Cadillac Palace Theatre
| Location | Chicago Loop |
|---|---|
| Owner | Van Kampen Family |
| Operator | Nederlander Organization |
| Capacity | 2,344 |
| Production | Beauty and the Beast (2025) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 4, 1926 |
| Renovated | 1972, 1984, 1999 |
| Closed | 1972-84 |
| Construction cost | $12 million ($218 million in 2023 dollars[1]) $20 million (1999 renovations) ($37.4 million in 2023 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
The Cadillac Palace Theatre (originally known as the New Palace Theatre) is operated by Broadway In Chicago, a Nederlander company. It is located at 151 West Randolph Street in the Chicago Loop area.
History
The theater opened in 1926 as the New Palace Theatre with Roger Wolfe Kahn and his Orchestra topping the bill. It was built at a cost of $12 million as part of the Eitel Block Project. In 1984, the theater was renamed the Bismarck Theatre and turned into a rock venue. In 1999, it was renovated and renamed the Cadillac Palace Theatre after Cadillac purchased naming rights. It currently has maximum capacity of 2,344 people. Since this reopening it has been home to many pre-broadway hits. Broadway In Chicago which has allowed for more Broadway hits to tour through Chicago causing a great economic impact on the city of Chicago.[2]
Architecture
The Rapp Brothers, George and Cornelius, were responsible for the design of the Cadillac Palace Theatre. The two men were also the architects behind the Nederlander Theatre and the Chicago Theatre, as well as dozens of other theaters around the country. Their inspiration for the look and feel of the Palace Theatre came from the Fontainebleau and the Palace of Versailles, both found in France. The interior includes huge decorative mirrors, breche violet and white marble. The walls inside are adorned with gold leafing and wood decorations, as well as a series of complex arches and detailed brass ornamentation.
Restoration
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During World War II the United States government went around to most theaters and confiscated all the brass which it recycled for war materials. At the time, the owners of the Palace Theatre painted all the brass in the theater white, so that when the government came in, they were tricked into thinking the theater contained no brass. The brass was left this way and generally forgotten until the recent renovation, when the paint was removed and the rare brass ornamentation was rediscovered and restored to its original condition.
General interest
The theater opened as part of vaudeville's
Notable productions
The Cadillac Palace became home to pre-Broadway tours and world premieres with the opening of
References
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Yerak, Becky (February 13, 2015). "Cadillac Palace owner leading $55 million restoration of Congress Theater". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ Carcione, Sandra Grant (2000-07-01), Rebirth of a Dream, Buildings[dead link]
