Chicago Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: Chicago theatre, the theatre movement in the city of Chicago
| The Chicago Theatre | |
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| (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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| Location: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1921 |
| Architect: | Rapp & Rapp |
| Architectural style(s): | French Baroque |
| Added to NRHP: | June 6, 1979 |
The Chicago Theatre is a famous theater landmark located at 175 North State Street in the Loop community area of the city of Chicago, Illinois in the United States of America. The theater is host to stage plays, magic shows, comedy performances, speeches, and musical concerts. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 1979,[1] and it was listed as a Chicago Landmark on January 28, 1983.[2] The marquee is a Chicago cultural and physical landmark that commonly appears in film, television, artwork, and photography.
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[edit] Building
[edit] History
Abe and Barney Balaban (owners of the Balaban and Katz theater chain), together with Sam and Morris Katz, wanted a state-of-the-art theater for Chicago. The proposed theatre was intended serve as the flagship for 28 theatres in the city and over 100 others in the general Midwestern United States. The resulting building was constructed in 1921 at a cost of $4 million dollars by architects Cornelius W. Rapp and George L. Rapp, who had also designed the Oriental Theatre and Uptown Theatre in Chicago. Chicago Theatre was one of the first theatres in the nation to be built in the classical revival-French Baroque style and is the oldest surviving example of this style in Chicago. John Balaban ran the entire Balaban and Katz enterprise from offices above the theatre.
When opened on October 26, 1921, the 5000 seat theatre was called the "Wonder Theatre of the World" and capacity crowds viewed "The Sign on the Door," a film starring Norma Talmadge. A 50-piece orchestra performed and Jesse Crawford played the 29-rank Wurlitzer pipe organ.[3] Poet Carl Sandburg, reporting for the Chicago Tribune, wrote that mounted police were required for crowd control.[4]
During the first 40 years of operation, the Chicago Theatre presented premiere films and live entertainment. One of its biggest draws was live jazz, which Balaban and Katz promoted as early as September of 1922 in a special event they called "Syncopation Week". This proved so succesful that jazz bands became a mainstay of the Chicago Theatre's programming through the 1920s and into the 1930s. In preparation for the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago (with the theme Century of Progress), the Chicago Theatre was redecorated. It was also modernized in the 1950s when stage shows were discontinued.[4] In the 1970s, business at the The Chicago Theatre slowed under the ownership of Plitt Theatres and it closed on September 19, 1985. On April 1, 2004 the building was purchased by TheatreDreams Chicago, LLC.[5] The Balaban and Katz trademark is now the property of the Balaban and Katz Historical Foundation.
[edit] Architecture
The structure is 7 stories high and fills nearly one half of a city block. The 60-foot wide by 6-story tall arch of the State Street facade is designed similarly to the l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris.[6] The coat of arms of the Balaban and Katz chain—two horses holding ribbons of 35mm film in their mouths outlined by a border of film reels—is set inside a circular stained glass window inside the arch.[3] The exterior of the building is covered in off-white terra cotta supplied by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company with neo-Baroque plaster designs by the McNulty Brothers.
The grand lobby, 5 stories high and surrounded by gallery promenades at the mezzanine and balcony levels, is an influence of the Royal Chapel at Versailles. The grand staircase is patterned from one inside the Paris Opera House and ascends to the various balcony levels.[3] Marshall Field and Company supplied interior decorations, including drapes and furniture. The crystal chandeliers and bronze light fixtures fitted with Steuben glass shades were designed and built by Victor Pearlman and Co.
[edit] Marquee
The entire marquee was replaced in 1994, but retains the look of its predecessor. In 2004, the original marquee was donated to the Smithsonian Institute. The marquee is featured in numerous movies and TV shows set in Chicago, and its neon font was used in the title of the 2002 film Chicago. The blue 6-pointed star behind the horizontal word Chicago on the State Street side of the marquee is a reference to the city's flag.
[edit] Restoration
In 1984, the Chicago Theater Preservation Group purchased the theatre and adjoining Page Brothers Building for $11.5 million. Renovation of the Page building was completed in 1986 at a cost of $9 million while the Chicago Theatre was restored to a 1930s appearance by architects Daniel P. Coffey & Associates, Ltd and interior design consultants A.T. Heinsbergen & Co. The Chicago Theatre reopened on September 10, 1986 with a performance by Frank Sinatra. Currently it seats 3,600.[3]
[edit] Technical details
The stage dimensions exceed 60 feet in width and 30 feet in depth. The orchestra pit is approximately 6 feet below stage level, 54 feet wide at the stage lip, with a depth of 15 feet at center. An adjustable pit filler can be used for performances requiring other levels.[7]
[edit] Performers
The venue has hosted live performances from John Phillip Sousa, Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, and Benny Goodman.[3] Since reopening, performers have included Johnny Mathis, David Letterman, Robin Williams, Harry Connick Jr., Prince, Coldplay and Barry White.[3]
[edit] In popular culture
- Ronald Reagan announced his engagement to Jane Wyman at the theatre.[6]
- Al Capone assumed control of the projectionists and stagehands unions and extorted money from the Balaban and Katz chain.[8]
- The location hosts screenings for the Chicago International Film Festival.
- The bulding has hosted National Press Club events.
- Mayor Richard M. Daley declared July 12, 2005 'Roger Ebert Day in Chicago' and dedicated a plaque under the marquee in his honor.
[edit] External links
- The Chicago Theatre
- Historic Images of the Chicago Theatre
- History of the Chicago Theatre
- Balaban and Katz Foundation
- Balaban and Katz
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth
[edit] Notes
- ^ Index by State and Name (Links). National Park Service. Retrieved on March 3, 2007.
- ^ Chicago Theatre. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. (2003). Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Jazz Age Chicago:Chicago Theatre. Retrieved on March 3, 2007.
- ^ Theatre Dreams. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ a b "Dispute Over Theatre Splits Chicago City Council", New York Times, May 8, 1984. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ Theatre Tech. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
- ^ Atlanta Preservation Center Tours the Chicago Theatre. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
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