runner & More Part of Cleveland Play House's '10–11 Season". Cleveland.broadwayworld.com. March 9, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  7. ↑ William Everett (2004). The Musical: A Research and Information Guide. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  8. ↑ Mark S. Rosentraub (2009). Major League Winners: Using Sports and Cultural Centers as Tools for Economic Development. CRC Press. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  9. ↑ Mark A. Abramson, Ann M. Kieffaber (2003). New Ways of Doing Business. Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  10. ↑ Litt, Steven (April 2, 2013). "PlayhouseSquare aims for a bright lights, big city feel with $16 million in signage, digital displays and amenities". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  11. ↑ Simakis, Andrea (May 2, 2014). "Chandelierious! Dazzle the District Lights the Way to New Era for Playhouse Square". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  12. ↑ http://www.emporis.com/buildings/121722/us-bank-centre-at-playhouse-square-cleveland-oh-usa US Bank Centre at Playhouse Square Retrieved on 2015-08-26
  13. ↑ http://www.emporis.com/buildings/121732/keith-building-cleveland-oh-usa Emporis.comRetrieved on 2015-08-26
  14. ↑ http://structurae.net/structures/att-huron-road-building Structrae.net Retrieved on 2105-08-26 in
  15. ↑ http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/21#.Vd4EMJed6jg Cleveland Historical Retrieved on 2015-08-26
  16. ↑ http://www.bluebridgenetworks.com/ Welcome Retrieved on 2015-08-26
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Coordinates: 41°30′06″N 81°40′54″W / 41.50178°N 81.68172°W / 41.50178; -81.68172

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