Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 4 Point of No Return

6 | AUDITORIUM THEATRE 2018-19 | April 11 - May 19, 2019 129 Years of History: About the Auditorium Theatre T he 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 work day 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 theatre was open to the average Chicagoan, not just 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. ARTURO GONZALEZ