Empress

See also Keith's.. Grand Rapids' No. 1 vaudeville theater was B.F. Keith's Empress, built in 1914 (but listed in the city directory already in 1913) and controlled by the Keith-Albee combine, who operated a string of first-class houses around the country. The original seating was 1,900, which was reduced to 1,750 after remodeling. It was sold to Keith's in 1924.