If you are looking for live entertainment and theaters in Columbus, there are a bunch of top quality performance locations you can visit. With a growing performance art community, Columbus is a dynamic area for good and quite delightful live theater.

The Palace Theater

One of the greatest and classiest concert halls in Columbus, the Palace Theater is decorated in opulent grand hanging chandeliers and sweeping staircases. Built with the Palace of Versailles in mind , the Palace was one of the most active theaters in Columbus from the 1930s to the 1950s. It was bought and revived in the latter 1980s by the Columbus Organisation for the Performing Humanities (CAPA) organisation and returned to its original glory. Performances range from classic ballet to opera to community theater shows. Many well known performers appear at the Place, including Manhattan Transfer, David Sanborn, Les Ballet Africians and others.

Southern Theater

Considered the oldest theater in Columbus, the Southern Theater was built in 1896. This Columbus theater was planned to be used by touring melodramatic corporations and when films were introduced, played host to silent films, motion photographs, vaudeville performances and country music performances. In 1998, CAPA reopened the restored theater, which is regarded as one of the jewels of Ohio performing arts. Today, it is home to the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Music Columbus. Additionally, popular performances such as Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Simply Sinatra and Jonathon Pryce in the play, and The Caretaker continually appear at the Southern Theater.

Lincoln Theater

The Lincoln Theater first opened in 1928. One of the premier African-American concert halls in Columbus, it has played host to numerous jazz musicians and musical groups, in addition to African-American performing humanities and theater groups. Restored just latterly, the Lincoln Theater has three floors that hum with daily activity, starting from rehearsals, broadcasts, recordings and dance and musical performances. In addition, there's a ballroom that can be found for marriages and other events. The Lincoln Theater is presently home to the Alfred Dove Dance Studio, the Jazz Arts Group, the Columbus Children\’s Theater and lots of others.

Ohio Theater

Serving as both a theater and concert hall in Columbus, the Ohio Theater is thought of as one of the prettiest theaters in Columbus. Decorated in a Baroque Spanish style, it has a 21-foot candelabrum and shocking gilt gold and red decor. Originally opening in 1928, it served as a film house and its original designer intended it to be a \”palace for the everyday man\”. It flourished as a motion picture theater till the 1960s, when, like many grand theaters, it was lined up for demolition in 1969. Local subjects launched a campaign to save the Ohio Theater and were successful in turning it over to the newly-formed CAPA organisation.

Today, as part of the CAPA group of Columbus theaters, the Ohio Theater plays host to a wide range of top in-demand performers, including Yo-Yo Ma, the Boston Pops, Garrison Keillor, Itzhak Perlman, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Kodo Drummers of Japan, solely to name a couple. In addition, it is home to The Broadway Series, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and BalletMet.