Museums, galleries & stages / Midtown, Detroit
Bonstelle Playhouse
Albert Kahn's 1902 synagogue turned theater, restored and reopened on Woodward as a concert and event venue.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
It was built as Temple Beth-El to Albert Kahn's design, with a dome often compared to Rome's Pantheon; the first services were held in 1903. After the congregation moved north in 1922, theater manager Jessie Bonstelle bought it, C. Howard Crane converted it, and it opened as the Bonstelle Playhouse in 1925. Wayne State University's theater company moved in in 1951 and the school bought it in 1956; WSU's last show here was in December 2019. The Roxbury Group's restoration brought back Kahn's original facade and linked the theater by a glass Conservatory to the AC Hotel, which opened in 2025. The stage fits a full orchestra, dance, film screenings and touring musicals.
- Designed by Albert Kahn as a synagogue in 1902
- 800 for a show, 300 for a seated dinner
- Jessie Bonstelle Lounge tucked inside the theater
- On the National Register of Historic Places (as Temple Beth-El) since 1982
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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¼ · Stay
Sleep right around the corner
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-23
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
Oct 27, 2026, 7:00 PMCelebrating the Music of the Minneapolis Sound with Mr. Hayes & Friends
Crescendo Detroit presents a benefit concert on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. at the Bonstelle Playhouse in Detroit, led by Morris Hayes—Prince’s longtime keyboardist and music director—with Tony Mosley (Tony M.) and vocalist MacKenzie. VIP includes a meet & greet and a late set; tickets $50–$900 plus fees.
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