The winter storm that swept through Central Texas on January 24 left more than icy roads in its wake; it also caused significant flooding inside a beloved cultural landmark. The Georgetown Palace Theatre, a cornerstone of the Austin suburb's historic downtown square, sustained extensive damage after water seeped into the building over the course of several days, forcing show cancellations and an ongoing repair process.

According to Debra Heater, development director for the Georgetown Palace Theatre, the flooding stemmed from a failed sump pump system — a piece of infrastructure that dates back to the theater’s 1990s renovation. These pumps are used to remove water accumulation from low-lying areas.

“When we reimagined the building as a live performance venue, we discovered there was a natural spring underneath the theater,” Heater explains. “Because of that, we installed sump pumps in the back alley so water could be diverted out before it ever reached the building.”

During the freeze, those pumps failed. Alarms went unheard while theater staff was at home, and water steadily made its way inside the theater from Sunday through Tuesday morning. When a staff member finally entered the building, the scene was alarming.

“They stepped down into knee-deep water,” Heater says. “We had standing water up to the third row of seating for two days.”

The first three rows of seats were ruined in the storm. Photo by Lindsey Brisbine

The aftermath was immediate and far-reaching. Three rows of seats — about 55 in total — were lost, along with carpeting throughout the theater. The flood destroyed audiovisual and sound equipment stored beneath the stage, as well as a grand drape and the theater’s hearing loop system, an important accessibility feature for patrons with hearing impairments. Wall carpeting, drywall, and sheetrock were also damaged, requiring removal and repair.

“It was just an extensive amount of damage,” Heater says.

One small bright spot: after thorough drying and evaluation, the stage itself was deemed structurally sound.

Still, the damage forced difficult decisions on the production calendar. The Palace lost multiple performances of Frozen during what would have been the show’s final weekends, resulting in lost revenue. The entire run of Swing, the theater’s opening musical of the season, was also initially canceled.

Because of the extensive damage to the theater, the final showings of Frozen were cancelled. Photo by Lindsey Brisbine

Thanks to a longtime partnership with Georgetown ISD, however, Swing will still get its moment in the spotlight— just not at the Palace.

“They came in like Santa Claus on Christmas,” Heater says of the district’s offer to host the show at the Klett Center for the Performing Arts. “They had that weekend [February 13-15] free, so now we're able to at least give that cast, who's been rehearsing for the last, you know, 10 to 12 weeks, an opening weekend and four shows."

As for the Palace itself, the theater is currently in the bid-gathering phase, working with contractors and vendors to determine timelines and replacement options for seating, carpet, and sound equipment. But the team remains hopeful that the upcoming production of Oklahoma!, set to open March 20, will proceed as planned — possibly with limited seating.

“Nobody wants to cancel a show, especially Oklahoma!,” Heater says.

The timing of the disaster is especially poignant, as 2025 marks the Georgetown Palace Theatre’s 100-year anniversary. The historic venue anchors Georgetown’s state-designated Cultural Arts District and, according to Heater, draws roughly 50,000 visitors to the Square each year, generating millions in economic impact for surrounding businesses.

To help with recovery, the Palace is asking for community support. Donations can be made through the theater’s website, with a dedicated fundraising campaign launching soon.

Patrons can also support by attending ongoing productions like Swing at the Klett Center Valentine's Day weekend and The Mountaintop at the Palace’s second venue, the Doug Smith Performance Center.

After a century on the Square, the Georgetown Palace Theatre may be temporarily down, but with community support, it's far from out.