The Colonial first opened on 16 March, 1903 with a spectacular lineup of vaudeville performances. The price paid for a box at the Colonial is a testament to vaudeville's growth in popularity and appeal to Cleveland's upper class. The highest amount paid at an auction for a box for the theater's opening night was $35, a hefty sum in 1903. Furthermore, all 1,472 seats that night were filled and the Plain Dealer was able to print a lengthy list of Cleveland's "society" who attended that night. | Source: Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland State University Library Special CollectionsDownload Original File
Source
Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland State University Library Special Collections
