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<!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php (Please format according to [[:Template:Cite web]], and [[Wikipedia:Citing sources]])-->
:: '''''See also:''''' [[Chicago theatre]], the theatre movement in the city of Chicago
:'''''See also:''''' [[Chicago theatre]], the theatre movement in the city of Chicago

{{Infobox_nrhp | name =The Chicago Theatre
{{Infobox_nrhp | name =The Chicago Theatre
| image = Chicago_Theater_-_day.jpg
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| lat_seconds = 6.8
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| lat_direction = N
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| long_degrees = 87
| long_degrees = 87
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The '''Chicago Theatre''' is a famous [[theater]] landmark in the city of [[Chicago, Illinois]]. The theater is host to [[stage plays]], [[magic (illusion)|magic]] shows, [[comedy]] performances, [[speech]]es, and [[music]]al [[concert]]s. Currently it seats 3,600.
The '''Chicago Theatre''' is a famous [[theater]] landmark located at 175 North [[State Street (Chicago)|State Street]] in the city of [[Chicago, Illinois]]. The theater is host to [[stage plays]], [[magic (illusion)|magic]] shows, [[comedy]] performances, [[speech]]es, and [[music]]al [[concert]]s. It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on [[June 6]], [[1979]],<ref>{{cite web| accessdate=March 3|accessyear=2007|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/iwisapi/explorer.dll?IWS_SCHEMA=NRIS1&IWS_LOGIN=1&IWS_REPORT=100000044|title=Index by State and Name (Links)|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> and it was listed as a [[Chicago Landmark]] on [[January 28]], [[1983]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/C/ChicagoTheater.html|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007|title=Chicago Theatre|publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division.|year=2003}}</ref> The [[marquee (sign)|marquee]] is a Chicago cultural and physical landmark that commonly appears in [[film]], [[television]], [[artwork]], and [[photography]].


==History==
==Building==
===History===
Designed in the [[classical revival]]-[[French Baroque]] style by [[architect]]s [[Rapp and Rapp|Cornelius W. Rapp and George L. Rapp]], the building was built in [[1921]], at a cost of [[U.S. Dollar|$]]4 million dollars, at 175 North State Street.
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 [[architect]]s [[Rapp and Rapp|Cornelius W. Rapp and George L. Rapp]], who had also designed the [[Oriental Theatre (Chicago)|Oriental Theatre]] and [[Uptown Theatre (Chicago)|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]] [[theatre organ|pipe organ]].<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_history.htm|title=The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref> [[Poet]] [[Carl Sandburg]], reporting for the [[Chicago Tribune]], wrote that [[mounted police]] were required for [[crowd control]].<ref name="jazzchicago">{{cite web|url=http://chicago.urban-history.org/sites/theaters/chicago.htm|title=Jazz Age Chicago:Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 3|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
[[Balaban and Katz]] theater chain owners Abe and [[Barney Balaban]] and Sam and Morris Katz wanted a new "flagship", state-of-the-art theater for Chicago, and when it opened on [[October 26]], [[1921]], they had it. John Balaban ran the entire B and K enterprise from his offices above the theatre.The Balaban and Katz Trademark is now the property of the Balaban and Katz Historical Foundation


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.<ref name="jazzchicago">{{cite web|url=http://chicago.urban-history.org/sites/theaters/chicago.htm|title=Jazz Age Chicago:Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 3|accessyear=2007}}</ref> 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.<ref name="TheatreDreams">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_theatre_dreams.htm|title=Theatre Dreams|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref> The Balaban and Katz [[trademark]] is now the property of the Balaban and Katz Historical Foundation.
It was designated as a historic Chicago landmark on [[January 28]], [[1983]].


==Architecture==
===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]].<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9407E6DA1138F93BA35756C0A962948260|title=Dispute Over Theatre Splits Chicago City Council|accessdate=2007-03-02|date=[[May 8]], [[1984]] |work=New York Times}}</ref> 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.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_history.htm|title=The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre|accessdate=2007-03-02}}</ref> 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 (architecture)|mezzanine]] and [[balcony]] levels, is an influence of the Royal Chapel at [[Versailles]]. The grand [[staircase]] is patterned from one inside the [[Palais Garnier|Paris Opera House]] and ascends to the various balcony levels.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_history.htm|title=The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref> [[Marshall Field's|Marshall Field and Company]] supplied interior decorations, including [[curtain|drapes]] and furniture. The [[crystal]] [[chandeliers]] and [[bronze]] light fixtures fitted with [[Steuben Glass Works|Steuben]] glass shades were designed and built by Victor Pearlman and Co.
==Marquee==


==Performers==
===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 sign|neon]] [[font]] was used in the title of the 2002 film [[Chicago (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.
The venue has hosted live performances from [[John Phillip Sousa]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Jack Benny]], and [[Benny Goodman]].


