Uptown Theatre
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
89 people
favorited this theater
Showing 451 - 475 of 527 comments
Paul W: at this point, I don’t believe that you can be taken seriously. Perhaps something will eventually change that view. But I doubt it.
Paul F: I have had similar thoughts to yours. I would like to see the entire building restored. It was designed by my family, after all. But there is already so much theatre space in Chicago…and the Uptown is VAST. The New Regal, as most people know, is now sitting idle. Aside from that, where are you going to build a modern stage? I would think it would require an underpass for Lawrence Avenue…a monumental undertaking. So I figure it’s not a bad idea to restore the grand lobby and foyers of the Uptown, then build a modern multiplex and parking deck in the auditorium shell. You could even retain design features in the multiplex. I would think some other uses, like retail could also be incorported. Now that we are talking about it, I am surprised that nobody has created such a plan to date.
Don’t get me wrong. I hope someone comes up with a viable way to make the place work as one auditorium. But I have my doubts, especially when I understand that a million-dollar donation was frittered away by the organization trying to bring the building back.
Does anybody know the full story on the current repair work being conducted at the Uptown?
Why is this article posted on this site? This is truly remarkable. So many “allegations and enemies.” Perhaps my story should be made into a movie starring say, Richard Dreyfus or Danny DeVito. Why bring up all this stuff on this specific site? It has very little to do with this theatre’s posting but what the heck. So much misinformation here. So many lies, but hey: this is America. Say what you like and don’t check your facts! Assassinate someone’s character while remaining anonymous but what the hell. It’s America. OK. Here’s a quick fact check for the people who really matter and proof you cannot always believe what you read in the newspapers or from what is written on these blogs. Mike Novelli is the President of GVI and had nothing to do with any of your allegations other than for the Wheaton, Zoe and Lawford Theatres. Leave him out of the rest or are you too ignorant to recognize that other corporations have come and gone without him. 1. GVI paid all workers at the Lawford Theatre in Havana except for two who are being investigated for theft. 2. We did NOT accept donation money at the Wheaton except for the outstanding fundraiser set up by Todd Plagman and many others for wounded veteran Sgt. Joel Gomez. This was a fundraiser that we all produced last January and audited then turned over ALL money to Community Bank. 3. I like smarter people than me because I learn from them. I don’t see to many on this site however. 4. I am proud that we sold calendars from the lobby of the Portage Park Theatre. No one else was helping us. (See many other postings about the Portage Park Theatre.) We returned everyone’s deposits, by the way, unlike the mess with the Annoyance Theatre company. I have accepted responsibility for the $4K debt personally as I have with the $5K debt for the Uptown Theatre, (Pales). 5. The Henslowe Group was not given the cease and desist order at the Portage. Our tenant, The Universal Church was issued the order for “building without a permit.” I had three partners there. Why don’t you hound them: Richard Pales, Kevin Miner and Jessica Deans. 6. I am a rather pleasant man who likes cigars, fun people, travel, the theatre and music, and lively discussions about politics and social issues with intelligent witty people.
Paul, why don’t you start your noble effort by paying the legal judgments against you pertaining to your (ahem) work at the Uptown. I think you still owe in the thousands. Why don’t you square yourself by paying your debts first, and THEN you can go back to being the humble guy you pretend to be?
http://www.annoyanceproductions.com/lawsuit.html
Dear Life: As usual you are not in on the whole story. Hardly anyone really knows lately. It appears that anyone who touches the magnificent Uptown Theatre ends up on fire or in trouble. Here is the Cliff Notes Version of leadership for one organization that came close: The Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, NFP. They started out with $1,000,000 from Albert Goodman’s Foundation. Michael Morrison, Mark Zipperer and Carol Carlson came before me as “Chairman/CEOs.” None of them could buy or restore the theatre although they really did try. Seriously. I was duly elected by the UTCA board as a member then elected Chairman. I served and worked day to day in the office (and was paid for my work) from October, 2002 – February, 2003. In March of 2003, I too was voted, “off the island,” too. Now the UTCA is in shambles (do they really exist?) as are lots of other people and organizations like the Lunn Partners (in Chapter 11), Rudy Mulder (in Chapter 13) Johnny Terzakis, Louie Wolf, Kenny Goldberg, Jerry Michaelson of JAM and so on. Two banks,Associated Bank and Parkway Bank are both in foreclosure on the theatre, and the list goes on! One board member lost a significant amount of money as he personally signed his own name for a Jaguar and then allowed a raffle to occur to raise money. Disaster. Now about the theatre: Peter Holstein (a nice local developer) is the “trustee” for the City of Chicago and specifically for Alderman Mary Anne Smith. This is a good thing. Work is ongoing and in progress. The local firm, Klein and Hoffman are the engineers performing work on the building right now using Mark II Masonry Company. For the record, through my contacts at Turner Construction, I brought these two qualified firms to the table. Thank you. I am humbled by this project and agree to volunteer any time and where to help efforts to open it. Now where does one sign up and with whom?
