By Elena Perantoni, Venue Rental Coordinator

One dreary Thursday afternoon a couple weeks ago, I decided to take break from a hectic day and sit in the balcony of the Ohio Theatre for a moment. But I wasn’t alone. I had forgotten about the tour scheduled for that afternoon—a tour that included a light show and demonstration of the original Robert Morton theatre organ. I was soon in awe of what I was seeing and hearing. I’ve scheduled such tours, but never had the opportunity to experience one myself.

I often take for granted that a gorgeous, 82-year-old historical landmark is 50 feet from where I sit every day. The more I work in theatre, and especially now with CAPA, I find that it’s not just the shows and the audiences that make live theatre so spectacular. The theatres themselves contribute quite a bit to the atmosphere and enjoyment of the performances we’re seeing.

Audiences of the CAPA Summer Movie Series get the opportunity to take advantage of three behind-the-scenes tours on Saturday, June 12, Saturday, June 26, and Saturday, July 10 at 4:30pm each day. These one-hour tours give insight into the rich history of the Ohio Theatre including its original construction and the massive campaign to “Save the Ohio” in 1969. Tour-goers will also be treated to the many magnificent sounds of the “Mighty Morton” theatre organ.

Tours are free, but reservations are necessary and space is limited to 100 guests per tour. Reservations can be made by visiting www.capasummermovies.com or by leaving a message at 614-719-6743. Please be sure to specify the tour date you prefer. Tours do involve stairs.

The coolest history lesson you’ll ever get followed by classic movie magic in the gorgeous Ohio Theatre is an unbeatable combination for a summer evening in downtown Columbus.

See you at the theatre!

By Rich Corsi, Director of Programming.

I woke up Wednesday morning not really knowing what the next couple of days would have in store for me.

We have an LA-based dance group called Diavolo in town for a performance this Friday, March 19. We added an education component to the booking, which means the group came in a couple of days early to visit some Columbus area schools and conduct Master Class activities.

Diavolo is also conducting a special student matinee performance on Friday morning, so all the students who participated in the Master Classes, along with an additional 1,000 students, will get to see the group in action. So not only do these kids get to meet and work with the dancers in a Master Class, but they also get to see them live on stage at the Palace Theatre.

Many, many hours go into putting something like this together, yet no matter how detailed the plan, there are still those nail-biter moments when you fear it won’t all come together. We had delayed flights and other flights which were almost missed. I woke up in the middle of the night wondering if I had told the school principals that we needed a sound tie-in for an iPod and a 6’ ladder.

But I can honestly say that no matter how much time invested in calls, texts, and emails or the number of nails chewed down to the nub, when you see the joy on the faces of these students who don’t get too many opportunities to participate in something like this, it’s all worth it. I have been involved with well over 1,000 shows in my 19 years with CAPA, and I must say, this week has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my career.

I’m really excited to see the buses pulling up to the Palace Theatre Friday morning and unloading 1,300 students. It will be the perfect ending to an extraordinary week.

Special thanks to Renee and the Diavolo dancers for making this such a great week for us! And as always, thanks to all of the school principals and teachers for such great cooperation and communication!

Until next time…

(Ed. Note: Click on the video below for a preview of Diavolo - appearing Friday, March 19, at the Palace Theatre!)