Uptown Theatre
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
88 people
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Showing 226 - 250 of 511 comments
I forgot to mention, my email is
thanks! David Balaban
There is a rumor going around that the final ownership of the theatre will be decided by the end of September. I took a walking tour with my friend Rene Rabiela Jr.a few days ago.(his dad, Rene Rabiela operated the theatre during its time as a rock and roll palace). The inside of the theater is in pretty rough shape but it is overewelmingly beautiful. There is a slide show of that tour on our website. www.balabanandkatzmagazine.com Check it out. Email me with any questions..
David Balaban
Balaban and katz historical foundation
posted by balabanandkatz on Jul 21, 2008 at 10:26am
The chief of security at the UPTOWN continues to ask that interior photos not be posted online at this time due to security concerns. The building is probably one of the most photographed theatres of all time, and many historic photos are available through Theatre Historical Socity of America at www.historictheatres.org Photos taken on rare, approved tours are supposed to be for personal enjoyment only. Unfortunately, people still try to break in the building’s dozens of doors. There have been petty thefts in recent years, including a not-historic bust from a niche. We don’t want to risk any damage or theft to the building. We also don’t want to make it even more challenging for security. We’ve respected this specific request, online, since 1998 at www.uptowntheatre.com
There is a rumor going around that the final ownership of the theatre will be decided by the end of September. I took a walking tour with my friend Rene Rabiela Jr.a few days ago.(his dad, Rene Rabiela operated the theatre during its time as a rock and roll palace). The inside of the theater is in pretty rough shape but it is overewelmingly beautiful. There is a slide show of that tour on our website. www.balabanandkatzmagaine.com Check it out. Email me with any questions..
David Balaban
Balaban and katz historical foundation
this blog explains what is happening at this moment with the uptown. it’s not much new news, though.
View link
Warshauer is the Chairman of the Retzler Development Group so old news basically. No new entity has yet secured title on the property and won’t until the court cases run their course.
From what I’ve seen it looks appears that the city would prefer Live Nation be successful in their bid given the company’s deep pockets and the fact that they have the most to gain by restoring and operating the venue as quickly as possible. Unless something remarkable happens I’d expect that to be the eventual outcome though its going to take some more time.
I’m confused too. What does the Retzler group hope to do with the Uptown? And what’s happened to the other companies who were supposedly interested in this incredible theatre?
this is the link mentioned above, by the way:
http://retzlergroup.com/index_files/Page1056.htm
thanks for the link, but i am personally confused as to what their involvement is with this theatre.
hey guys check out the retzler group web site you may find some of the projects interesting
Hey, if the city would agree, I would agree.
No offense intended brucec, but when you’re done with that magic wand can I borrow it?
The City should move quickly to secure and take care of all the legal issues concerning the Uptown. The current owner who ever they are can’t take care of this theatre properly which has led the decline of this theatre and at times has become dangerous structure.
Lets cut through the red tape and lets get going. There is a huge demand for a mid size theatre seating 4000 for touring musical acts who can’t fill the large arenas.brucec
recently saw the video on the Uptown and concluded that this movie palace has to be included in the top 4 ever built and simply must be saved as the others have gone. Its loss would be equivalent to the demolition of the Fox San Francisco and the Roxy New York, acts of extreme vandalism from which those cities have never recovered.
paulsp2
cool. thanks for posting those little tidbits.
My uncle was working there in the 30’s, then went in the navy during WWII and came back for awhile in the 50’s, before going to work for Wanzer’s Dairy.
He said once someone stole a painting from one of the alcoves. He was asked to describe it, since no one could remember exactly what it looked like. They found it in a pawn shop, based on his description.
He’s got some great pictures of groups of staff sitting on the stage, but he won’t part with them long enough for me to get them scanned.
He was working one day and they called him into the office and told him he had to get home. His ten year old brother had just died of tetnus. The brother had been ill for awhile. The whole staff helped him get through that. He married a cashier from the Riviera, across the street.
I’ll try to get him to talk about it more next time I see him, and I’ll try to get some of the old pictures copied.
jayne, we’d love to “hear” any stories that you have from your uncle if you have a chance to type them up.
Nortown, send me a message at
I’m going to trust everyone here not to abuse my address. Anyone who worked at these theatres got very involved with them and has fun reminiscing. I hope everyone here will understand that.
My uncle is 96 and worked at the Uptown. I showed him some of the pictures from here and it brought out a flood of great stories.
Just catching up on these Uptown posts…it would break my heart to see the Uptown end up in rubble like the Nortown. As a side note, Jayne1955, you and I worked together at the Nortown for several years. Not sure if there is a way to say hi to you off line and catch up.
Great post, Scott! You nailed it! That is the most fair resume of the situation I’ve seen in awhile.
I don’t care who saves it or for what purpose. The important thing is that it is saved. If we get an owner that doesn’t thrill us, well, owners come and go, as we all know well. That the building remains is what matters.
*one more thing: i don’t want to come across as painting jam to be bad. i hope if anyone does anything with the uptown, it will be local. jam has done a great job with a lot of other venues in the city…i just hope they can do the same with the uptown!
carry on…
let’s hope jam isn’t trying to be greedy, and, in the meantime, draw away any other interest to the theater.
i will keep optimistic as ever…it’s the only way to be. today, when my fiance and i came to the broadway/lawrence intersection, we were so entranced by its beauty (again!)that we missed our opportunity to walk! even in her current state, she sure is lovely! a week ago, we saw a theatre caretaker out front. the ugly boards that cover the entry doors were open, and we got a look inside. while it was dark (so nothing inside could be seen from where we stood) the facade hiding just underneath is lovely, just waiting for the outside world to marvel in her beauty again someday!
this showed up today online concerning the uptown’s fate:
View link
here’s an excerpt:
The arrival of Chicago newcomers MSG Entertainment and C3 led the longtime Chicago-based promoter Jam to move to hold the mortgage to the troubled Uptown Theatre, 4814 N. Broadway, if only as a defensive position. But if the City of Chicago were to acquire the Uptown under eminent domain â€" as many of the theater’s boosters desire â€" that could open the way for a different entity to take over the venue, possibly the concert promoter Live Nation, which could use its own mid-size indoor venue. According to sources familiar with the current rearrangement of the Chicago live-entertainment business, a restored and reopened Uptown is looking more likely now than in recent history.
According to a recent report in Billboard, midsize venues such as the Chicago, Congress and Uptown have been showing particular strength of late. Billboard said that Radio City Music Hall rung up $87.6 million in concert grosses during 2007.
New venues in choice spots such as downtown Chicago are very difficult to find and massively expensive to build from the ground up.
this from the latest on the theatre’s fate from the uptown chicago commission, as reported on uptownupdate.com (a great community information website!)last week:
Alderman Smith reports that two parties remain interested in purchasing and renovating the Uptown Theatre for use as a concert venue. A related court case is proceeding – as many parties (including the City) have liens on the property related to prior repairs. She remains optimistic that good things are to come.