Chicago vs. New York Theatres

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 1:56am

Is it just me seeing things in pictures, or do many of Chicago's theatres (Oriental, Chicago, and Palace theatres) look absolutely stunning as compared to some of New York's theatre houses? Am I just being dumb or does Chicago have a better track record of taking care of its theatres as compare to Chicago. (I have not been in either the New Amsterdam or the Hilton which I am told are beauiful. (So i really can't comment.) I would just like to hear everyone's general opinions...

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 2:05am

Most of the venues used for touring shows are old movie palaces. The Oriental and Palace (as well as the Chicago) were designed by the Rapp Brothers and the bequest of Balaban and Katz. Having been built in the Vaudeville era, they were designed not only for movies, but also for Vaudeville shows. Broadway shows used to play at The Auditorium Theatre (Chicago's original Opera House), The Shubert (which was always a Vaudeville/Broadway Theatre, and the Arie Crowne Theatre at McCormick Place. The Auditorium booked long runs, leaving shorter runs to book the Chicago, Arie Crowne and Shubert. In the 90s, Livent wanted to keep its shows in Chicago, so they restored The Oriental Theatre to house its own shows. Not to be outdone, Disney attempted to buy the Chicago Theatre, but the owner of the adjacent building wanted an obscene amount of money for them to expand the stage, so they opted out which lead to an interest in restoring the Palace in time for Aida to premiere. Keep in mind, these are only the Broadway houses. Chicago has MANY other theatres, which resemble off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theatres (as do the shows that those theatres produce).

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 2:06am

The three Chicago theatres you mentioned were renovated within the last ten years as part of a movement to rejuvenate the theatre district in the Loop. This includes the new Goodman and will soon have the renovated (and differently named) Shubert. They are all gorgeous. But it took a lot of money and all are still relatively new. So they do look great. Hopefully they will for a long time to come.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 2:10am

Fosse, you are correct. I had forgotten the Livent and Disney connection. But the fact that there are really only a handful of theatres of this caliber in Chicago, I don't think it is really fair to say that New York's theatres are less nice than the ones we have here.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 2:14am

Thanks for setting me straight on this topic. I really do want to make a trip up to Chicago now just to take a tour of those gorgeous theatres sometime soon!

[USTheater.TV]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 2:15am

I'm in the UK and haven't been to Chicago. Does anyone know of any good theatre sites which has pictures ?
My acting profile and showreel

[Jon]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 7:21am

Because the owners of the Chicago Theatre were unable to purchase the adjoining building and expand the depth of the stage, it's pretty much limited to use as a concert venue. There were long runs of JOSEPH... and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST there in the past, but since it is not affiliated with the "Broadway in Chicago" organization, you don't get touring productions there anymore.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 10:20am

"Because the owners of the Chicago Theatre were unable to purchase the adjoining building and expand the depth of the stage, it's pretty much limited to use as a concert venue. There were long runs of JOSEPH... and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST there in the past, but since it is not affiliated with the "Broadway in Chicago" organization, you don't get touring productions there anymore. "

Disney tried to purchase that building prior to Beauty and the Beast, which only ran for five months due to poor sales (The Lion King had already opened on Broadway, and that's what people wanted to see. Disney waited too long to bring it to Chicago). Since they couldn't, they opted not to purchase the Chicago Theatre.
The new owners of the theatre wanted to be able to present tours, but they would have had to lease the Auditorium Theatre. To keep its monopolistic hold on theater in the loop, BIC made an agreement with the Auditorium for an exclusive agreement to produce Broadway tours there.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 12:55pm

I recently attended a performance of Wicked at the Oriental and was dazzled by the theatre. Quite simply, there in nothing in New York to compare with it. It is a large theatre and well-suited for a large show like Wicked, but a smaller show would get lost. A question: is the Oriental the same as the ill-fated Iroquois Theatre, where 600+ perished in a terrible fire in 1903? I know the Oriental is on the site of the Iroquois, but I don't know if the Iroquois was razed or simply rebuilt after the fire. Any reports of ghosts haunting the premises?

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 1:41pm

It's an entirely new theatre built on the site of the Iroquois.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 1:49pm

I remember in the 1970's, the oriental was a rat-infested firetrap that showed kung-fu movies continuously from 9 AM to midnight for a dolar. During the winter, most of the clientele was homeless guys who managed to raised a buck so thety could sleep all day in the warm theater.

Randolph Street was pretty sleazy back then - the old Greyhound station, newsstands that sold mostly porn, cheap electronics stores and novelty shops - sort of our version of old Times Square.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 2:27pm

Thanks for the info. I remember the loop used to be kinda scary after they 'malled' it in the early 70's. I figured that big empty lot on State/Randolph used to be something that got torn down for another something that never got built. BTW, this New Yorker apologizes for the impending renaming of Marshall Field & Co for (eccch) Macy's.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 4:44pm

The main difference I notice between NY/Chicago theatres is the leg room...NY theatres seem to have none compared to Chicago!

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 5:07pm

Sadly I have yet to be in a New York theatre, but I have been in all of chicago's major theatres except for the Goodman, and I have to say they are all indeed very beautiful. The shubert is currently under renovation and it is much needed, but it is still beautiful none the less.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 5:32pm

"Any reports of ghosts haunting the premises?"

The ally where the stage door is is supposed to be haunted.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 5:33pm

"Lot 37", the SW corner of State and Randolph, is FINALLY being developed with a high-rise multi-use building. For the past 15+ years, it has been used as a skatng rink in the winter and an art fair int he summer.

The building originally housed a particulary sleazy row of stores, including a greasy spoon diner which had a major fire. After that, they condemned the building and tore it down.

The Goodman was built on the site of the old Selwyn and Harris theatres, and their ornate facades were preserved. The Selwyn later becamethe Michael Todd Theatre, which closed in the late 1970's. The Harris became the Cinestage, the last straight hardcore porn theatre in Chicago, until home video killed it in the early 80's.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/3/05 at 6:18pm

Regretfully, many of Chicago more ornate theaters have been demolished. A partial list is below:

1. Southtown
2. Tivoli
3. Grenada
4. United Artists
5. Belmont
6. Paradise
7. Marbro
8. Diversey
9. Sheridan
10.Norshore

[lds19]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 12:04am

The small width of New York City blocks really limits the size of Broadway theaters and just doesn't leave room for an ornate lobby such as the Oriental or Palace have in Chicago. New York blocks are 20 to a mile I believe meaning the streets are 264 feet apart center to center - after allowing for street width, that leaves about 200 feet for the width of a building. Chicago blocks are 8 to a mile allowing a much larger footprint for the theaters.

[Misha2]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 8:47am

Chinkie, I think you're actually thinking of the Biograph, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood (no where near the Loop theater district). It's the theater where John Dillinger was gunned down. Yes, the alley is supposed to be haunted. The Biograph was purchased by the Victory Gardens Theater (they won a regional Tony a couple of years ago). It is also currently under restoration.

[Glebb]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 8:57am

I love Victory Gardens Theatre.
They gave me the opportunity to choreograph for Tandy Cronin last year.
Victory Gardens did a benefit a few years ago in which anyone could pay money to perform roles in KISS ME KATE. It was hysterical. The gala was at the Athenaeum Theatre which is in desperate need of renovation.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 9:51am

While the alley next to the Biograph is supposedly haunted, So is the alley behind the Oriental. A city can have more than one haunted alley, you know! :o)