One hundred years ago today, on October 26, 1921, the Chicago Theatre opened.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Chicago Theatre


The Chicago Theatre, April 2009

Owner: Madison Square Garden Entertainment
Capacity: 3,600
Current use: music venue
Opened: October 26, 1921
Website: www.thechicagotheatre.com

Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Coordinates: 41°53′7″N 87°37′40″W

Significant dates
Added to NRHP: June 6, 1979
Designated CL: January 28, 1983

The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz (B&K) group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother Barney Balaban and partner Sam Katz. Along with the other B&K theaters, from 1925 to 1945 the Chicago Theatre was a dominant movie theater enterprise. Currently, Madison Square Garden, Inc. owns and operates the Chicago Theatre as a performing arts venue for stage plays, magic shows, comedy, speeches, sporting events and popular music concerts.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 1979, and was listed as a Chicago Landmark on January 28, 1983. The distinctive Chicago Theatre marquee, "an unofficial emblem of the city", appears frequently in film, television, artwork, and photography.

{snip}

[hedda_foil]

1. The Chicago is definitely a landmark but it didn't compare to Balaban & Katz's real palaces.

The Oriental and Uptown Theaters are works of art. The gloriously restored Oriental is now the Nederlander. The Uptown renovations are still on hold.

The Uptown Theater Chicago Grand Lobby

[Stuart G]

2. Lots of movie theaters had grand entrances...One where I grew up, The Avalon, at Stony Island and ..

79th street was incredible...And When I went there as a kid, I had no idea on how special the lobby & the theater were
..

....It was just one place to view first run movies....Oh well, that is something from the past...First Run, Second Run and
Third Run movie theaters....Wait...is there such a thing as a ....Movie Theater? these days?again it is

time to hide................

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Saw Dire Straits At The Uptown

Fifth or sixth row center. That place was awesome for concerts because the room sounds so good.
Not that the Chicago Theater isn't good, too. Just not as good.
Saw a few shows, including Satriani at the CT.
Also, saw one of the big hit movies there in college, (was visiting a friend at Loyola), but I forget what movie.