![FCAudMainFloor300dpi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/FCAudMainFloor300dpi.jpg)
The James M. Nederlander Theatre is a
theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...
located at 24 West
Randolph Street in the
Loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
area of downtown
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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. Previously known as the Oriental Theatre, it opened in 1926 as a deluxe
movie palace
A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is any of the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 192 ...
and
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
venue. Today the Nederlander presents live
Broadway theater and is operated by
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 pre ...
, currently seating 2,253.
The multi-story theater-house was constructed within what was the New Masonic office building and both the skyscraper and theater were listed in 1978 on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
as, New Masonic Building and Oriental Theater. The office building part is now a hotel. In 2019, the theater was re-named for theater impresario
James M. Nederlander
James M. Nederlander (March 31, 1922 – July 25, 2016) was an American theatrical producer who served as chairman of the Nederlander Organization, one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. , of 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 ...
.
History
The Masonic Building originally served as a combined temple for multiple Masonic lodges. The Oriental Theater opened in 1926 as one of many ornate
movie palace
A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is any of the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 192 ...
s built in Chicago during the 1920s by the firm
Rapp and Rapp
C. W. & George L. Rapp, commonly known as Rapp & Rapp, was an American architectural firm famed for the design of movie palaces and other theatres. Active from 1906 to 1965 and based in Chicago, the office designed over 400 theatres, includ ...
. In addition to movies, it occasionally showed live acts. The Oriental continued to be a vital part of Chicago's theater district into the 1960s, but patronage declined in the 1970s. Late in the decade, the theater survived by showing
exploitation films. It closed in 1971, the last film shown at the theatre being the action film ''
The Female Bunch
''The Female Bunch'' is a 1969 action film directed by Al Adamson, and starring Russ Tamblyn and Lon Chaney Jr. (in his final feature film). The plot centered on a group of violent, man-hating female criminals who cause trouble around the Mexica ...
'', and its lobby was refitted as a retail TV and radio store, while the theater remained vacant for more than a decade.
The Oriental had replaced an earlier theater venue on the site, which opened November 23, 1903 — the Iroquois Theatre, site of the
Iroquois Theatre fire
The Iroquois Theatre fire occurred on December 30, 1903, at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is the deadliest theater fire and the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history, resulting in at least 602 deaths.
Thea ...
, the deadliest theatre fire and the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. After the fire's recorded death toll reached at least 600 fatalities, over double the death toll of
The Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
, city officials closed all theaters in the city for inspection. Following the incident, the city enacted new laws that addressed aisleway and exit standards, scenery fireproofing, and occupancy limits.
The Oriental-Ford Center for the Arts reopened as a live theater venue in the 1990s and was renamed the Nederlander Theatre in 2019. The theater is one of several houses now operating in Chicago's revitalized Loop Theater District. According to Richard Christiansen of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', the reopening of the Oriental spurred the restoration of other theaters in The Loop. The district is also home to the
Cadillac Palace Theatre,
CIBC Theatre, the
Goodman Theatre, and the
Chicago Theatre. Randolph Street was traditionally the center of downtown Chicago's entertainment district until the 1970s when the area began to decline. The now demolished
United Artists Theatre
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
,
Woods Theatre,
Garrick Theater (originally constructed as the Schiller Theater and Building), State-Lake Theatre, Erlanger and Roosevelt Theatre were located near the intersection of Randolph and State Streets.
On November 13, 2018, Broadway In Chicago announced that the theater would be renamed to honor
James M. Nederlander
James M. Nederlander (March 31, 1922 – July 25, 2016) was an American theatrical producer who served as chairman of the Nederlander Organization, one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. , founder of Broadway In Chicago, Broadway theater owner and producer, and champion of Chicago’s Downtown Theater District, who died in 2016. The venue unveiled its newly renovated marquee, vertical blade sign and signage as the ''James M. Nederlander Theatre'' on February 8, 2019.
Architecture
![Pillars in the Ford Center for Performing Arts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Pillars_in_the_Ford_Center_for_Performing_Arts.jpg)
The architects of the Nederlander Theatre were
George L. and Cornelius W. Rapp, who also designed the Palace and Chicago Theatres. The Nederlander Theatre features decor inspired by the architecture of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The city's dominant theater chain,
Balaban and Katz (a subsidiary of
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
) operated the 3,250-seat venue.
Restoration
On January 10, 1996, Canadian theatrical company
Livent announced it acquired the property and would renovate the structure with an anticipated completion date of 1998.
The city of Chicago pledged $13.5 million toward the restoration and
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
entered into a sponsorship agreement with Livent for a reported $1 million annual fee.
In November 1998, Livent filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. and the Bankruptcy Court approved the sale of its assets to SFX Entertainment.
The restored theater reopened October 18, 1998, with a reconfigured seating capacity of 2,253.
The restored venue now hosts touring
Broadway shows
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
, and premiers.
During the restoration, architect Daniel P. Coffey created a design plan that would increase the theater's backstage area by gutting the adjacent
Oliver Building while preserving one-third of its original steel structure, as well as the building's Dearborn façade and a portion of its alley façade.
