MISSION & HISTORY

The Mission of Stamford Center for the Arts’ Palace Theatre: is to Entertain, Educate and Enrich the diverse population of Stamford, and Fairfield County. Our vision is to be the regional arts center for exhilarating performances that enhances the cultural, educational, economic, and social life of our community.



HISTORY OF THE PALACE

Stamford Center for the Arts (SCA), a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) cultural arts organization, is the region’s premier center for the performing arts. SCA owns two facilities: the renovated and restored historic Palace Theatre (61 Atlantic Street) and the state-of-the-art Rich Forum (307 Atlantic Street), in downtown Stamford, Connecticut.

The Palace Theatre, a 1,636-seat Thomas Lamb-designed vaudeville house, was acclaimed as “Connecticut’s Most Magnificent” when it opened in 1927. It was restored and re-opened in 1983 for live theatre, opera, dance, comedy and concerts, plus art exhibitions in the Gallery. A multiphase Palace Improvement Project provided The Palace Theatre with a Broadway-sized stage, new dressing rooms, wardrobe and costume maintenance facilities, as well as other technical-support facilities.

The Rich Forum, which opened in 1992, includes a 757-seat theatre, the Leonhardt Studio, the glass-enclosed main lobby and reception area, which also serves as an alternative performance/display space, and the box office. The Rich Forum is currently leased by NBCUniversal as a television-production studio. Renovations to the space included extensive state-of-the-art television studios created to accommodate multiple television productions with live audiences and extensive office and technical support space.

In addition to a full season of cultural and entertainment events, The Palace Theatre is also home to the Ballet School of Stamford, Connecticut Ballet, Lumina String Quartetʼs Chamber Music Institute, Namaskaar Foundation, Orchestra Lumos, and Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic.