Due to storm damage, the Palladium Theater temporarily closed

The Palladium Theater’s website went offline during Hurricane Milton, when the hosting hardware took on water, and so it’s been down for close to two weeks.

With apologies to Mark Twain, Executive Director Paul Wilborn wants the community to know that reports of the Palladium’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

“We were fine during Helene, but during Milton we got water in the building,” Wilborn explained. “We’re not completely sure how.”

Wilborn and his staff at the 99-year-old St. Pete College-owned performance facility are waiting on an assessment and abatement crew. “The water’s out,” he explained, “but the place stinks.”

Hough Hall (upstairs) and the Side Door (downstairs) didn’t flood. “Which is a good thing – we don’t have to take out any walls.”

Out of an abundance of caution, all scheduled shows have been postponed or canceled through the end of October. Others in early November have been moved.

“There’s a small hole in the ceiling, and a trap door was pulled off by the wind from the ceiling area, and we don’t know the extent of that damage,” he explained. “Right now, we’re waiting for the assessment so I can’t say for certain what’s going on.

“I will know more, in a day or two, as to exactly the extent of the damage, and how long we might need to be closed. You can’t have people in the building now – the air conditioning, from what I understand, is taking the bad air and blowing it through the building.

“It’s kind of an unfolding story. We’re hoping to be open for a Side Door show Nov. 1. But that remains to be seen.”