Ohio Theatre - Columbus Tickets and Seating
The Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State Street, is a converted 1929 movie house, rescued from demolition in 1969 by the non-profit group Columbus Association for the Performing Arts. The group produced live entertainment at the venue in order to raise funds to stave off the destruction. The success of those live performances both saved the building and convinced the community theater could have life in Columbus after all.
With the interior restored to its original allure, plays and musicals thrived in the 1970s. The Ohio Theatre grew as the adjacent Grand Theatre became a parking lot and a small office building next door became the lobby and additional rehearsal space.
This venue should be a symbol of hope for theater around the country because it was one of the first of the old movie houses from the first half of the century to be converted into a place for live theater. For this role it is a National Historic Landmark, according to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Ohio Theatre serves a number of roles in the 21st century, playing home to BalletMet, Opera Columbus, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the CAPA Summer Movie Series, and the Broadway Series, bringing productions like Wicked the Musical to the state capital of Ohio.