Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Glimpse of Beauty at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
Chicago Stage Review: "The Palace Theatre opened its doors near the corner of Randolph and LaSalle Streets on October 4, 1926. Inspired by the palaces of Fontainebleau and Versailles, legendary theatre architects the Rapp Brothers created a uniquely splendid venue, originally opened as the flagship of vaudeville’s legendary Orpheum Circuit. Stars like Jimmy Durante, Mae West, Jack Benny, Sophie Tucker and Bob Hope played the Palace."
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5 comments:
This is a really beautiful theatre. I think it very interesting that we work in an industry that is based in really beautiful pieces of architecture. I love that when you walk into a well designed lobby, your eyes immediately go up and look through the beautiful designs covering the walls. Then when you go into a theatre that has been well designed you get to feel the atmosphere and presence and power around you... its really a magical experience.
I wish I had gotten the chance to go in the Palace Theatre while I was in Chicago, though I did get to take a tour of the Chicago Theatre, which is also a beautiful, old theatre. I love going to old theatres because they are so much more grand and beautiful than more modern theatres and have so much background and history to share. In the Chicago theatre, celebrities and stars who have come to perform there have signed the walls in a stairwell backstage that leads to the dressing rooms, and it's so cool to see the extensive number of famous musicians and performers who have come there.
Having seen a handful of shows in the venue, I can say they didn't capture half of the beauty of the space in those photos. They didn't include the "house" itself, which has a VERY high ceiling as well as lots of intricate details throughout its design. Because of the size of the space, you can get a bit far away from the action depending on where you sit...which is why it might be a little too big for a theatrical venue. But at the same time it is always a great delight to visit this historic theatre.
Thank you for your comments. It truly is one of Chicago's more remarkable historic theater venues and I didn't capture half of its beauty. There are serious restrictions when photographing inside of the theaters while a production is running. Even before and after the performance, there is copy-written visual aspects of the show that can be seen and I shot this the night that I reviewed the National Tour of CATS so sadly, no interior theater shots. Hence just a 'glimpse.'
Its true this is a beautiful theatre but I worry sometimes that the architecture of a theatre can overshadow the productions. If the theatre itself is more interesting than the play, then that can be a constant distraction for the audience. It also presents a very difficult design challenge of integrating your design with the space.
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