Emery Theatre

The Emery Theatre, or Emery Auditorium, is a historic, acoustically exceptional theater located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The building was constructed in 1911 as the home for a trade school (the Ohio Mechanics Institute), but its large, impressive auditorium was intended for public use. The design of the Emery Theatre is based on the "isacoustic curve" principles that were first proposed by John Scott Russell. The theatre was built with two balconies and a total of 2,211 seats. It was one of the first concert halls in the United States to have no obstructed seats.

The Emery was the home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, who performed there from January 6, 1912 until 1936 when they moved to the larger Music Hall. The quality of acoustics in the Emery Theatre is legendary. The famous conductor Leopold Stokowski compared its acoustics to that of Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Many world-renowned performing artists and Broadway stars have appeared at the Emery, including George Gershwin, John Philip Sousa, Bette Davis, Arturo Toscanini, Fritz Reiner, Katharine Cornell, and Russian ballet dancers Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova. Gershwin performed Rhapsody in Blue there with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra shortly after premiering it in New York City.

The Emery Theatre has fallen into disuse, but there is a long-standing community interest in restoring the historic auditorium as a mid-sized performing venue. A modern restoration of the theatre would allow seating for approximately 1,600 guests. The current revival effort aims to see the theatre restored as a community arts venue.

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