Auditorium Theatre 2021-2022, Issue 3, Alvin Ailey

AUDITORIUM THEATRE :: 2021–22 SEASON | 5 132 YEARS OF HISTORY: About the Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre officially opened on December 9, 1889. Designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler at the behest of Chicago businessman Ferdinand Wythe Peck, the theatre was immediately hailed as one of the most beautiful venues in the world, with its gilded elegance and graceful design. Today, it remains one of the most important performance spaces in the world, hosting hundreds of events each year. Chicago in the late 1800s was a leading center for political idealism and labor activism. One violent and fatal demonstration for the eight-hour workday at an open market near Des Plaines Avenue and Randolph Street occurred on May 4, 1886. This incident, which became known as the Haymarket Riot, further inspired Ferdinand Peck to create a venue that embodied the democratic ideals that he believed could bring art to all of the people in Chicago — a Theatre for the People. Peck charged the renowned architects with creating a distinctly American design for the theatre, differing from European opera house models in that the best seats were available to the average Chicagoan, not the elite. When the theatre opened, Chicago was in fierce competition with many cities in a bid to host the 1893 World’s Fair. Many notable figures of the day, including President Benjamin Harrison, attended the opening night performance at the theatre and were impressed by its perfect acoustics, beautiful architecture, and incredible sightlines. The attention that the theatre attracted helped convince the US Congress that Chicago was ready to host an event as important as the 1893 World’s Fair. During its early decades, the Auditorium stage was the venue of choice for leading entertainers of the era, including John Philip Sousa, Sarah Bernhardt, and the Ziegfeld Follies, as well as political figures including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Booker T. Washington. It was also the home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Grand Opera Company, and even hosted indoor baseball games. During World War II, the theatre became a Servicemen’s Center (complete with a bowling alley!) for traveling soldiers. After the war, the theatre closed down entirely. During the 1960s, a woman named Beatrice Spachner led a successful fundraising campaign that raised the necessary money to renovate and restore the theatre. Re-opening night on October 31, 1967 featured a performance of George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream by the New York City Ballet. Beginning in the late 1960s, a host of rock and pop performers took to the stage, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and James Taylor, among others. The Auditorium earned a reputation as Chicago’s home for the musical superstars of the day. The theatre has also hosted some of the world’s premier dance companies — many of which continue to perform here today — including The Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Bolshoi Ballet , and American Ballet Theatre. Celebrated local companies such as Giordano Dance Chicago, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, and Trinity Irish Dance Company have also performed at the Auditorium to much acclaim. Broadway musicals have found appreciative audiences at the Auditorium, with engagements of The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Hello Dolly!, The Color Purple, and many more taking place at the theatre. In the spring of 2015 and 2016, the theatre hosted the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, marking the first time the draft was held outside of New York in over 50 years. Thousands came to the theatre during the draft, and over 7 million home viewers had the chance to see inside the beautiful theatre during the televised event. In 1975, the US Department of the Interior declared the Auditorium Theatre a National Historic Landmark, and to this day, the staff and Board of the Auditorium Theatre continue to preserve and restore this treasured building. Typically, more than 250 performances and events attract over a quarter of a million people every year to Chicago’s landmark theatre, making it a true staple in Chicago and the rest of the world. Prince, photo by Paul Natkin. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, photo by Nan Melville. My Morning Jacket, photo by Todd Rosenberg. Opening Night Sketch, courtesy of the Auditorium Theatre. The Bolshoi Ballet, photo by Damir Yusupov. Photo of the NFL Draft, courtesy of NFL.