Palace Theatre

The following article has some good interior photos and descriptions of the renovations:

http://www.twincities.com/2017/03/10/st-pauls-newly-renovated-palace-theatre-dazzles-on-opening-night/

The city of Saint Paul held an open house for the renovated theater today. The project went years longer than originally scheduled, and the final cost was $15.6 million — far more than anticipated. Mayor Chris Coleman ran into enormous resistance from the city council on this project, and he deserves credit for sticking to his guns. It’s a great intermediate live-music space. It’s bigger than venues like First Avenue, the Fitzgerald and the Cedar, and smaller than XCel Energy Center and similar arenas. Regina Spektor is the first act booked for the new space, and she’ll be there in March 2017. I’m very happy that this beautiful space has been restored.

This place is being revived as music venue: http://blog.thecurrent.org/2013/10/st-paul-plans-to-renovate-and-reopen-historic-palace-theater/

The photos referenced in TC’s 2005 link above appear to have been done right after the 1940s renovation. They are all dated 1943, and everything looks all freshened up. The good news is the original decor is almost completely intact – just a few minor art deco touches here and there (movie poster cases in the lobby, etc.)

The auditorium photo is intriguing – it looks like there are about 1,800 seats there (the description says 1,400 after the renovation). I can’t figure how the auditorium could have originally held 3,000 – unless there was a 2nd balcony that was completely removed during the renovation.

Bringing ANY theatre left in a downtown area would bring life back to these ares.

The intro says that this theater was remodeled in the 1940’s (auditorium and lobby) but there is no mention of the style or quality of the work. Would a renovation take the theater back to the way it was on opening day or from the 1940’s? I would assume it would be cheaper to get it back to the condition at it’s “modernization”.

I toured the Palace-Orpheum about a year ago. There is some talk in St. Paul of bringing it back to life. In the early 2000s, the new owners fixed up the lobby, where a play was present “Finan’s Wake” I believe. The auditorium remains locked up. But the new owner has put up and lit a flag with the name “Palace” bringing the house back to it’s beginings in 1916.
As always it’s a question of money. It’ll cost a few million just to bring it up to usable state. A full restoration would be a mim of $10 million I would think. The big question can St. Paul support another large theatre?

One of the greatest cinema experiences of my life ocurred here. During the early 1980’s this wonderful theater would show double features of classic films. I saw “Rebecca” and “Noth by Northwest ” there. What an amazing afternoon!!! I also saw a “Goldfinger”–“Thunderball” double feature at the Orpheum and a memorable “Vixen” “Supervixen” and “Beyond the Vally of the Ultravixens” triple feature!!!