Cadillac Palace Chicago Events:

Chicago has theaters… you might say Chicago IS theaters – over 200 and counting.  During the glory days of vaudeville, that life entertainment genre that starred the greatest stars of stage and the early days of screen and some holdovers from the burlesque days, grand theaters were built to provide the grandest spectacle to the viewing public.  Many were built and to the strictest standards. 

 There were no electronics available so acoustics played a large role in their design.  Live entertainers, live orchestras, often animals and wild-west shows, comedy, drama – all vied for the entertainment dollar.  It was today’s equivalent of the rock concert.  The theaters were decked out with the finest in furnishes from silk and brocade curtains to hardwood stages, trap doors, and “flies” to give the ability to move large items on stage.

The pinnacle of these theaters were those designated part of the “Orpheum” Circuit.  Originally chartered in the 1880s, these theaters were owned and built by one Gustav Walter, and modeled after the most luxurious theaters and opera house of Europe.  The first such theater was built on the south side of O’Farrell Street in San Francisco (I used to life across the street from it). 

The chain expanded and re-chartered itself in 1919.  They merged in 1928 with a chain of theatres owned by Benjamin Franklin Keith and Edward Franklin Albee to form Keith-Albee-Orpheum.  Unfortunately, talking motion pictures came in about this time and the days of vaudeville were numbered.  The circuit reformed as Radio-Keith-Orpheum as a major motion picture studio – RKO and formed the basis of RCA.

A number of the theaters exist to this day and their opulence and grandeur have not diminished.  They are still a first-rate theatrical venue and specialize in Broadway type stows.  The oldest remaining theater of the Orpheum Circuit is the Palace Theater in downtown Los Angeles.  The Palace, built in 1911, is one of the theaters in Los Angeles' historic Broadway Theater District.

At the corner of Randolph and LaSalle Streets in Chicago on October 4, 1926 was built the Palace Theatre.  It included a richly appointed lobby with decorative mirrors and violet and white marble foyers, gold leaf decorations, 2,500 plush, roomy seats, spectacular crystal chandeliers, a salon where women received free beauty parlor service and a stage sufficient to house the greatest productions of the day.  It was designed and intended to be the flagship of the Orpheum Circuit, then a chain of 50 theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 In 1999 the theater underwent a complete restoration and renovation.  Lobbies were restored to their original grandeur, and the Palace was once again the grand-old-lady it once had been.  It was renamed the Cadillac Palace and it retains the elegance and sophistication of the original theater while blending state-of-the-art technological and electronic innovations that modern theatrical productions demand.

Today, the range of shows presented at the Cadillac represent the very best of entertainment.  Either currently playing or soon to be on the boards are such magical theater moments as “Mary Poppins”, “Memphis, The Musical”, Ryan Adams, “The Addams Family”, “South Pacific”, “Bring It On” and Cats.  Recent products included “The Lion King”, “Wicked”, “Les Miserables”, Cirque Eloize ID and “West Side Story”.

Tickets to these and all shows playing in Chicago are available at ChicagoTicketCompany.com at discount prices. They are available online, on the web, with a minimum of effort and full safety in purchasing deals and specials, even up to the last minute.  You can choose your seating and get your tickets at the “Will Call” window with ease.  For an evening of unparalleled entertainment and delight, no trip to Chicago would be complete without availing yourself of the many entertainment venues possible.