Calo Theatre
5404 N. Clark Street,
Chicago,
IL
60640
5404 N. Clark Street,
Chicago,
IL
60640
9 people
favorited this theater
Opened November 20, 1915 for the Ascher Brothers circuit, the Calo Thetare, which originally seated 880, is located in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood on Clark Street near Balmoral Avenue.
In the early-1990’s, the historic Calo Theatre, with its elaborate white terra-cotta facade, became the home of the Griffin Theatre Company, which put almost $100,000 into renovating and restoring the former movie house into a legitimate theatre, the seating decreased to just 135 in its main auditorium.
In the summer of 2004, the Griffin Theatre Company left the Calo Theatre due to rising upkeep and renovation costs, in search of a new home elsewhere in the city.
The Calo Theatre was acquired by Brian Posen in 2005, with the intention of converting the theatre into a three-auditorium venue for local theatre groups to rent, much like Lakeview’s Theatre Building, however, those plans never came to fruition. Instead, the Calo Theatre was reopened as a resale shop.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 53 comments)
A nice picture: View link
So, WHY don’t they refurbish all those lights???
They should do something about that plaster so that no on e gets hurt.
Great interior photos posted by supercharger96.
Front looks so small.
Teddy’s comment above is almost correct. Reflections Theater, founded by Michael Ryczek, was in the Calo for several years (80s/90s). I was on the advisory board, did the graphics for the programs and marketing, ran a children’s theater program there for a time, and ran lighting too—as well as anything else that no one else had time to do. We were a happy group, but not terribly business-minded sadly. The theatre’s triumph was probably a fine production of Lanford Wilson’s Talley Trilogy.
Here is a nice photo of the Calo as a bowling alley.
The Calo was where cop-killer Gus Amadeo was watching his last movie before being ambushed & killed by Det. Frank Pape back in the 50s. You can read about it here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39234220@N03/4532317836/
Opened November 20, 1915
Recent Edgeville Buzz article about the Calo Theatre. Mentions building designer George H. Borst again, who coincidentally was also involved in building The Elms hotel on Elm near State Parkway. Which housed many of the stage crews for the downtown live theaters in the
70's &80’s. The crews were always late night regulars when in town, at my late friend’s nearby tavern, the Hotsie Totsie Yacht Club & Bait Shop on Division. I got too meet many stars back then as a result. Yul Brynner, Sammy Davis Jr. etc. As the crew would sneak them in late at night.http://edgevillebuzz.com/news/andersonvilles-most-curious-places-the-calo-theater