Rialto Square Theatre

102 N. Chicago Street,
Joliet, IL 60432

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Showing 1 - 25 of 35 comments

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on October 27, 2020 at 1:56 pm

The lobby has been temporarily repurposed for traffic court hearings.

https://abc7chicago.com/7367668/?ex_cid=TA_WLS_FB&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1ui-WcElS46OW2pmT6tg5wcN96DaDY28ry211tlR6OxzbOF8stwWIRP2w

LouRugani
LouRugani on May 28, 2019 at 6:57 pm

The Rialto Square Theatre is vibrant and management firm VenuWorks continues to draw popular attractions on a regular basis which fill the seats and generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits. Financial data indicates that the Rialto Square’s events in March and April cost the Rialto about $235,500 and generated nearly $565,000 in revenue, constituting a profit margin of nearly $330,000. The Joliet City Council provides a $500,000 annual subsidy to the Rialto, and corporate sponsors also contribute. Earlier this year, comedian Bill Engvall drew well, as did the KAR Dance Competition ($35,605) on March 15 and singer Aaron Lewis ($36,539) on March 27. On April 12, the Rainbow National Dance Competition cost the Rialto $13,216 and generated $54,494 in revenue, or a profit of $41,279. Three weddings at the Rialto during March and April generated profits of between $6,000 and $8,000. With big events, the Rialto aims to draw a profit of at least $10,000. The least successful this Spring was The Church Basement Ladies on April 9, which cost the Rialto about $7,000 but generated about $10,800 in actual revenue for a profit of $3,800. Last year the Rialto began a new monthly movie series with $5 general admission seating for weekday screenings. On March 14, the Rialto played Bohemian Rhapsody to a packed house, an incredible success which cost the Rialto about $4,510 but earned actual revenue over $16,560 and a profit of $12,050. On March 21, Billy Idol played to a sellout crowd at the Rialto in a two-man performance with guitarist Steve Stevens. That cost the Rialto $29,180 and generated $56,232 in revenue. The Rialto turned a profit of $27,052. The May 10 “I Left My Heart Tour” performance by Tony Bennett did well. May and June are both busy months for the Rialto.

TerryFamily
TerryFamily on June 23, 2018 at 8:32 pm

Leo Terry Sr was the 1st organist that open the Rialto in Joliet and Leo has his oldest great great grandson who lives in Joliet’s wideside. His name is Don Terry, Don is my son; who may not have the talent Leo had with the keyboard but has a bass baritone tenor voice that makes you feel with harmony

local157
local157 on June 23, 2018 at 3:43 pm

This “Jewel of Joliet” has one of the best original Barton Theatre Pipe Organs in the world.The Joliet Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts maintain it in excellent condition.You can read more about it here:http://www.jatoe.org/organ.htm

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on December 22, 2016 at 9:52 am

There us a picture (postcard?) of the Rialto Square Theatre in the book Legendary Route 66 (page 135).

Texas2step
Texas2step on December 14, 2016 at 6:37 pm

This one opened on May 24, 1926. Ad uploaded.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on August 29, 2016 at 10:59 am

Article: Joliet leaders weigh-in on Rialto’s future

The Herald-News, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/08/26/joliet-leaders-weigh-in-on-rialtos-future/a5eppgd/?page=1

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on February 18, 2015 at 10:36 am

Obituary of Dorothy L. Mavrich. Copy & paste to view.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/375926/dorothy-l-mavrich-saved-rialto-theatre-joliets-rialto-square-theatre

Patsy
Patsy on September 5, 2012 at 4:48 pm

I just learned about this beautiful theatre and that it in located in Joliet Illinois…home of the Drew Peterson trial.

Allan
Allan on July 2, 2010 at 12:40 am

I saw many movies in the Rialto. The sheer size and the magnificant decor made every visit an event. Portions of the film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon were filmed inside the Rialto.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 9, 2009 at 9:24 pm

There is a book series called Images of America, featuring one book titled “Joliet” by author & Joliet native Marianne Wolf. I bought the book in 2006 at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Pages 113-115 are dedicated to Rubens Rialto Square.
There are four pictures with descriptions of the building, lobby, Barton Grande Theatre Pipe Organ, and stage.
The book is/was printed by Arcadia Publishing.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 28, 2008 at 8:23 pm

Here is an undated photo from a plumbing company that did some work on the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/6pblfs

cmgiulini
cmgiulini on December 27, 2007 at 4:25 pm

Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting on a $5 million project to bring the Rialto Square even closer to its original luster.
View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 27, 2007 at 2:14 pm

The Rialto closed briefly or was planning to close in 1951:

JOLIET â€"(AP)â€"The closing of Joliet’s Rialto theater, one of the most costly movie houses in downstate Illinois, was announced today. Roy Rogan, manager, told theater employees that the closing date will be June 9. The theater cost about $1,500,000 when it was built 25 years ago. Rogan did not state why the theater is closing.

crazylady888
crazylady888 on July 21, 2006 at 6:40 pm

Wow, I was at the Rialto a few months ago to watch “Dora the Explorer” with my 4-year-old, and thought the theater was beautiful then! After looking at the old photographs, I wish I had been around to see the theater before it was restored. (We only moved to Joliet 5 years ago.) Thank you all for the pictures!

