The Georgetown Palace Theatre was supposed to be celebrating. The building went up in 1925 and officially opened in February 1926 — which means this month marks its 100th anniversary. Instead, the theater is closed, mid-repair, after one of the worst strokes of bad luck in its century of operation.
On January 25, during the arctic blast that hit Central Texas, a water pump in the back of the building failed. Because the theater was closed for the storm, nobody noticed. By the time staff arrived on Tuesday, January 28, there was knee-high standing water stretching from the stage to the third row of seats.
“You name it, it’s on the list of things to repair,” said Debra Heater, the Palace’s Development Director.
The final insurance estimate is still pending, but Heater confirmed the damage is in the six figures. Already confirmed lost: roughly 60 seats across three rows, the sound equipment stored under the stage, AV gear, carpeting next to the stage, and production materials. When FOX 7 visited early February, a dehumidifying wrap had been laid across the entire stage area to pull moisture before permanent repairs could begin.
The Shows Are Going On — Just Not Here
The flooding forced the cancellation of the final weekend of Disney’s Frozen. The next production, SWING!, had to scramble — but the Palace team found a solution: Georgetown High School hosted opening weekend on February 13–15.
Upcoming productions are being moved to the Doug Smith Performance Center and the Klett Center for the Performing Arts while repairs continue. If you have tickets for an upcoming show, check georgetownpalace.org for venue updates before you drive downtown.
A Hundred Years of Georgetown History
The Palace Theatre has been operating on South Austin Avenue since 1926, which makes it older than the interstate, older than most of the suburbs surrounding it, and older than most of the people in the audience on any given night. It’s the kind of place locals bring their kids to, and then those kids bring their kids. That’s not common.
“Georgetown is very, very proud of the Palace Theatre,” said one longtime resident. “It’s beautiful inside, and I just hope they’re going to be able to pull it off.”
They intend to. Heater was unambiguous: “This place isn’t going anywhere. We’re going to be around for another one hundred years.”
What You Can Do
The Palace Theatre is a nonprofit — and an institution worth supporting. Their website (georgetownpalace.org) has information on donations and upcoming performances.
If you’ve been on the fence about catching a show this year, this is a good reason to pick one. The ticket revenue matters right now more than usual.
The Palace has made it through a century of Texas weather, economic shifts, and every kind of disruption you can name. A burst pipe isn’t going to be what stops it.
Georgetown Palace Theatre: 810 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown · georgetownpalace.org
— June McCready