Ford Center/ Oriental Theatre
Ford Center/ Oriental Theatre
The Oriental Theatre is a masterpiece of design and history. Located in the newly rejuvenated theatre district, the Oriental Theatre features 2200 seats and interesting architectural detail that is primarily Asian in nature, such as a large domed ceiling graced by seahorses and goddesses.
The Oriental was originally opened in 1926, when it was originally constructed as a movie theatre. Now, this lovely theatre features musicals and a number of other theatrical productions every year.
Standard Hours: Box Office Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm; Performance times vary
Admission: All Events $20-$90 - call to confirm pricing on your venue.
The Oriental Theatre (Ford Center) was inspired by a style called "Opium Dream," this theater has a quasi-Arabian theme, from the statues that peer down on the audience to the intricate wrought-iron work on the staircase.
This was the premier place to see movies in its heyday and it later housed such live acts as Fred Astaire and Jimmy Durante. However, it fell into grave disrepair in the 1970s and was shuttered for good in the early 1980s. In the mid-1990s, it was purchased by Canada's Livent Theater Group and painstakingly refurbished with money from the Ford Endowment for the Performing Arts, giving it an expanded name.
Much of its original decor was refurbished to its former glory and it has much of the same feel it had in the 1920s when it was a movie palace. Today it is one of Chicago's premier showcases for musicals such as "Ragtime" and "Fosse."
If you want to see some fantasticly preserved architechture from the 1920s make a stop by the Oriental Theatre and prepare to be impressed!
