Restoration and rebirth
Loew's closed the theater on February 24, 1969; the final film was Play Dirty, starring Michael Caine. A local development company called the 55 East State Company bought the property with plans to construct an office tower on the site of the Ohio and the adjacent Grand Theatre. Members of the community rallied to raise money to purchase an option to acquire the structure to gain time to raise additional funds and keep the theater open. Some of the non-essential interior items were sold to raise money to buy the property. Under the leadership of architect Robert Karlsberger and others, the non-profit Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) was formed to raise money and develop a plan for the future of the theater. All the while live performances were held inside to raise money and give the public a chance to see the theater in use.[6]
CAPA was able to use the groundswell of popular interest in the theater to convince business and government leaders to support saving the theater. In late 1969 money was raised to purchase the Ohio and it immediately began presenting shows and concerts under the management of CAPA. These concerts included rock musicians like The Grateful Dead,[7] Frank Zappa, and Alice Cooper.[8] The Columbus Symphony Orchestra badly needed a permanent home and began performing at the Ohio in the fall of 1969, enjoying an increase in ticket sales thanks to excitement about the new venue.
The building was completely restored to its original appearance in stages throughout the 1970s. The adjacent Grand Theatre was demolished and its lot was developed at first for parking. In 1984, the space was used to build an addition to the theater, the Galbreath Pavilion, named for real estate developer John W. Galbreath and his wife Dorothy. The pavilion expanded lobby space and added offices and rehearsal rooms. The stage was gradually modernized to allow for large theatrical performances by adding a crossover passage, supplemental dressing rooms and an expanded orchestra pit.[6] In the 1980s as the surrounding area was cleared for development of an urban shopping mall, CAPA obtained the rights to expand the stage, doubling its size, into the alleyway behind the theater. The theater has also added dressing rooms and a loading dock to allow the Ohio to present large touring Broadway musicals.
The Ohio Theatre was one of the earliest restorations of a movie palace for use as a performing arts center and served as a model for many later historic renovation projects in the United States. Unlike many remaining 1920s theaters designed by Lamb and others, the Ohio still very closely resembles its original appearance with few alterations. Today it is the home of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, BalletMet, the Broadway Series, Opera Columbus, and the CAPA Summer Movie Series.
