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Best Broadway Style Chicago Theatres

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 | Chicago Broadway, Theatre | No Comments

Chicago has been known throughout the years as being a theatre town. Many classic, historic theatres have been refurbished and are still in use today. Having a chance to attend a Chicago theater show in one of them is like taking a step back in time, to when vaudeville and movies were getting their start in cities all over the United States, including The Windy City.

Ford Center for the Performing Arts
The Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre has glorious painting, molding and architecture in the style of the Far East. Built in 1926, it started out as an movie house, but also hosted stage shows. Stars of yesteryear such as George Burns and Gracie Allen, Cab Calloway, Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, and Alice Faye graced this wonderful stage. The theatre underwent a complete restoration in 1998 just in time for the Chicago opening of the hit Broadway musical Ragtime. The Broadway in Chicago show Wicked has enjoyed a long run at this lovely theatre.

The Cadillac Palace
The Cadillac Palace also opened in 1926. The interior of this theatre will take you back to the French Versailles and Fontainebleau, because of the use of elaborate decorative mirrors, marble, gold leaf and wooden decorations. Starting life as a vaudeville house, notable performers include Sophie Tucker, Jack Benny and Bob Hope. As times and tastes shifted, the Palace became a movie theatre, and was restored in 1999. Shows heading to Broadway have had runs at this wonderful theatre, including The Producers and Mamma Mia! You can catch current Broadway in Chicago shows like Young Frankenstein here as well.

Bank of America Theatre
Today’s Bank of America Theatre started out in 1906 as the Majestic Theatre. A great vaudeville house, it hosted renowned entertainers such as Harry Houdini. After the war years, the theatre was used for Broadway touring shows including South Pacific and Carousel. Today, the theatre is home to the long-running Broadway in Chicago musical Jersey Boys.

Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre was built in 1889 and is noted for its wonderful sightlines. Patrons to this theatre will revel in the amazing architecture, and details such as stencils, gilded designs, and mosaics, not to mention ceiling arches covered in gold leaf. It is a Historic National Landmark Theatre, and you will find that this amazing Chicago theater hosts a wide variety of events, including the show A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, plus performances by the Joffrey Ballet and The Ten Tenors.

Genesee Theatre
The Genesee Theatre in nearby Waukegan is a large concert hall seating over 2,400 fans. Opening in 1927 as a vaudeville house and movie theatre, it was renovated in 2004 and is one of the premiere concert halls around. Upcoming acts include comic Bill Cosby, writer and chef Anthony Bourdain, as well as musicians Chris Botti and Bryan Adams.

All of these classic venues offer an exciting array of possibilities for theater shows you will not want to miss. Contact your online ticket broker today to order tickets for any of these venues.

Tags: Auditorium Theatre, Bank of America Theatre, broadway in Chicago, Cadillac Palace, chicago theater, Ford Center for the Performing Arts

Your Guide to Broadway In Chicago

Friday, November 20th, 2009 | Broadway, Theatre | No Comments

Theatre fans know that Broadway offers the pinnacle of theatrical plays and musicals available anywhere in the country. Because Broadway plays are so popular, after a show has had a successful run on Broadway, they will take the show on the road. Broadway touring shows play in large theatres throughout the United States, so that audiences unable to make the trip to New York City are still able to see the same great shows. Chicago is a big theatre town, and regularly takes part in these wonderful plays coming into town from Broadway.

Two notable theatres in Chicago are the LaSalle Bank Theater and the Auditorium Theatre. Chicago audiences enjoy performances there throughout the year. The Auditorium Theatre, Chicago offers upcoming performances by the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company, The Joffrey Ballet, The Ten Tenors. The Auditorium Theatre began life as an opera house, and has been in existence for nearly one hundred and twenty years. The building itself is a National Historic Landmark building, and it is wonderful to experience a show in this glorious venue.

The LaSalle Bank Theater, which now goes by the name of Bank of America Theater, hosts a variety of top Broadway plays in Chicago. Built one hundred and three years ago, the theatre began life under the name the Majestic Theatre and hosted vaudeville acts. Today as the Bank of America Theater, it is home to the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. Jersey Boys is a theatrical retelling of the evolution and history of a famous 1960s rock group, The Four Seasons with Frankie Valli. They have the Chicago production of this tremendous musical, which started its run in The Windy City in 2007 and features songs such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” and “My Eyes Adored You,” playing regularly at this large theatre, thrilling audiences with their wonderful harmonies.

You can find tickets for Broadway in Chicago playing at Bank of America Theater, the Auditorium Theatre and other classic venues through a local ticket broker.

Tags: auditorium theatre Chicago, broadway in Chicago, lasalle bank theater, plays in chicago