Broan
Broan on April 14, 2006 at 7:53 am

Whoops. Try again: here is another exterior from UMinn, and here is another

Broan
Broan on April 14, 2006 at 7:49 am

[url=http://snuffy.lib.umn.edu/image/srch/bin/Dispatcher?mode=600&id=atc3615c]Here[/ur;] is another exterior from UMinn

JimRankin
JimRankin on September 25, 2005 at 5:40 am

It should be noted that the photos that ‘lostmemory’ referrs to are Post-restoration, and therefore the lobby textiles (draperies, tapestries, gonfalons, etc.) were not replaced. The auditorium photo is also post-restoration and shows the new House Curtain and the Grande Drape designed and built by the now-defunct Mid-West Scenic and Stage Equipment Co. in Milwaukee. Those golden festoons upon the top of the Grand Drape are not the embroidered or padded passementerie (trapunto) that the originals would have been, but are actually hollow, vacuum formed plastic, gilded to resemble the originals and to avoid today’s high cost of hand fabrication. The ersatz gloss of plastic can still be discerned, however, from the balcony rail. Still, at least they made an attempt here to return some of the glory of the originals, and the theatre is still with us.

JimRankin
JimRankin on April 6, 2005 at 10:09 am

The WARNER in Milwaukee and its kissing cousin you mention in Erie PA, were both opened in May of 1931, and the PARAMOUNT in Aurora was a splendid example of R&R’s ability to merge delicate French rococco influences with their Art Deco in a warm and wonderful way. Many architects made Deco hard and cold, and thereby lost its appeal in the setting of a theatre that is supposed to be warm and inviting. I have not seen any of R&R’s court houses or other public buildings done in Art Deco, but I wonder if they were somehow able to continue the warmth in such venues. The reason R&R used “traditional styles, usually French in origin” is because that was their ‘signature’ style! Any survey of their theatres will reveal their trademark signature of the stylized sunburst of King Louis XIVth, the Sun King. They did work in other styles such as Spanish in the case of the Chicago UPTOWN, but they clearly prefered French — and that is what their clients wanted too! After the death of the principals, the firm did move into the so-called International Style in such as the FISHER remodeling in Detroit, but they still maintained their signature opulent, yet light touch characteristic of the French influence. I am happy they did.

Scott
Scott on April 6, 2005 at 9:24 am

Jim – I agree with your opinion of the Warner in Milwaukee. I had forgotten about that one. And the same could be said for the Paramount in Aurora, IL and the Warner in Erie, PA, both from 1931. They did get creative with their use of art deco. Though Rapp & Rapp were trailblazers in the teens and early 1920s, they became a little predictable in the late 20’s when they were still using traditional styles, usually French in origin. But what they did they did well. They definitely became more creative in the early 1930s until the depression took hold.

JimRankin
JimRankin on April 5, 2005 at 2:33 pm

Even though the RIALTO SQUARE is not my favorite R&R work, the fact remains that it is a wonderful and beautiful palace, and I certainly hope it long endures. I especially like the illuminated ‘grape clusters’ ‘fountain’ in the rotunda. That rotunda may have inspired Ahlschlager for it is certainly grand. I only wish the equally grand original drperies could have been reporduced for it, since the originals in photos are wonderfully done. It was the Milwaukee firm of the then Mid-West Scenic Co. which made the replacement decorative draperies, but I am not entirely pleased with their vacuum-formed plastic gilded to imitate the appliqued and embroidered pendants on the originals. Their achievement is innovative, and it is a lot better than the plain panels so often seen today —if they replace the draperies at all. Still, I feel that plastic is out of place in such forms and venues. As to R&R not being innovative in the late 20s, it is too bad that I cannot post on this site the opening day photos of their WARNER here in Milaukee (now called the GRAND). This was the finest of their medium scale works, if I may be forgiven some local bias.

Scott
Scott on April 5, 2005 at 11:02 am

Jim, in my view R&R deserve more acclaim for their Rialto Square effort. I’d have to look at the exact timeline, but I believe the Rialto Square predated the Belmont in Chicago (barely) and certainly the legendary Roxy in NY. Based on that assumption, the lobby rotunda of the Rialto Square appears to have been the basis for Aschlager’s Belmont and Roxy designs. There is certainly a strong similarity between the floorplans of the Rialto Square and Roxy. Regardless, the Rialto Square, particularly the rotunda, is a spectacular space. The rest of the building, while certainly grand, is for the most part boiler-plate R&R, and not overly imaginative. By the late 1920s, R&R weren’t doing a whole lot of innovating.

JimRankin
JimRankin on April 4, 2005 at 2:10 pm

Yes, Scott, the lobbies are entirely different, but I still maintain that the auditoriums are more than casually similar; of course, you are entitled to your opinion. Frankly, I don’t consider either of them to be the acme of R&R’s works, but then that is just my opinion, a matter of taste, and as the old saying goes: there is no accounting for taste.