[Stylo]

Anyone know anything about this theater?

It's been vacant for so long. It seems like a no-brainer in that prime location to renovate and use for concerts. Like the Palace in Waterbury.

The Shubert has some bands but is not really set up for it and their focus is musicals. From what I understand, the Palace was a movie theater at one point and then became a performing arts stage and shut down a while ago when downtown wasn't doing so well?

New Haven could definitely accomodate more national touring music. It just doesn't have a world class stage/space. Toad's is a bit of a dive and not big enough, the Shubert is mostly musicals. Seems like a good opportunity.

All I could find via Google was this little excerpt from the New Haven Wikipedia page:

The shuttered Palace Theatre (oppostite the Shubert Theater) was rumored to being re-opened in 2008, but new development there is on hold.

Anyone know who owns it?

[RogerAnthony]

The Palace was formerly a movie theatre known as the Roger Sherman Theatre. I think there is just not enough of a market for it to reopen right across the street from the Shubert. Yes, the Palace in Waterbury holds concerts, but it also hosts many musical and other shows just as the Shubert does. The New Haven Palace and the Shubert would have to compete against each other which would not be sustainable.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

The Palace was formerly a movie theatre known as the Roger Sherman Theatre. I think there is just not enough of a market for it to reopen right across the street from the Shubert. Yes, the Palace in Waterbury holds concerts, but it also hosts many musical and other shows just as the Shubert does. The New Haven Palace and the Shubert would have to compete against each other which would not be sustainable.

Theaters don't really geographically compete on a hyper local level since they're destinations where you buy a ticket to see a specific show and then travel to fulfill it. It's not like putting shops or restaurants next to each other where you have to worry about walking traffic.

The Palace in Waterbury lacks in something that New haven has in spades: the younger demographic. Right now the Shubert mainly serves families and an older crowd. A theater with younger/hipper marketing (think Hammerstein Ballroom, Beacon Theater, or any of the Bowery Presents theaters, etc in NYC) that draws national touring bands could seriously pull from the immense college-aged, twenty and thirtysomething population in a 30 mile radius.

[smarcus]

I agree it would be ideal to be concert hall once again.
Agreed, that New Haven is more and more a magnet for 20 and 30 somethings and would have more to draw from then it did during it's last incarnation.

Probably with that 2008 rumor was when New Haven Independent was reporting that workers were in there doing early stage clearing pre-renovation and the word was that Toad's Place was going to be purchasing or running it. Obviously, whatever was going on fell through.

[smackfu]

The Klein Auditorium in Bridgeport is another example of this kind of theater:
Klein Memorial Auditorium | Home

I'm not sure what the story is there... It's a nice venue but the schedule is extremely sparse, maybe 2-3 shows a month, and mostly aimed at an older audience. I saw Ben Folds there and it was quite nice but nothing else on the schedule interested me in the slightest.

As far as the Palace, it does seem like there is space for a larger venue in New Haven. Toad's Place maxes out at around 750 people, while Webster Theater in Hartford is 1200.

[smackfu]

Coincidentally, just saw this story:
Shubert Sparkles While Neighbor Stays Dark | New Haven Independent

The occasion was an aldermanic briefing Monday night on and about New Haven’s venerable Shubert stage. James had another theater on her mind: The old Palace, directly across College Street. It’s been closed for years. James wanted to know the latest on the building.

John Fisher, the Shubert’s executive director, said his outfit had looked into buying the Palace several years ago, but it didn’t work out. Then the pipes burst in the Palace, mold has taken over, and rehabbing the space would now require over $20 million. That doesn’t mean the Shubert won’t try to take the project on in the future, Fisher said. It’s just a matter of money and timing.

Does not look positive.

[Stylo]

Wow. That's a shame. Neglected for sure. I still think a good theater holding company like The Bowery Presents could rehab it and do it right.