Page 55 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Chicago

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1925, when it was demolished.
The Oriental, built on the site,
opened in 1926. The 22-story
building, with its 3,238-seat
auditorium, was designed by
renowned theater architects
Cornelius W. and George L. Rapp.
The theater was used as a
movie palace back when live
performances accompanied
screenings. Judy Garland, Jackie
Gleason, and Bob Hope all
performed here.
Inspired by the East Indian
carnival-festival Durbar, the
theater’s interior is full of
fantastic decorative elements,
such as the elephant-head light
fixtures in the foyer.
The Oriental is in what, for
more than a century, was
Chicago’s bustling theater district:
Randolph Street between
Michigan Avenue and Wacker
Christmas window display at Macy’s Drive. The Rice Theatre was the
first to open in the area, in 1847
by loyal customers, the name lady what she wants.” When the (since it has burned down).
Macy’s remains ubiquitous store opened in 1907, it was By the 1880s, more than 25
elsewhere. Originally a dry- considered the largest in the entertainment palaces were
goods shop begun by wealthy world, with 1,339,000 sq ft offering vaudeville, musicals,
businessman Marshall Field (124,400 sq m) of retail space, opera, and drama. Although
(see p79), the store now occupies including the basement (such few of the original theaters
an entire city block. Built in use was until then unheard of remain, the district has been
five stages as the company in US merchandising), 35,000 revitalized, spurred by the
grew, the original building, a electric lights, 50 elevators, and restoration of the Oriental, which
Renaissance Revival-style design 12 street-front entrances. reopened as the Ford Center for
by Charles B. Atwood of D.H. The store’s most spectacular the Performing Arts Oriental
Burnham, still stands at feature is its Tiffany mosaic Theater. Restoration of the
Washington and Wabash. vaulted dome. With more than theater was completed in 1998
Field is credited with trans- 1.6 million pieces of iridescent after a 17-year closure; 62,500 sq
forming State Street into the glass covering 6,000 sq ft ft (5,800 sq m) of gold leaf were
retail heart of Chicago in the (557 sq m), it took 18 months used in the theater’s renovation.
early 1900s and for coining the and 50 artisans, supervised by
commercial credo, “Give the designer Louis Comfort Tiffany,
to complete.
e Oriental
Theater
24 W Randolph St. Map 3 C1.
Tel (312) 782-2004. q
Washington (Red Line). 7 8
11am Sat. See Entertainment:
pp166–7. ∑ chicago-
theater.com
The Oriental Theater
occupies the site of one of
the worst theater fires in US
history: just weeks after opening
in 1903, fire broke out in the
Iroquois Theater, claiming almost Signs such as this
Superb Tiffany glass dome in Macy’s 600 lives (see p19). The theater mark the Loop’s
southern atrium was rebuilt and operated until theatrical district

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