Celebrating 100 years, a look back at the legacy of Louisville’s iconic Brown Theatre

A full century before the world had heard of Wordle, the crossword puzzling craze was sweeping the country and “Puzzles of 1925,” a popular musical, was getting ready for the opening night of Louisville’s dazzling new 1,400 seat Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway.

On Oct. 5, 1925, the same year the Grand Old Opry made its first broadcast, F. Scott Fitzgerald published “The Great Gatsby,” and Mount Rushmore was dedicated in South Dakota, the magnificent velvet curtain was raised for the first time at Louisville’s opulent new theater in the heart of the bustling city center.

On that night, Elsie Janis, a famous American actress of her time, stepped into the spotlight and opened the theater with “Puzzles of 1925”, a musical revue she’d written and directed for Broadway.

“In fact, as a theater opener, Elsie is more useful than the average can opener,” quipped a review in The Courier Journal the following day, highlighting the Brown Theatre’s debut.

One hundred years later, the Grand Dame of the local arts community remains Louisville’s oldest operating theater.

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On Oct. 5, Louisville’s oldest operating theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary and, in doing so, spotlights its important role in shaping Louisville’s performing arts scene, legacy and its next chapter.

100 years of history of the Brown Theatre in Louisville

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway, flourished as a playhouse through the 1930s, became a movie theatre in 1936, and transitioned back to a live performance venue again in the 1960s. All while surviving floods, fires, and financial collapse.

Built by wealthy Louisville businessman, J. Graham Brown, owner of the adjacent Brown Hotel, 335 W. Broadway, the theater was modeled after New York’s famous Music Box Theatre, with an ornate lobby, fan shaped seating and a 40-foot-by-40-foot stage.

Louisville’s premier theater attracted the crème de la crème of entertainment including Bette Davis, Helen Hayes, Tallulah Bankhead, Myrna Loy, Don Ameche, Henry Fonda, Edward G. Robinson, Carol Channing, Victor Borge and Gloria Swanson.

“Louisville was really on the theater circuit because of the Louisville Nashville Railroad,” Kim Baker, president and CEO of Kentucky Performing Arts told the Courier Journal. ”Louisville was one of the cities to go to for theater.”

In its early years, the lavishly appointed Brown Theatre hosted dramatic productions and musical evenings, establishing itself as a true playhouse.

When the depression hit the country and touring dried up, the Brown Theater was transformed into a movie theater where films were shown for the next 30 years.

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Then in the 1960s, the Brown Theatre returned to its original purpose, staging live entertainment. In 1962, the theater underwent major renovation and again welcomed Broadway productions. Ten years later, the venue was purchased by the Louisville Board of Education and was renamed The Macauley Theatre.

“When the Brown Theatre was originally built, it incorporated furnishings from an older theater located on Walnut Street (now Muhammad Ali Boulevard) named Macauley’s Theatre,” said Will Richards, vice president of Facilities and Products Kentucky Performing Arts. “We found a Macauley’s Theatre playbill from March 20, 1876 that lists actor Edwin Booth as performing on stage.”

Booth was the older brother of John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln 11 years earlier at the Ford Theater in Washington D.C. in 1865.

By 1998, the iconic theater had been acquired by The Fund for the Arts, which worked to bring the iconic theater back to its original grandeur but with a modern twist. The Fund for the Arts financed the remaining $4.2 million restoration, which includes the Frazier Lobby, upgraded sound and lighting, and expanded the orchestra pit.

Now operated by Kentucky Performing Arts, which also operates The Kentucky Center, 501 W. Main St., and Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, 724 Brent St., the beautifully restored Brown Theatre remains a vital part of Louisville’s cultural landscape, hosting everything from classic plays to modern concerts.

From violinist Itzhak Perlman, dancer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov and cellist Yo-Yo Ma to blues great B.B. King, Kentucky’s own John Prine and rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers, world-class performances continue to flow through the Brown while the theater continues to anchor a stretch of Broadway once known as Louisville’s “theatre row.”

Brown Theatre performances during the month of October are in line with its typically eclectic mix of entertainment, including Louisville Ballet’s “Dracula,” held Oct. 10- 11, AJ Croce presents, Croce Plays Croce on Oct. 15, “Disney’s Moana” Live-to-Film Concert on Oct. 17, the University of Louisville 2025 Step Show on Oct. 24, and Straight No Chaser Holiday Road Tour on Oct. 25.

“The Brown Theatre has served as an arts space for a century, creating a community gathering space for generations,” Baker said. “I encourage people to go there for a performance and imagine the many evenings and shows that took place decades ago. It’s truly an opportunity to step back in time.”

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To learn more about The Brown Theatre and its centennial season, visit KentuckyPerformingArts.org.

Reach lifestyle and entertainment reporter Kirby Adams at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Celebrating 100 years, a look at Louisville’s iconic Brown Theatre