Chicago Theatre
شيكاغو
The Chicago Theatre opened in 1921 as a grand movie palace. Today its stage hosts concerts and live shows. Its vertical sign is one of the symbols of the city.
The movie palaces
In the early 1900s, people watched films in small halls with wooden benches. When films got longer, comfortable and beautiful theaters were needed. So movie palaces were born, as lavish as castles. This was one of the first in the country, and it is the oldest left in Chicago.
The Rapp brothers
It was designed by two architect brothers, Cornelius and George Rapp. They wanted every moviegoer to feel like a king, from the entrance to the seat. The lobby imitates a French royal chapel, and the grand staircase recalls the Paris Opera. Everywhere there was furniture in the style of Louis XIV.
The facade
The shiny white facade gleams over the street. Above the entrance is a round window of colored glass with the emblem of the company that ran the theater. The big vertical sign has become an emblem of the city.
From films to the stage
The hall, seven stories high, has about 3,600 seats. In the 1950s the theater was modernized. Later it nearly closed, but it was saved and restored. Today musicians and actors take the stage, and families come to see live shows.
