The stage lights were heating up as B.F. Keith and Edward Albee’s legendary vaudeville chain opened a new theater in Cleveland. The grand, ornate structure was named the B.F. Keith Palace Theater, after Albee’s business partner, who had died in 1914. Thousands flocked to see the opening night headliner: singer and entertainer Elsie Janis from Marion, Ohio, who’d made a name for herself as the “sweetheart of the American Expeditionary Force” during World War I. Since then, the Playhouse Square theater has been restored. Now called the Connor Palace, it still hosts numerous shows, including Broadway hit The Band’s Visit, onstage Nov. 5-24.
Start your day the best way by signing up for our free daily newsletter. Arriving in your inbox every morning to keep you in the loop on the best guides, home and style tips, and news briefs for all things Cleveland. Click here to subscribe.
