Venue Information

Eau Claire's historic State Theatre first opened as a vaudeville theatre in 1926. No expense had been spared in erecting the $315,000 (1920's dollars) Theatre, one of nearly one hundred built by the theatre enterprise of Finkelstein and Ruben in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Theatre was described as the "brightest gem in the glittering chain of Finkelstein and Ruben amusement palaces," according to the 1926 Eau Claire Leader. The theatre was designed to handle all attractions booked from vaudeville agencies in Chicago. Vaudeville shows were held on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The history of the Eau Claire Regional Arts CenterThe first curtain rose at the State Theatre at 7 pm on January 19, 1926, and offered the audience a two-hour show, the highlight of which was a vaudeville act, "Classified," starring Corinne Griffith as Babs Comet. Theatre-goers that evening were also treated to performances by the State Concert Orchestra, Richard Bach, who o ...