Nederlander Theatre (Chicago) facts for kids
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Nederlander Theater
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The Nederlander Theatre in Chicago was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as the New Masonic Building and Oriental Theater
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| Former names | − The Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre − Oriental Theatre |
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| Address | 24 West Randolph Street |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°53′5″N 87°37′43″W / 41.88472°N 87.62861°W |
| Public transit | State/Lake station, Lake station |
| Owner | Broadway In Chicago |
| Type | Theatre |
| Capacity | 2,253 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Renovated | 1996 – 1998 |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
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New Masonic Building and Oriental Theater
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| Location | 24 W Randolph Street Chicago, Illinois |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival, Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 78003401 |
| Added to NRHP | September 26, 1978 |
The James M. Nederlander Theatre is a famous theater in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is located on Randolph Street in an area called the Loop. This theater first opened in 1926.
Back then, it was known as the Oriental Theatre. It was a fancy place to watch movies and vaudeville shows. Today, the Nederlander Theatre shows live Broadway plays. It is run by a group called Broadway In Chicago. The theater can seat 2,253 people.
The theater building was part of a larger office building. This building was once called the New Masonic Building. Both the skyscraper and the theater were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The office part of the building is now a hotel. In 2019, the theater was renamed to honor James M. Nederlander. He was a very important person in the theater world.
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History of the Theater
The New Masonic Building was first used by different Masonic groups. The Oriental Theater opened in 1926. It was one of many beautiful movie palaces built in Chicago during the 1920s. These theaters were designed by the company Rapp and Rapp.
The Oriental Theater showed movies and sometimes live shows. It was a key part of Chicago's theater scene until the 1960s. But in the 1970s, fewer people came to watch shows. The theater closed in 1971. The last movie shown there was The Female Bunch. The theater's lobby was turned into a store. The theater itself stayed empty for over ten years.
The Iroquois Theatre Fire
The Oriental Theater was built where another theater once stood. This earlier theater was called the Iroquois Theatre. It opened in 1903. Sadly, it was the site of the Iroquois Theatre fire. This fire was the deadliest theater fire in U.S. history. It was also the deadliest fire in a single building. More than 600 people died, which was more than double the deaths from The Great Chicago Fire.
After this terrible event, city officials closed all theaters in Chicago. They inspected every theater. New laws were made to make theaters safer. These laws covered things like how wide aisles should be. They also set rules for exits and how many people could be inside.
Reopening and New Name
The Oriental Theatre reopened in the 1990s. It became a place for live theater again. In 2019, it was renamed the Nederlander Theatre. This theater is now one of many that have been brought back to life. They are all part of Chicago's busy Loop Theater District.
The reopening of the Oriental Theatre helped other theaters in the Loop get restored. Other famous theaters in this area include the Cadillac Palace Theatre and the Chicago Theatre. Randolph Street used to be the main street for entertainment in downtown Chicago. But the area became less popular in the 1970s. Many old theaters like the United Artists Theatre were torn down.
On November 13, 2018, it was announced the theater would be renamed. This was to honor James M. Nederlander. He founded Broadway In Chicago and owned many theaters. He passed away in 2016. The theater showed off its new name and signs on February 8, 2019. It was officially the James M. Nederlander Theatre.
Theater Design
The architects who designed the Nederlander Theatre were George L. and Cornelius W. Rapp. They also designed other famous Chicago theaters. These include the Palace and Chicago Theatres. The Nederlander Theatre has decorations inspired by the buildings of India.
A big theater company called Balaban and Katz used to run this theater. It could hold 3,250 people.
Restoration Work
In 1996, a Canadian theater company decided to buy the theater. They planned to fix it up. The city of Chicago promised to help with money. A car company also agreed to sponsor the theater.
The restored theater opened again on October 18, 1998. It now had 2,253 seats. Today, it hosts touring Broadway shows and new plays.
During the restoration, an architect made a plan to make the backstage area bigger. They used part of a nearby building for this.
In 2015, a developer bought the office building next to the theater. They wanted to turn it into apartments. But the plan changed to a hotel, which opened in 2017. During the hotel's renovation, workers found a hidden Masonic meeting room. This room had been forgotten for a long time. The developer kept parts of the old design. They turned the space into a special tent-like venue called a spiegeltent. It opened in 2019.
Interesting Facts
The Nederlander Theatre showed both movies and vaudeville acts when it first opened. But by the 1930s, it mainly showed movies. Still, live shows and concerts continued. Famous jazz musician Duke Ellington often performed there. Hal Pearl, known as Chicago's 'King of the Organ,' also gave concerts.
In 1934, a 12-year-old girl named Frances Gumm performed at the theater with her sisters. They were called The Gumm Sisters. A performer named George Jessel told them to change their name. So, they became The Garland Sisters. Frances Garland later changed her first name. She became the famous singer and actress Judy Garland.
Famous Performers
Many other stars have performed at the Nederlander Theatre, including:
- Ann-Margret
- George Benson
- Fanny Brice
- George Burns and Gracie Allen
- Cab Calloway
- Eddie Cantor
- Bing Crosby
- Danny Thomas
- Alice Faye
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Jean Harlow
- Billie Holiday
- Bob Hope
- Al Jolson
- Danny Kaye
- Eartha Kitt
- Jerry Lewis
- Chico Marx
- Penn & Teller
- Frank Sinatra
- The Three Stooges
- Sophie Tucker
- Sarah Vaughan
- Henny Youngman
Notable Productions
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The theater reopened in 1998 with the musical Ragtime. From 2005 to 2009, the theater hosted a long-running show of Wicked. This made Wicked the most popular stage show in Chicago's history. The producers thought it would run for about 18 months. But it stayed for much longer!
The theater also hosted shows before they went to Broadway in New York. These included:
- The Addams Family (2009-2010), starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth.
- Billy Elliot (2010), which won a Tony Award for Best Musical.
- On Your Feet! (2015).
- SpongeBob SquarePants (2016).
The Cher Show, a musical about the life and music of Cher, opened in 2018. It played for five weeks before moving to New York.
In 2019, it was announced that a musical based on the songs of Britney Spears would premiere there. This show was called Once Upon a One More Time. It was planned to run from October to December.
The theater reopened on November 2, 2021. It showed previews of a new musical called Paradise Square. The show officially opened on November 17. It ran until December 5 and received good reviews.
