Regal Theater

Originally opened as the Avalon Theatre on August 29th, 1927, the originally over 2,500-seat Regal Theater is famous for its elaborate and exotic interior, which was designed in Middle Eastern style by John Eberson (who also designed the long-lost Paradise Theatre, in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood) for the Cooney Brothers circuit. The Avalon Theater stands on 79th Street between South Cornell Avenue and East End Avenue, in the South Shore neighborhood. It became part of the Warner Brothers circuit during the 1930’s and 1940’s.

Its fantastic decor included an Atmospheric style auditorium with a star-filled deep blue sky and a Persian bazaar on the side walls. Hanging from the soaring lobby ceiling is what was once described as the largest oriental rug ever made, a flying carpet if you will.

Additionally, there are five huge murals in the lobby, which were made of tiny inlaid mosaic tiles, and a giant stage, which is guarded by four menacing gargoyles. The theater also once contained a 3/15 Wurlitzer theater organ.

After closing as a movie house in the late-1970’s, the theater became home to the Miracle Temple Church, but in 1987, was reborn as a performing arts venue. During this last conversion, the theater was returned to its original appearance and renamed the New Regal Theater, in honor of Chicago’s legendary original Regal Theater, which was razed after a fire severely damaged it in the early-1970’s.

After years of low attendance, and often standing dark for long stretches of time, the New Regal’s management announced that the great former movie palace would be closing at the end of June 2003.

Luckily, after three years closure, this landmarked treasure was rescued once more, and didn’t meet the fate of its fabled namesake over three decades ago. The New Regal Theater re-opened in October 2007 as a venue for concerts and other live performances, with the “New” portion of the theater’s name gone. It is totally black owned and managed by a non-profit organization ‘We Are Our Brother’s Keeper’.

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