The La Salle Theater was an influential musical, vaudevillian and dramatic playhouse in two Chicago locations, first at 137 West Madison Street, which, until December 1902, had been named the Orpheon Music Hall. The La Salle operated at that location until 1910. Then it moved into a new facility at 110 West

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

, operating as playhouse until 1927, when film began to predominate. The theater closed in the late 1940s. In the spring of 1950, the building was razed to make way for St. Peter's Church.

Tenants & owners

The original La Salle was owned by Anna Sinton Taft, wife the

Charles Phelps Taft Charles Phelps Taft (December 21, 1843 – December 31, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician who served as editor of the ''Cincinnati Times-Star'' and owned both the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs baseball teams. From 1895 to 189 ...

, who was the brother of U.S. President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

. The tenant, from about 1903 until 1910, was Mort H. Singer; in 1910, after lengthy legal action, the theater was won by Harry Askin (1864–1934) and the La Salle Opera House Company, composed of Charles W. Murphy, owner of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

, Askin and several other minor associates. In June 1917, Sinton sold the La Salle (from 118 to 116 West Madison) to S. W. Strauss & Co., headed by Albert L. Strauss (1871–1918). In 1927, La Salle began showing movies. It closed in the late 1940s. In the spring of 1950, the building was razed to make way for St. Peter's Church. In 1913, The La Salle Theater was one of 36 Chicago theaters listed in the ''

Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty ...

Almanac and Year-Book of 1914.''

Selected productions

* ''The Umpire'' (1905), book and lyrics by Will Millan Hough ''(né'' William M. Hough; 1882–1962) &

Frank R. Adams Frank Ramsay Adams (July 7, 1883 – October 8, 1963) was an American author, screenwriter, composer, and newspaper reporter. Biography He was born on July 7, 1883, in Morrison, Illinois. Educated at the University of Chicago, Adams worked as ...

, music by

Joseph E. Howard Joseph Edgar Howard (February 12, 1870May 19, 1961) was an American Broadway composer, lyricist, librettist, and performer. A famed member of Tin Pan Alley along with wife and composer Ida Emerson as part of the song-writing team of Howard and E ...

: 300 performances * ''The Girl Question,'' by

, and Will Hough : Opening night: August 17, 1907 : Over 100 performances * ''The Sweetest Girl from Paris'' (1910), book and lyrics by Addison Burkhardt (1879–1937) & Collin Davis, music by Joseph E. Howard : Ran successfully for two years * ''Louisiana Lou,'' by Addison Burkhardt, Frederick Donaghey, and Ben Jerome : Opening night: September 3, 1912 : 265 performances

Former managers

* Mort H. Singer ''(né'' Mortimer Henry Singer; 1876–1944), who, in addition to managing the La Salle beginning around 1906, produced and directed musicals, many of which toured. He went on to simultaneously manage many other theaters. He led more than one production, but the original one that performed at La Salle was named "La Salle Theater Stock Company."

References

General references * ''Programs for the La Salle Theatre,'' * ''Programs, unbound and arranged by years, 1907–1927'' * ''Midwest Theater and Concert Programs, Playbills, etc.'' Inline citations {{coord, 41, 52, 56.3, N, 87, 37, 53.3, W, region:US-IL_type:landmark, display=title Theatres in Chicago Buildings and structures demolished in 1950 Demolished buildings and structures in Chicago