FEATURED STORY FROM THE Best of BG – 2013 ISSUE
Clazel Theatre
Downtown Landmark Transformed into Entertainment Centerpiece
Nestled in the heart of Bowling Green’s downtown district is one of Ohio’s landmark treasures, the Clazel. The Clazel is an architectural monument to history that reflects a nostalgic era of Bowling Green’s past. The building design is a work of art, the creation of architect Jack Raney. Clark and Hazel Young opened the Cla-Zel Theatre in 1926, and, their collective vision and passion for the motion picture industry survived the depression period until the Clazel showed its last movie in 2005. The Cla-Zel was Ohio’s longest-running, single-screen movie theater.
The theater was purchased by a group of local investors in 2000, functioning as a combination movie house and live entertainment venue. After multiple attempts to keep the struggling facility open post 911, Ammar Mufleh purchased the Clazel in 2008 with a vision of transforming the landmark into a multipurpose venue.
Today, the Clazel is part dance club, part banquet facility. Live music returned to the Clazel in 2009 with concerts and weekend DJ dance nights, and Bowling Green’s largest venue today also plays host to weddings, wedding rehearsals, charity events and fund-raisers, birthday parties, class reunions, and Greek events.
The venue resembles a timeless theater filled with two levels of Hollywood memorabilia and vintage remodeling. It includes a large stage; 23-foot, high-definition projection screen; two balconies overlooking the large dance floor; two full-service bars; and a sophisticated Blu Ray projection system, sound system and light show.
Through the years, meticulous care has been given to renovating the Clazel and maintaining the original grandeur of the early 1900s theater. In the past decade alone, the theater’s roof has been replaced, the lobby upgraded, and theater marquee preserved. The historic theater has been transformed into a modern venue designed to offer a dynamic array of entertainment possibilities.
And, maybe most of all, memories have been preserved for Bowling Green residents, from concerts to a simple night out at the movies with the sweetheart or special friend.