==Restoration==
===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. [[Anthony Heinsbergen|Heinsbergen]] & Co. The Chicago Theatre reopened on [[September 10]], [[1986]] with a performance by [[Frank Sinatra]]. Currently it seats 3,600.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_history.htm|title=The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref>


==Technical details==
===Technical details===
The stage dimensions exceed sixty feet in width and thirty feet in depth. The [[orchestra pit|orchestra pit]] is approximately six feet below stage level, 54 feet wide at the stage lip, with a depth of fifteen feet at center. An adjustable pit filler can be used for performances requiring other levels.
The stage dimensions exceed 60 feet in width and 30 feet in depth. The [[orchestra pit|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.<ref name="TechnicalDetails">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_theatre_tech.htm|title=Theatre Tech|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref>

==Performers==
The venue has hosted live performances from [[John Phillip Sousa]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Jack Benny]], and [[Benny Goodman]].<ref name="about"> </ref> Since reopening, performers have included [[Johnny Mathis]], [[David Letterman]], [[Robin Williams]], [[Harry Connick Jr.]], [[Prince]], [[Coldplay]] and [[Barry White]].<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about_history.htm|title=The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref>


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
* [[Ronald Reagan]] announced his engagement to [[Jane Wyman]] at the theatre.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9407E6DA1138F93BA35756C0A962948260 |title=Dispute Over Theatre Splits Chicago City Council |accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007
|date=[[May 8]], [[1984]]|work=New York Times}}</ref>
* [[Al Capone]] assumed control of the projectionists and stagehands unions and extorted money from the Balaban and Katz chain.<ref name="ATL Tour">{{cite web|url=http://www.preserveatlanta.com/chicago4.htm|title=Atlanta Preservation Center Tours the Chicago Theatre|accessdate=March 2|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
* 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.


==External links==
==External links==
Line 52: Line 64:
* [http://www.BalabanandKatzFoundation.com Balaban and Katz Foundation]
* [http://www.BalabanandKatzFoundation.com Balaban and Katz Foundation]
* [http://www.BalabanandKatz.com Balaban and Katz ]
* [http://www.BalabanandKatz.com Balaban and Katz ]
{{Geolinks-US-streetscale|41.885360|-87.627824}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Chicago culture]]
[[Category:Chicago culture]]
[[Category:Chicago, Illinois]]
[[Category:Cinemas and movie theaters]]
[[Category:Cinemas and movie theaters]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Chicago]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Chicago]]
[[Category:Music venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Music venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Music venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Music venues]]
[[Category:Registered Historic Places in Chicago, Illinois]]
[[Category:Registered Historic Places in Chicago, Illinois]]
[[Category:Theatres in Illinois]]
[[Category:Theatres in Illinois]]
Line 65: Line 78:
[[Category:1921 architecture]]
[[Category:1921 architecture]]



{{Chicago-stub}}
{{Registered Historic Places}}
{{Chicago}}
{{Chicago}}

Revision as of 00:47, 7 March 2007

See also: Chicago theatre, the theatre movement in the city of Chicago
The Chicago Theatre
The State Street marquee of the Chicago Theatre.
LocationChicago, Illinois
Built1921
ArchitectRapp & Rapp
Architectural styleFrench Baroque
Added to NRHPJune 6, 1979

The Chicago Theatre is a famous theater landmark located at 175 North State Street in the city of Chicago, Illinois. 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.

Building

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.

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.

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.

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]

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]

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]

Template:Geolinks-US-streetscale

Notes

  1. ^ "Index by State and Name (Links)". National Park Service. Retrieved March 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Chicago Theatre". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Retrieved March 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f "The Legendary Chicago Theatre: About the Chicago Theatre". Retrieved March 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "about" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Jazz Age Chicago:Chicago Theatre". Retrieved March 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Theatre Dreams". Retrieved March 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "Dispute Over Theatre Splits Chicago City Council". New York Times. May 8, 1984. Retrieved 2007-03-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "NYT" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Theatre Tech". Retrieved March 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Atlanta Preservation Center Tours the Chicago Theatre". Retrieved March 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)


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