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 |
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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 at 24 West Randolph Street. The theater first opened in 1926. Back then, it was called the Oriental Theater. It was a fancy place to watch movies and vaudeville shows. Today, the Nederlander Theatre has 2,253 seats. It hosts live touring Broadway theater productions. The company Broadway In Chicago operates it.
The theater building is part of what was once the New Masonic office building. Both the skyscraper and the theater were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. They were listed as the New Masonic Building and Oriental Theater. 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 building where the theater is located was originally a temple for different Masonic groups. The Oriental Theater opened in 1926. It was one of many beautiful movie palaces built in Chicago during the 1920s. The famous architects Rapp and Rapp designed it. Besides movies, the theater also had live shows sometimes.
The Oriental Theater was a key part of Chicago's theater scene until the 1960s. However, fewer people visited in the 1970s. It closed in 1971. After it closed, the lobby became a store. The theater itself stayed empty for over ten years.
A New Beginning
The Oriental-Ford Center for the Arts reopened as a live theater in the 1990s. It was renamed the Nederlander Theatre in 2019. This theater is one of several that helped bring Chicago's Loop Theater District back to life. Many other theaters in the area were also restored. These include the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, and the Chicago Theatre. Randolph Street used to be the main area for entertainment in downtown Chicago. It had many theaters until the 1970s.
On November 13, 2018, it was announced that the theater would be renamed. This was to honor James M. Nederlander, who passed away in 2016. He was the founder of Broadway In Chicago. He also owned Broadway theaters and helped Chicago's Downtown Theater District. The theater showed off its new name and signs on February 8, 2019.
The Iroquois Theatre Fire
Before the Oriental Theater, another theater stood on this spot. It was called the Iroquois Theatre. It opened on November 23, 1903. Sadly, it was the site of a terrible fire. This fire was the deadliest theater fire and the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. At least 600 people died. This was more than double the number of deaths in The Great Chicago Fire.
After this tragic event, city officials closed all theaters in Chicago. They inspected every one for safety. New laws were made to improve safety. These laws covered things like how wide aisles should be, how exits should work, and how scenery should be fireproofed. They also set limits on how many people could be in a theater. These rules helped make theaters much safer for everyone.
Theater Design
The architects of the Nederlander Theatre were George L. and Cornelius W. Rapp. They also designed other famous Chicago theaters like the Palace and Chicago Theatres. The Nederlander Theatre has decorations inspired by the beautiful architecture of India. A big theater company called Balaban and Katz used to run this theater. It had 3,250 seats back then.
How the Theater Was Restored
On January 10, 1996, a Canadian theater company called Livent bought the property. They announced plans to fix up the theater. The goal was to finish by 1998. The city of Chicago helped by giving $13.5 million for the restoration. Ford Motor Company also helped by sponsoring the project.
The restored theater reopened on October 18, 1998. It now had 2,253 seats. The theater now hosts touring Broadway shows and new productions. During the restoration, architect Daniel P. Coffey made changes to increase the backstage area. He used parts of the nearby Oliver Building to do this.
In 2007, Live Nation sold the theater to the Nederlander Organization. In 2015, a developer bought the office building next door. They planned to turn it into apartments. This plan changed, and it became a 198-room hotel that opened in 2017. During the hotel's renovation, workers found a forgotten Masonic meeting space on the fourteenth floor. This space was preserved and turned into a special event venue.
Fun Facts and Famous Faces
In its early years, the Nederlander Theatre showed both movies and vaudeville acts. By the 1930s, it mostly showed movies. However, live performances and concerts still happened. Famous musicians like Duke Ellington and his orchestra often performed there. Hal Pearl, known as Chicago's 'King of the Organ,' also gave concerts.
In October 1934, a 12-year-old girl named Frances Gumm performed at the theater with her sisters. They were known as The Gumm Sisters. A performer named George Jessel suggested they change their name. They became The Garland Sisters. Frances Garland later changed her first name and became the famous Judy Garland.
Stars Who Performed Here
Many other famous stars have performed at the Nederlander Theatre. These include:
- 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
- Hal Pearl
- Penn & Teller
- Frank Sinatra
- The Three Stooges
- Sophie Tucker
- Sarah Vaughan
- Henny Youngman
Popular Shows
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The theater reopened in 1998 with the Chicago premiere of the musical Ragtime. From June 2005 to January 2009, the theater hosted a long-running production of Wicked. This made Wicked the most popular stage show in Chicago's history.
The Nederlander Theatre has also hosted shows before they moved to Broadway in New York.
- The Addams Family, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, played from November 2009 to January 2010.
- Billy Elliot, a Tony Award winner for Best Musical, ran from March to November 2010.
- On Your Feet! played from June to July 2015.
- SpongeBob SquarePants played from June to July 2016.
- The Cher Show, a musical about the life and music of Cher, opened in June 2018 for five weeks. It then moved to New York.
In March 2019, it was announced that a musical based on the songs of Britney Spears, Once Upon a One More Time, would premiere at the venue. It played from October to December 2019.
The theater reopened on November 2, 2021, with previews of the musical Paradise Square. This show officially opened on November 17 and ran until December 5.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began its first North America tour at the theater on September 10, 2024. This production combines the original two-part play into one show. It is expected to run until at least February 2025.