SFX's corporate successor,
Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainme ...
, sold the venue to 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 ...
in 2007.
In 2015, a developer purchased the adjacent 22-story office building with the intent of converting the space into 230 apartments. However, the plan quickly changed to a 198-room hotel which opened in 2017.
During the renovation, workers on the fourteenth floor removed a false ceiling and discovered a long-forgotten Masonic meeting space. The developer preserved parts of the original architecture and renovated the space into a
spiegeltent which opened in Spring 2019.
General interest
The venue presented both movies and
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
acts during its early years, but by the 1930s it became predominantly a movie house, though live performances and concerts continued.
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...
and his orchestra made frequent appearances at the Nederlander.
In October 1934, 12-year-old Frances Gumm and her sisters performed at the theater but received laughs when
George Jessel would introduce them as The Gumm Sisters. At his urging, they changed their name to The Garland Sisters after his friend, Robert Garland, critic for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Frances Garland would later change her first name, to become
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
.
Performers
Many other stars also performed at the Nederlander including:
Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret.
She is known for her roles in ''Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), ''B ...
,
George Benson,
Fanny Brice
Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. S ...
,
George Burns and Gracie Allen,
Cab Calloway
Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...
,
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...
,
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
,
Alice Faye
Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...
,
Stepin Fetchit,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
,
Ana Gasteyer,
Jean Harlow,
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...
,
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
,
Al Jolson,
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...
,
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...
,
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
,
The Marx Brothers,
Penn & Teller,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
,
The Three Stooges,
Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker (born Sofia Kalish; January 13, 1886 – February 9, 1966) was an American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertaine ...
,
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer.
Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
,
Henny Youngman and
George Jessel.
Notable productions
The theater re-opened in 1998 with the Chicago premiere of the musical ''
Ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
''. From June 2005 through January 2009, the theater housed a sit-down production of ''
Wicked
Wicked may refer to:
Books
* Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe
* ''Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name
* ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' ser ...
'', making it the most popular stage production in Chicago history. ''Wicked'' exceeded expectations, according to producer
David Stone: "To be honest, we thought it would run eighteen months, then we'd spend a year in Los Angeles and six months in San Francisco."
The venue hosted the pre-
Broadway run of ''
The Addams Family'', starring
Nathan Lane and
Bebe Neuwirth
Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth ( ; born December 31, 1958) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. On television, she played Dr. Lilith Sternin, Frasier Crane's wife, on both the TV sitcom ''Cheers'' (in a starring role) and its spin-off ''F ...
from November 13, 2009 through January 10, 2010, and a production of the 2009
Tony Award winner for Best Musical ''
Billy Elliot'' starring
Cesar Corrales
Cesar Corrales (born September 26, 1996) is a Mexican-Canadian ballet dancer and actor. He starred as "Young Billy" in the Chicago and Toronto productions of ''Billy Elliot the Musical'' and has been a principal dancer with English National Ballet ...
as Billy from March 18 to November 28, 2010.
The theatre also hosted the pre-Broadway runs of ''
On Your Feet!
''On Your Feet!'' is a jukebox musical that played on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre. Based on the lives and music of 26-time Grammy Award-winning husband-and-wife team Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the musical has a book written by Alexander Dinel ...
'' June 2 through July 15, 2015 and ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
'' from June 7 to July 10, 2016.
''
The Cher Show
''Cher'' was an American variety show that premiered on CBS in 1975, hosted by singer-actress Cher. The show had many famous musical guests. It followed a TV special featuring Elton John, Bette Midler, and Flip Wilson as guests. ''Cher'' pre ...
'', a so-called "bio-musical" of
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
's life and music, opened June 12, 2018, for a five-week run before moving to New York's
Neil Simon Theatre
The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for A ...
in the fall.
In March 2019,
James L. Nederlander
James L. Nederlander (born January 23, 1960) is a Broadway theatre owner, operator, producer and presenter. He is the president of the Nederlander Organization, which was founded by his grandfather. He is also a 13-time Tony Award winner and ha ...
announced that a musical based on the songs of
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
''
Once Upon a One More Time
''Once Upon a One More Time'' is a jukebox musical comedy based on songs popularized by Britney Spears. Set in a fantasy storybook realm, the plot follows numerous fairy-tale characters transformed by a feminist awakening.
Synopsis
While gath ...
'' would premiere at the venue October 29 and run until December 1 when it would move to New York. In January, the Michael Jackson Estate and Columbia Live Stage had announced that ''
MJ the Musical'', a bio-musical of
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
would play during that period, but producers instead opted to premiere in New York.
The theatre reopened November 2, 2021, with previews of the pre-Broadway musical ''Paradise Square'' with an official opening on November 17. The run concluded December 5 after generally favorable reviews.
References
External links
*
Historic Images of the James M. Nederlander Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:James M. Nederlander Theatre (Chicago)
1926 establishments in Illinois
Art Deco architecture in Illinois
Cinemas and movie theaters in Chicago
Former Masonic buildings in Illinois
Gothic Revival architecture in Illinois
Late Gothic Revival architecture
Movie palaces
Theatres completed in 1926
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois