History of the Keith Albee

By shannonm
  • Period: to

    Year

  • Opening

    Opening
    The Keith-Albee Theatre, designed by Thomas Lamb and owned by A.B. and S.J. Hyman, opened May 7, 1928. It was constructed under the supervision of B.F. Keith and Edward Albee and became part of their Keith-Albee vaudeville circuit.

  • Flood

    Flood
    On January 27, 1937 the Ohio River crested and the tri-state area experienced the worst flood in local history. The Keith-Albee Theatre survived the flood with little damage.

  • Marshall Artists Series moves to the Keith Albee

    The Marshall Artists Series moved to the Keith-Albee Theatre in 1939, bringing entertainment ot Huntington that included film festivals, Broadway shows, orchestras and comedians.

  • "The Bridge at Remagen" Premiere

    On June 25, 1969, "The Bridge at Remagen," a film based on a book by then-Rep. Ken Hechler about WWII events, premiered at the Keith-Albee Theatre. Ken Hechler attended the event.

  • 50th Anniversary

    The 50th anniversary of the Keith-Albee Theatre was celebrated with two vaudeville shows and a screening of "Gold Rush," a silent film starring Charlie Chaplin.

  • "Rain Man" Premiere

    "Rain Man," a film about an autistic man starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, premiered at the Keith-Albee Theatre on Dec. 13, 1988. Dustin Hoffman attended the event.

  • Digital Theatre Stereo installed

    In June of 1997 Digital Theatre Stereo was installed in the Keith-Albee Theatre for customers to experience higher quality sound effects.

  • Theater suffers smoke damage

    A fire in the H.J. Kauffmann Jewelry Repair Center in the Keith-Albee Theatre building caused the theater to suffer smoke damage. The theater closed temporarily and reopened on Feb. 9.

  • Theater Close

    The Keith-Albee Theatre closed as a functioning theater. Restoration work began shortly after.

  • Theater handed over to Marshall University Foundation

    The Keith-Albee Theatre is handed over from the Greater Huntington Theatre Corp. to the Marshall University Foundation.

  • "We Are Marshall" Premiere

    "We Are Marshall" premiered at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center on Dec. 12, 2006.