The Drury Lane Theatres were a group of five theatres in the Chicago metropolitan area founded by

Tony DeSantis Anthony DeSantis, KStJ (January 5, 1914 - June 6, 2007) was an American entrepreneur and theater owner in Chicago, Illinois. He is most well known for the foundation of the area's Drury Lane theatres. During DeSantis' lifetime, his empire include ...

. The playhouses were named after the historic

Theatre Royal Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

, built in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in the 17th century. The five locations all provided affordable

dinner theatre Dinner theater (sometimes called dinner and a show) is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. "Dinner and a show" can also refer to a restaurant meal in combination with live concert music, where pat ...

that was appropriate for families.Jones, Chris

Chicago Tribune, June 7, 2007 - Mr. Theater in Chicago, Section 1, Page 1 Two have since closed, two others were later sold and operate under new names, and one still operated as a Drury Lane Theatre. DeSantis opened the ''Martinique Restaurant'' in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Evergreen Park and began producing plays in 1949 in a tent adjacent to the restaurant to attract customers. The enterprise was successful, prompting him to build his first theatre. *''Drury Lane Evergreen Park'' was DeSantis’s first theatre in the Chicago area. It opened in 1958 and was a local entertainment landmark for 45 years before closing in 2003.Munson, Nancy

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, June 19, 2003-Wal-Mart to Replace Dinner Theater in Evergreen Park, IL * ''Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace'' opened in 1984, and is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 83, Kingery Highway, Butterfield Road, and

Illinois Route 38 Illinois Route 38 is an west–east state highway that runs across northern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in downtown Dixon to US 12/ US 20/ US 45 (Mannheim Road) in Westchester. It runs concurrently with ...

(

Roosevelt Road Roosevelt Road (originally named 12th Street) is a major east-west street in the city of Chicago, Illinois, and its western suburbs. It is 1200 South in the city's street numbering system, but only south of Madison Street. It runs under this ...

) in

Oakbrook Terrace Oakbrook Terrace is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, and is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 2,751. It is the smallest town in DuPage County, in terms of area and population. History Oakbrook Terrace was original ...

. It continues to present an annual season of five shows. *The original Drury Lane

Water Tower Place Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a shopping mall, hotel, theater, and condominiums in a 74-story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The mall is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Mag ...

opened in 1976, but closed in 1983. A new, $7 million version opened on May 18, 2004. In 2010, this was taken over by the

Nederlander Organization The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander in Detroit, and currently based in New York City, is one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on ...

-owned

Broadway In Chicago Broadway In Chicago is a theatrical production company. It was formed in July 2000 by the Nederlander Organization to present touring Broadway productions in Chicago and currently manages programming at five historic theaters. Occasionally, it pr ...

production company and renamed the

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place is operated by Broadway In Chicago, a Nederlander subsidiary. Located at Water Tower Place in Chicago, Illinois, it was formerly known as Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place. It was reopened in 2004 and se ...

. *''Drury Lane North'' began operations in 1976, but was soon sold to the ''Marriott Lincolnshire Resort'' and became the

Marriott Theatre The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois is a respected Chicago area regional theatre. Attached to the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, the theatre produces an average of five musicals each year, presented in the round, as well as production ...

. *''Drury Lane East'' (at

McCormick Place McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America. It consists of four interconnected buildings and one indoor arena sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. McCor ...

) also opened in the 1970s, but failed within a year of its opening.Abarbanel, Jonathan: PerformINK stories: April 29, 2004- Tony DeSantis and His New Drury Lane Theatre

References

External links

Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace
{{Chicago Theaters Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois Theatres in Chicago Dinner theatre Buildings and structures in DuPage County, Illinois

See also

References

External links