It's Official: Playhouse Square's giant chandelier is the largest in the world

If you've taken some time to come up for air from reading the boneheaded negativity that is the cleveland.com comment section, you might have noticed that something positive came about because of the PlayhouseSquare chandelier project.

As a part of its placemaking project, PlayhouseSquare announced that it would be installing a giant outdoor chandelier over the intersection of East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue back in April of last year. Dubbed "Dazzle the District," the $16 million project, which included gateway signage, digital displays and other cameo lighting installations, it intended to pull the grandeur of the theatres into the street and create a destination worthy of a major city.

Last week, the Guinness World Records people confirmed that the cameo chandelier installation was in fact the largest in the world. Congratulations for PlayhouseSquare for finally getting something accomplished in Cleveland that is truly unique.

"Now we begin," said PlayhouseSquare's senior vice president of theater operations, Gina Vernaci. "This defines Playhouse Square as a destination, which makes us unlike any performing arts center in the United States."

I attended the lighting ceremony last week. Bands and dance troupes performed for the crowd on the stage set up in the middle of Euclid Avenue, and local dignitaries gave their two cents on the matter. Here's the last thirty-five seconds of the ceremony: