Many a Clevelander loves and remembers the old Variety Theatre, one of Jefferson neighborhood’s premium entertainment venues.

During its heyday, the 1,900 seat Variety boasted hundreds of hit acts — stage, film, music, and even wrestling— before fizzling in the late 80s and later changing owners.

Today, the old theater still stands, but offers just a shadow of its former grandeur. With the help of the Friends of the Historical Variety Theatre and photographer Matt Lambros, here’s a peek inside the deteriorating building.

This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2014.

Alaina Nutile is the Web Editor who oversees all digital content and social media initiatives for Cleveland Scene Magazine and Detroit Metro Times. Before joining the staff in June 2013, she interned at Business Insider in New York City, and at La Hora in Quito, Ecuador. Alaina is a graduate of Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where she double majored in English and Spanish. Her interests include Japanese food, Breaking Bad, and career development advising.

4 replies on “15 Vintage Memories of Cleveland’s Variety Theatre”

  3. Yeah, it’s great that the building is still up, but it’s sad seeing it in that state of disrepair. So now it just sits and rots, waiting for someone to do what with it exactly?

  4. If they can raise the funds they could bring it back just like they did with the Capital Theater on W.117th and Lorain.

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