Lakeshore Theater

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Broadway will be reopening this fall after being dark over a year, for live theater. The theater will also be returning to its original name, the Lakeshore, when it reopens.

I am related to the Katz's ( Balaban & Katz ). My mother is related to the Katz family.

My mom lives just down the block from this theatre. The last show I saw advertised there was "Blue Man Group."

The Blue Man Group has been playing at the Briar Street Theater at 3133 N. Halsted St. for at least a couple years now. It's never played the Lake Shore/Broadway.

Story above is not entirely correct. Cineplex Odeon gave it the face lift and put the BROADWAY name out front (and, for the record, it was also Cineplex that ran the Biograph in the late 80's). It must have ended up in the hands of Meridian through the Loews - Cineplex Odeon merger. Now owned by a private party, Defending the Caveman is enjoying a long run in this venue. The lobby has been completely altered. But the auditorium still contains original design features. A stage, complete with dressing rooms behind it, has been constructed at the front of the auditorium. This required the removal of seats. So my guess is that the capacity is under 300 now. They are tossing around the idea of running a brew and view series, as they hold a liquor license.

What a wonderful anchor the Lakeshore Theater was to the mid-northside community when I live there in the 60's and 70's. Even living at Irving Park Road I was able to walk the mile to Belmont and Broadway to see first run flics in this very interesting neighborhood. It was either that or go a mile north from Irving Park and visit the Riviera or Uptown in the Uptown neighborhood. Here's hoping the Lakeshore makes a well-deserved comeback.

Here's a 2002 article on it: "The former Broadway Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, is scheduled to reopen next month after a $250,000 refurbishment to turn it into a live venue. The Broadway was part of the Cineplex Odeon movie theater chain and was closed in 2000; an experimental live production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" played there last summer.

A group composed of former Northlight Theatre impresarios Chris Ritter and Richard Friedman and the real estate-development firm Sterling Bay Inc. is returning the 380-seat venue to its original name, the Lakeshore Theatre.

But that's the only part of the project that looks to the theater's past.

"There's a popular myth that the Lakeshore Theatre was originally a vaudeville house, but we haven't been able to find any architectural evidence of that, like dressing rooms or backstage areas," Ritter said.

"We think the building was erected about 1915 and has always been a movie theater, or nickelodeon. We're adding all the theater elements, like dressing rooms and lighting."

He added that the group is "excited about this project because of the diversity of the neighborhood and the number of potential audiences right here in Lakeview." Plans call for the Lakeshore to be a commercial rental venue able to host major productions in the evening time slot and, perhaps, children's theater during the day and music and comedy performances late at night.

The debut production will be "Life Isn't Fair ... So What" by John Powers, creator of "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" It is scheduled to open Oct. 4.

Interior designer Douglas Allen is redesigning the lobby in the style of the late Christian Berard, a Parisian artist whose most famous work in the 1930s included theater and movie sets, costumes and magazine art. The lobby will feature three murals in Berard's style, all depicting theatrical interior backgrounds. The auditorium will be painted a soft gray with matching draperies.

"This will be a very distinct and unique space, but the style will be immediately recognizable to the most sophisticated theatergoer," Allen said. "The style is pure escapism, and that's what theater is about."
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I think that under Cineplex, it was a flagship theater, and they had refurbished it pretty extensively.

It was acquired by Plitt in June 1982. It had been an art house, occasional home to the chicago international film festival, and became a discount house.

Does anyone recall what it looked like, paint-wise, under cineplex? I think the gray interior is pretty boring. The lobby is kind of neat. I can't imagine this theater was ever very pretty.

Here are photos of this theater.

It may have been known as the Broadway Cinema under Plitt, but I'm not sure about this. For a picture of it in Cineplex Odeon days, click here http://www.mekong.net/random/cinema13.htm and you'll see that C-O covered the marquee with some sort of ugly metallic-looking surface.

Brian: Judging by the way the Biograph looked under Cineplex, I'd say there is a good chance the paint you see in the Lakeshore's auditorium now was applied by them. I remember looking into the lobby once during the Cineplex years, and it contained the usual subdued color scheme. When I visited the theatre a couple years ago it seemed to me that the lobby was more lively than my old-time memory led me to expect.

The Lakeshore has recently changed their marquee to a funky red-and black

Architects were Grossman and Proskauer.

We saw a few things at the Lakeshore. Animated stuff like "Wizards" by Ralph Bashki, possibly along with "Fritz The Cat". This would have been 1977 or so.
Next door was a long time 24 hour restaurant called Rickeys. Where the Chipotle is now. Chock full of neighborhood characters just like down on Rush St. This area was then called Newtown. Across from Rickeys & The Lakeshore Theatre on the S/W corner of Belmont & Broadway, was a Golden Nugget Pancake House. Where the KFC was in the `80's, maybe now a bank. Not sure.

There was also an oddly placed mini-McDonald's next to that, recessed into the building just South of Golden Nugget. On the N/E corner where the Walgreen's is now, was of course Evergreen Foods. There was also a Dominicks on Broadway that burned about 3 years ago.,whose lot was next to Friar Tucks. Which has been there as far back as I can remember.
Across from that was a bar called The Fat Black Pussy Cat, where Monsignor Murphys is now. It had a small outdoor porch you could drink on overlooking Broadway. In 1977, B'way was cruise city for cars. It was routinely bumper to bumper on Friday & Saturday nights.
Most congested from Diversey to Belmont.
Broadway like Rush St. was full of eclectic stores that stayed open late most of the time.
As I recall, the Annoyance Theatre's first home may have also been on Broadway right on the alley, across from where Briar starts Westbound.
I think that was where "The Real Live Brady Bunch" play was at. Either next door to Pleasure Chest or very close.

Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c8l5vw

Interesting. I didn't think that the marquee overhang had been added after 1982. Ricky's restaurant is just to the left with the broiled foods signage above their window.
I think there was a tavern called Reflections just a few doors South of that art studio awning. Reckless Records is just South of that. I think there is also an old bi-level parking garage building in the next building South. Possibly with some white terra cotta details.

Movies! return to the LakeShore, move over live theatre venue.

I just noticed Monsters Vs. Aliens (which I already saw) advertised playing here now, matinee & evening showtimes. I wonder what their pricing policy is, to take over the shuttered 3-Penny?

The last title I remember seeing here was Dead Zone w/ C. Walken, to give you an idea.

Looks like I may make a trip soon.

Here's one of my recent pictures of the Lakeshore Theatre.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruce_theatres/4091783780/