Opened in 1922, the Waterbury Place Theater has a glorious—and inglorious—history. Theatrical impresario Sylvester Poli hired period architect Thomas Lamb to build another in his string of movie palaces. Designed in what is described as a Renaissance Revival style, the Palace Theater featured an eclectic mix of Greek, Roman, Arabic and Federal motifs and boasted grand lobby spaces, and ornate dome ceilings, in a palatial setting fit for a king—but intended for the people of Waterbury.

In its heyday, stars of vaudeville, stage and screen made personal appearances.  The likes of Eddie Cantor, Rudolph Valentino, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, the Andrew Sisters, Tommy Dorsey and Tony Bennett  were some of the greats who performed in front of packed houses.  It became the Loew’s Poli  in a corporate merger with Loew’s, and was the premier movie house in a city that boasted small theaters in most neighborhoods.

In spite of this, Waterburians had a soft spot for the old theater.   Walking up the grand staircase with the crystal chandeliers glittering overhead was special.  Looking over the railing in the upper lobby to see the patrons in the seats below was a treat.  (And those patrons didn’t get pinged in the head with popcorn from mischievous kids only because the ushers were ever vigilant!)  The golden pipes of the faux organ and the gilded domes overhead were still extraordinary.  The double bill, with cartoons, newsreel and a ‘B’ movie followed by the main attraction filled the afternoon or evening.  Many locals over the age of 40 share these memories.  Downtown was still the bustling center of shopping, restaurants and professional offices.  Mr. Peanut strolled up and down East Main Street and the smell of roasting peanuts was irresistible.  Places to dine or grab a quick bite or a burger were close by.  And it was hardly possible to walk down the street without passing friends or neighbors.

By the 1970s, as the movie industry changed, the Poli began to broaden its presentations.  Before the big arenas opened, rock groups toured large venues like the Palace. Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Santana, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jerry Garcia, Genesis, Sha Na Na, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, Charlie Daniels Band, Aerosmith and ZZ Top and Queen with Freddie Mercury all played in,  by comparison to today’s  mega-arenas, an intimate venue. Queen actually first performed their Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time in North America in Waterbury, Ct., on the Palace Theater stage.  In an interesting pendulum swing, many of these same greats have returned or are returning to play the Grand Lady once more. Tony Bennett has the dual distinction of being both the last act to play the Palace stage before it closed at the end of this concert phase in 1987. He then was the artist who had the distinct privilege of being the first act to play in the acoustically near- perfect venue when it reopened in 2004, after undergoing a $30 million restoration. 

Pay-per-view screenings of boxing bouts and wrestling matches filled the seats as well during the ‘70s through the mid ‘80s, but as malls opened, multiplex cinemas opened in them and commerce began to leave the center city.  Owner Dom Temporale struggled valiantly to keep the theater open, but in 1987 he shut the doors.

There were many attempts to tear the building down, but Mr. Temporale refused, confident that he would find the means to refurbish and reopen.  It wasn’t until 1999 when then -Governor John Rowland, working with city leaders, decided to make the East Main Street corridor the lynchpin of downtown revival.  The meticulous restoration of the theater, the relocating of the University of Connecticut Waterbury branch to a brand-new campus on East Main Street across from the theater, and the building of an Arts Magnet School adjacent to the theater made this vision a reality. Steering the course of the theater through this entire period from the restoration phase to date has been CEO Frank Tavera.

In 2004, the sold-out theater reopened, with Mr. Bennett as the first performer, amid much fanfare.  As the patrons entered the polished and glittering lobby for the first time in 17 years, the chatter of older patrons reminiscing of their times in the theater mixed with the astonished comments of younger people who’d never seen anything this grand.  

The Waterbury Palace Theater is viewed as a jewel in the city.  Its successful presentations of professional touring Broadway shows, music and comedy legends, dance and opera performances and children’s shows draw thousands of people each year.  Education programming and community presentations continue to provide a showcase for local groups and deepen the relationship that its citizens have for this showplace.
The Palace Theater in Waterbury, Ct., is so much more than a place where entertainment is offered. It is also a majestic symbol of a city with a proud heritage that has invested in creating a future for all the citizenry where they can gather together for cultural, civic and educational purposes for generations to come.