For 100 years, the lights have been on in downtown York.
Audiences have gathered beneath the chandeliers of the Strand Theatre, settled into seats at the Capitol Theatre, applauded touring performers and local artists, laughed together, watched films, introduced their children to live theatre, and created memories that have lasted long after the curtain closed.
This year, the Appell Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating an extraordinary milestone: 100 years of the Strand Theatre and 100 years of the Capitol Theatre’s current chapter in York’s entertainment history. Together, these iconic venues tell a story that is about much more than buildings. It is a story about York’s resilience, its creativity and, above all, its people.
A Century of Entertainment in the Heart of York
The Strand Theatre opened its doors on August 27, 1925, after Nathan Appell envisioned a 1,350-seat theatre that could accommodate both motion pictures and live performances. From the beginning, it was designed to bring people together in the heart of downtown.
Just a year later, the Capitol Theatre reopened under Appell ownership after beginning its life as The Theatorium and later becoming the Jackson Theatre. Its reopening in August 1926 featured a screening of The Black Pirate starring Douglas Fairbanks, further establishing downtown York as a destination for entertainment, movies and touring acts.
Over the decades, the two theatres evolved along with the community around them. They weathered changing entertainment preferences, suburban growth and the rise of shopping centers and multiplexes. By the 1970s, both theatres had closed.
But York wasn’t willing to let them disappear.
When York Came Together to Save Its Theatres
In 1978, the community launched the Save Our Theaters campaign, raising $1.17 million from 374 donors to renovate and transform the Strand and Capitol into a performing arts center.
That investment became a defining moment not only for the theatres, but for downtown York.
In April 1980, the restored Strand Theatre and newly formed Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center reopened with a gala featuring Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by the York Symphony Orchestra. It was a powerful demonstration of what can happen when a community believes that its historic places—and the experiences they create—are worth saving.
That spirit has continued for generations.
The organization eventually became the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, honoring the Appell family’s multigenerational commitment to York. Today, the historic Strand and Capitol theatres remain at the center of an organization dedicated to performing arts, education and entertainment.
More Than a Stage
Walk through the doors of the Appell Center today and you will find that the theatres are doing exactly what they were built to do: bringing people together.
The programming is as varied as the audiences who walk through the doors. Concerts range from intimate performances to major touring acts. There is stand-up comedy, Broadway, variety entertainment, family programming, spoken word and vibrant film programming through CapFilm.
And then there is everything that happens beyond the traditional performance.
CapFilm brings repertory films, concert films, documentaries, anime and community-centered film experiences to downtown York. Annual favorites—from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Halloween films to Cat Video Fest, White Christmas and Valentine’s Day programming—have become part of the community’s cultural calendar.
The Appell Center also creates opportunities for people to participate, not just watch.
School matinees, workshops and classes, improv and acting programs, dance opportunities, Pick-Your-Price Tot Rock, Discovery Parties, creative career development and The Outlet’s monthly spoken word and poetry series invite people of all ages to find their own place on—or around—the stage.
Community outreach programs such as Community ConnecTix help reduce barriers to experiencing the arts, while initiatives celebrating Pride, cultural heritage and community voices help ensure that the Appell Center remains a place where York’s diverse community can see itself reflected.
Perhaps most importantly, programs such as Stage the Page have introduced generations of children to the magic of live performance. Nearly 150,000 local K–2 students have participated in the program since the Appell Center took ownership in 2014.
That’s the difference between a theatre and a community arts institution.
The Arts Are Part of Downtown York’s Story
The impact of the Appell Center extends well beyond the walls of the Strand and Capitol.
Every performance brings people downtown. They arrive for a concert or comedy show, grab dinner at a nearby restaurant, meet friends for a drink, browse a shop, park in the city and perhaps discover something else happening downtown along the way.
As Appell Center President & CEO Todd Fogdall has noted, tens of thousands of people come downtown each year for Strand Theatre performances, supporting local restaurants, shops and hotels in the process.
That is the power of a thriving downtown arts ecosystem.
Historic buildings provide the physical character. Businesses provide places to eat, shop and gather. Events bring energy to the streets. Artists provide creativity. And cultural institutions like the Appell Center create reasons for people to come downtown again and again.
Together, those pieces create a downtown that is not simply a place to visit—but a place to experience.
The Next 100 Years
A centennial naturally invites us to look backward. There is plenty to celebrate in the Appell Center’s history: the grand opening of the Strand, the evolution of the Capitol, the community’s determination to save the theatres, legendary performers who have taken the stage, and generations of York families who have filled their seats.
But perhaps the most exciting part of this milestone is that the story isn’t finished.
The Appell Center hosts approximately 200 events each year, along with more than 200 education and community program offerings.
The theatres continue to evolve. The audiences continue to change. New artists are discovering York, new children are experiencing their first performances, and new memories are being made every week.
That is what makes a historic theatre truly special. It isn’t preserved simply to remind us of what York once was. It remains relevant because it continues to be part of what York is—and what York can become.
The first 100 years of the Strand Theatre were made possible by the passion and generosity of the York community. As the Appell Center looks toward its next century, that same community remains at the heart of the story.
For Downtown York, that’s something worth celebrating.
Because for a century, these theatres have done more than entertain us.
They have given York a place to gather, a place to imagine, a place to create and a place to belong.
And the curtain is still up.
