On November 6, 1922, the doors of the Connor Palace opened for the first time. Conceived as an opulent vaudeville theater, the Palace (as it was known then) quickly earned a reputation as one of the country’s finest theaters.
One hundred and four years later, audiences still walk beneath its crystal chandeliers, through its magnificent grand lobby, and into a theater that has welcomed generations of Clevelanders.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Connor Palace is not simply that it survived.
It is what that survival has made possible.
"The Connor Palace is a great example of what Cleveland can accomplish when people step forward to preserve something that matters. That’s what legacy is about: making sure the things we value today are still here for the generations that follow.” Chris Connor
The story of the Connor Palace is inseparable from the people who believed Playhouse Square’s historic theaters could have a future.
John F. Lewis was one of those people.
In 1977, John was among five Playhouse Square trustees who voted to create a performing arts center from the historic theaters. Three years later, he succeeded Oliver C. “Pudge” Henkel, Jr. as chair of the Playhouse Square Board of Trustees.
It was an uncertain time. The vision was ambitious, the challenges significant, and success was anything but guaranteed. Under John’s leadership, support began coming from major Cleveland institutions. He also helped professionalize the organization, bringing in fundraising consultant Kevin McMahon, who would go on to lead the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and Larry Wilker as Playhouse Square’s first president and CEO. Larry would go on to run The Kennedy Center.
Then came a defining test.
In 1981, Mayor George Voinovich challenged Playhouse Square to renovate the Mimi Ohio Theatre in time for Great Lakes Theater to move there the following summer. Despite an ironworkers’ strike only two months before opening, John helped shepherd the project to completion.
The momentum continued. The KeyBank State Theatre was renovated and reopened in 1984.
The improbable idea was becoming real.
Today, Playhouse Square is one of the world’s premier arts districts with 12 venues, eight resident companies, an annual calendar with more than 1200 performances and events, and more than one million guests each year.
John’s contribution remains important part of Playhouse Square’s institutional memory. Our highest honor is now the Henkel Lewis Award, named for John and Pudge, honoring individuals whose lifetime dedication has contributed to the performing arts.
From One Generation to the Next
Yet there is another side to legacy, one that cannot be captured by timelines, plaques, or historic milestones.
For Angus King Williams, John F. Lewis was simply “Grindaddy.”
And his wife Cathy is “Gramcy.”
Angus, a Cleveland-born composer, pianist, and performing artist, remembers sitting beside his grandmother at the piano while she played Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.” He was fascinated by the way her fingers moved across the keys. Cathy and his mother recognized that fascination and enrolled him in lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
“In many ways, Gramcy is the reason I stand here as a creative,” says Angus in a video he recorded for Playhouse Square.
His memories of his grandfather are equally personal. He remembers a man who could often be found smiling quietly at his family around the dinner table, which inspired the grandchildren’s affectionate nickname for him.
A Palace Filled with Memories
Some of Angus’ favorite childhood memories happened inside the Connor Palace.
On special occasions, the family would have dinner in the lobby. For the children, the grandeur of the space took a back seat to unlimited Shirley Temples and spirited “crab races” across the floor.
“I was with my family, and that’s what mattered the most,” he recalled.
It is a fitting memory for a theater built to be extraordinary but sustained because people have made it their own.
Coming Back to the Beginning
More than a century after the Connor Palace opened, Angus found himself creating a new chapter in the family's Playhouse Square story.
In 2025, after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics, he came to Playhouse Square as an intern in the Education Department.
Since then, his creative journey has continued, including performing at Playhouse Square in Sankofa: An Epic Adventure and contributing his music to organizations including Karamu House and Cleveland Public Theatre.
The child who once raced through the Connor Palace lobby had returned to Playhouse Square as an artist.
Adding to the Story
Perhaps that is what a 104th birthday really asks us to celebrate.
Not simply endurance, but continuity.
A theater survives because one generation cares enough to preserve it for the next. A cultural institution grows because people believe its value extends beyond its walls. A young artist discovers the piano because his grandmother sits beside him on the bench.
Angus describes his family as “living vessels” of the legacy his grandparents helped create. But he also offers an important reminder: legacy does not live solely in engraved names or beautiful buildings. It lives in the relationship between an institution and its community, and in what one generation makes possible for another.
At 104, the Connor Palace embodies that idea.
Its marble, chandeliers, and ornate details connect us to 1922. Its survival connects us to the Clevelanders who refused to give up on Playhouse Square. And every artist, guest, volunteer, and staff member who walks through its doors adds something new to the story.
Happy 104th Birthday to the Connor Palace.
Here’s to the legacy behind us, the people carrying it forward today, and the generations still to come.
The story of Playhouse Square has always been shaped by people who cared about what they could make possible for the next generation. You can add your own chapter by including Playhouse Square in your charitable plans, such as in your will or naming Playhouse Square as a beneficiary, helping support this legacy for generations to come. Learn more about the Legacy Circle
