CLEVELAND — It was Northeast Ohio's own slice of Las Vegas.

From 1974-93, the Front Row Theater in Highland Heights was a stage unlike any other — a 3,200-seat venue where the biggest names in entertainment performed just feet from local audiences. A revolving stage, a theater-in-the-round, and the absence of pillars ensuring clear views.

And a lineup that rivaled the Vegas Strip.

The Front Row welcomed icons of music, comedy, film, and politics to its intimate space on Wilson Mills Road — names like Tony Bennett, Liberace, Robin Williams, and even Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Sammy Davis Jr. was the theater's very first performer on July 5, 1974.

"There wasn't a bad seat in the house," said Jeannie Emser Schultz, who served as the theater's longtime marketing and publicity

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