Plaza Theatre returns with intimacy only a landmark can offer

The Plaza Theatre buzzed with activity Wednesday afternoon as media members toured the nearly completed restoration of one of Palm Springs’ most iconic landmarks. For many, it was their first look at a revived venue poised to offer the kind of intimate performance experience that stands out within Oak View Group’s worldwide portfolio.

For General Manager John Bolton, who oversees the Plaza Theatre and was instrumental in the construction and opening of Acrisure Arena, the contrast between the two properties is the clearest way to understand the Plaza’s unique role. Acrisure hosts arena-scale entertainers and crowds of thousands. The Plaza Theatre, with just 700 seats, offers a radically different artistic experience.

“What I love is the intimacy — seeing an artist in a small, historic room,” Bolton said during Wednesday’s tour.

Distinctive venue

Oak View Group manages several hundred facilities worldwide, including arenas, convention centers, amphitheaters and stadiums. While the Plaza Theatre is not unlike other historic or intimate venues in the company’s catalog, Bolton said it stands out as one of the more unique and character-rich properties OVG operates.

“It’s definitely one of the smallest, and one of the most unique,” he said.

That uniqueness comes with business challenges. Booking artists who can command fair pay while performing in a 700-seat room requires careful curation. Arena acts often travel with large crews, expensive tech, and extensive production needs; the Plaza requires artists whose financial models align with the space.

“We needed artists whose financial requirements made sense with 700 seats,” Bolton said. “Some need a bigger room, but many love this vibe. We focused on acts who fit the space and could still be paid fairly.”

Despite the constraints, the strategy has already proven successful. Bolton said artists are drawn to the theater’s downtown location and intimate atmosphere, with many rebooking for next season after seeing renderings of the restored venue.

“The renderings alone got artists excited,” he said.

The venue will open Dec. 1 with Broadway star Cynthia Erivo headlining the gala, flying in directly from the Macy’s Parade before departing for London to open Dracula on the West End.

Lean operation

While Acrisure Arena employs roughly 100 full-time workers, the Plaza Theatre will operate with just eight full-time staffers — yet Bolton expects a similar volume of events.

“Every event still requires all the same boxes checked,” he said.

Beyond touring artists, the Plaza will serve as a home base for eight to 10 resident performance groups. Those include the Palm Springs Symphony, Gay Men’s Chorus, Modern Men, the Jazz Festival, Modernism Week, an Arts Teach series for kids, Script-in-Hand with David Zippel, Pops at the Plaza, the Playground Pops Orchestra, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Historic bones

The restoration transformed the nearly 90-year-old venue while preserving its architectural character.

The lobby has doubled in size, absorbing what was once an outdoor entrance area to create a shaded pre-event gathering spot where cocktails can be served. Seating was reduced from 800 to 700 to meet 2026 ADA requirements and provide more comfortable spacing.

“We took 100 seats out because … ADA compliance has changed,” said Tim O’Bayley of O’Bayley Communications as he guided one tour. “The original seats were white leather — these are more practical and sized right.”

Technological upgrades include a state-of-the-art sound system and projection screen donated by the team behind Las Vegas’ Sphere. The original hand-punched “Starfield” ceiling — historically created by literally poking holes through a false ceiling — has been reimagined with programmable LED technology designed to evoke the 1936 atmosphere while meeting modern codes.

“It was a dream to get something like this,” O’Bayley said as technicians calibrated the system in the darkened auditorium.

Storied past

Since opening on Dec. 12, 1936, with the Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor premiere of Camille, the Plaza Theatre has been woven into Palm Springs’ cultural history. In the 1940s, it became a broadcast home for stars like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Amos ’n’ Andy, and later hosted major premieres including My Fair Lady and The Music Man.

The venue sat dormant after 1989 until television producer Riff Markowitz revitalized it for The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, which ran from 1990 to 2014 and became the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary Still Kicking.

Efforts to fully restore the building launched in 2019 but were interrupted by the pandemic. The project revived in 2021 following a $5 million donation from former Frasier producer David Lee, followed by an anonymous $2 million contribution.

The Plaza Theatre is owned by the city, with the restoration managed by the nonprofit Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation, led by J.R. Roberts, a former member of the City Council.

Community debut

The community will get its first look at the finished restoration during a free Block Party this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will close the block and include guided tours and performances by local arts organizations. Modern Men will perform at 10 a.m., followed by Coachella Valley Classical Voices at 11 a.m., Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus at 12 p.m., and Musical Theatre University at 1 p.m. The box office will be open with no convenience fees.

For Bolton, the restoration is not just about reviving a historic building — it’s about creating a venue that enriches Palm Springs’ cultural fabric in ways a large arena cannot.

“Having this urban downtown environment is spectacular,” he said. “You can’t replicate this atmosphere anywhere else.”

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