8-27-2025 8:41am

Historic Theatre

The Strand Theatre hosted One Night of Queen in 2022.

Historic York Theatre celebrating 100th anniversary

The historic Strand Theatre in downtown York will celebrate its 100th anniversary Thursday.

To mark the centennial anniversary, the Appell Center for the Performing Arts is hosting a Centennial Tribute Thursday at 8 AM.

“The Strand Theatre has always been York County‘s standout theatre,” Todd Fogdall, president & CEO of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, said in a statement. “We exist because of the generosity of our community — people buying tickets, making donations, showing up for our programs. It’s their passion and generosity that have kept these lights shining through changing times.

“We can’t undervalue what this community has done to make the Strand Theatre what it is today, and that same spirit will guide us boldly into the next hundred years.”

Created by Nathan Appell and Appell Amusement Interests, the Strand Theatre was built in 1925 for both motion pictures and live entertainment in the center of downtown York. With seating for 1,350, it was a film theater and venue for vaudeville acts that was sold to Warner Bros. and RKO Stanley Warner.

The Strand Theatre closed in 1976 but the “Save Our Theaters” campaign in 1978 raised more than $1 million to restore the Strand Theatre and neighboring Capitol Theatre. The Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center nonprofit organization was formed in 1980, and the Strand Theatre reopened with a performance by Ella Fitzgerald and the York Symphony Orchestra.

The Strand Theatre has undergone numerous renovations, including the acquisition and repurposing of several adjoining buildings and the addition of the balcony. It has welcomed Tony Bennett, Bernadette Peters, Chris Cornell, and John Legend as well as nationally-touring Broadway productions. The Strand Theatre served as a stage for emerging artists, student performances, and community programs like Stage the Page, which has introduced over 150,000 local K-2 students to live theatre.

In May 2017, the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center was renamed the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, after the passing of Louis Appell Jr., who was instrumental in the revival of the Strand and Capitol Theatres. The name honors three generations of the Appell family.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced temporary closure and limitations to programming. The Appell Center for the Performing Arts currently hosts 200 events per year on its multiple stages with another 200-plus education and community program offerings.