With the new year right around the corner, we’re taking the time to celebrate another dazzling year at Playhouse Square. From taking center stage as a national tour launch location to our growing district and new and exciting initiatives, 2025 at Playhouse Square was one for the books.
Playhouse Square in the Spotlight
The eyes of the theater world were on Playhouse Square this fall as we teched and launched three national tours – The Notebook, Hell’s Kitchen and Spamalot. We welcomed hundreds of artists and crew members for rehearsals, technical preparations and ultimately performances, and our audiences were the first in the country to experience these Broadway shows on the road. Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys even stopped by as Hell’s Kitchen began its performance and donated two artifacts to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And the tech and tour launches don’t stop this year as we also announced that Death Becomes Her will begin its national tour here in CLE for our 2026-27 KeyBank Broadway Series.
Beyond The Stage
Beyond the stage, the Playhouse Square District aimed to enhance the experience of theatergoers and provide a welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike. The Bulkley Apartments bolstered Downtown Cleveland’s residential options with its transformation of five floors of the historic Bulkley Building. New dining options opened ranging from lunch/dinner at Something Good Social Kitchen to dessert at Ben & Jerry’s and cocktails at Encore. The Crowne Plaza at Playhouse Square also completed a renovation and renamed its onsite restaurant to Brel’s, a name that pays homage to the show that saved Playhouse Square, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.
Milestone Moments
2025 was both a year of firsts and noteworthy anniversaries here at Playhouse Square. We hosted our inaugural Day of Giving as a way for the community to show their support for our historic theaters and the programs that make the arts accessible to Northeast Ohio.
We launched our Arts & Minds initiative in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, which offers arts programming for people with neurological disorders in the region. To further our commitment to this initiative, Playhouse Square also received global recognition as a Dance for PD® Licensed Affiliate - the first organization in the State of Ohio, and one of only 23 worldwide. Playhouse Square’s Senior Manager of Neurological Programming Joan Meggitt completed the certification process and is now a Dance for PD ® Certified Teacher, one of fewer than 50 certified teachers around the world.
Two education programs also celebrated a decade of instilling a passion for the arts with Northeast Ohio students. Disney Musicals in Schools presented by Dee and Jimmy Haslam marked its magical 10th anniversary of creating sustainable theater programs in local elementary schools, specifically for third through fifth grade students. The Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman also honored the excellence seen in our region’s high school musical theater programs through its 10th anniversary. Our Dazzle Awards participants have also taken Broadway by storm. Alumni Steven Huynh, Sophie Manoloff and Colin Trudell all made their Broadway debuts, while 2025 Dazzle Awards Best Actress winner Mira Cahalane was recognized at Jimmy Awards with a scholarship after her featured performance on the Minskoff Theatre stage.