This year Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is streaming in Wheeling, directly to your living room! In a regular year Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is performed at the Capitol Theatre. In December of 2005, a large consortium of Wheeling non-profits and municipal organizations began meeting to consider undertaking the ownership and operation of the Capitol Theatre, originally opened in 1929 and had its doors closed in 2003. This group recognized that the Capitol Theatre must once again be an important cultural venue and economic engine for the growth of our community. Since that time, the financial and personnel resources of these organizations have been put to use in understanding the architectural and economic feasibility of re-opening the theatre under a local management entity.
On April 3, 2009 the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau purchased the theater. Phase I renovations commenced in May 2009 and the theatre re-opened in September of that same year. Additional phased restorations have continued over the years that have brought new seats, new carpeting, renovated concessions and a renovated ballroom. The revitalization of the Capitol Theatre is a community-wide effort. The Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau will own the theatre. The Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation has been a catalyst for the renovations. The Greater Wheeling Sports & Entertainment, which oversees WesBanco Arena and Heritage Port, operates and programs the revitalized Capitol Theatre, providing high-caliber entertainment for local and regional audiences.