Extensive repair work is taking place on the outside of the Uptown as we speak. Does anybody know the full story?
Paul Warshauer: weren’t you ejected from the Uptown Theatre Board in disgrace? Why are you asking questions about this building?
I don’t think the Uptown has survived this long to have the theatre torn down for a multiplex. The downtown loop is in the process of restoring the last unrestored theatre in the loop the Shubert(Majestic,La Salle Bank). The City should next restore the Uptown with major tax credits, grants from the federal government. There are a lot of talented people in Chicago and I am sure as the years go on the demand for theatre space will increase. During the last decade Broadway’s theatre disrtict went from 30 active broadway theatres to 40 acitive broadway theatres when the Henry Miller opens in the next few years. The Uptown is one of the largest theatres in the country along with the Detroit Fox,St. Louis Fox,Boston Wang,Atlanta Fox,and New York’s Radio City Music Hall.I think the City of Chicago has to take the lead in order to get others interested in the theatre. The Uptown could be used for concerts,movies,weddings,graduations and a film production site like the Los Angeles Theatre. The area around the Uptown is improving.If a multiplex had to built use the theatre as part of the multiplex by adding 14 screens on to the existing theatre.The Uptown could be used for both live stage and movies. The city of Chicago would again have to take the lead. The City could try to get a major corpoarate sponsor such as the Boeing Corp.brucec
I’ve been reading the posts on the Uptown and I’m really wondering whether or not restoring this old theatre would be economically viable. Don’t get me wrong. I love old theatres. I have memories of this place too! But I’m for restoration where it makes economic sense. The following is an excerpt from one of my posts on the DuPage Theatre and it asks the big “ifs”.
1) IF the building isn’t in such disrepair that restoring it becomes unfeasible.
2) IF the project can gain enough finanical support, be it public, private, or some combination thereof.
3) IF the theatre, once restored, can generate enough bookings (be they concerts, plays, films) so that the place doesn’t sit empty most of the time.
4) IF the theatre can generate enough revenue from these various events that it isn’t swimming in red ink (a friend of mine, who once worked for a museum said “The funny thing about non-profits is that they still have to earn a profit!”)
I’m sure I’m missing many more.
The big question I have here is who (and what) would play here?
1) If you’re an act that usually plays at the clubs (Counting Crows, Wallflowers, Carbon Leaf), you’ll play at House Of Blues, Riveria, or the Aragon.
2) If you’re an act that usually plays at the theatres (Sheryl Crow, Wilco), you’ll play at the Rosemont Theatre, Chicago Theatre, Auditorium, etc.
3) If you’re an act that plays the arenas, then you’ll play at The United Center or the Allstate Arena.
4) Broadway plays can go to the Auditorium, the Oriental, the Cadillac Palace, The Schubert. One person mentioned that the stage door empties out onto Lawrence Avenue and there would be no place to park the huge semi trucks that these shows require.
Next is the parking issue. It’s bad enough normally in this area. It’s worse when the Aragon or the Riviera (or heaven forbid, both) have a show. I lived in this area for a year and many’s the night I had to park over a mile away.
We’ve all heard how there is going to be a new multi-plex in the area. It will be on the site of the old CTA Wilson Yards and I think Wilson Yards may be the name of the new place. Here is where an opportunity may have been missed. What should have been done was to demolish the theatre part of the Uptown. The foyer and facade on Broadway Avenue would be retained. Then a huge parking deck could be built (and no, it would not have to be ugly) with the new multi-plex theatre above it. The patrons could reach the auditoriums from the retained and refurbished foyer via escalators, ala the 600 North Michigan Theatre. Or, the parking deck could be below ground and the new cinemas on top.
Yes, the Green Mill would be retained in this scheme. In case you were wondering!
Congrats to the hundreds of us who posed for the “Community Portrait” yesterday on the theatre’s 80th birthday. Early estimates indicate that more people posed for this photo that the one in 2000. Hooray for Andy Pierce and the other volunteers who did the hard work to set up this fine photo op. We all had fun sharing stories and updates on the “last great unfinished movie palace left on earth!” I hope that some momemtum was created to continue the search for a viable team to “take the old girl” to the next step. How about an attempt to open the lobby first? How much will that cost? For the record who is on the actual title of the property now?
There will be an Uptown Community Portrait taking place in front of the Uptown Theatre on August 20th and the more people to show up the better. It is sponsored by Friends of the Uptown, UpCorp, the Uptown Chicago Commission, and Compass Rose Cultural Crossroads. Visit www.compassrose.org to read a history of the theatre, see some great photos, and learn more about the August 20th event. If you’d like to help out, drop an e-mail to
Hey Patrick,
They are doing stabilzation tests on the building, taking key pieces of terra cotta and brickwork and analzing them to make sure the structure is still sound. I have faith the tests will prove that it is. Buildings from that era could withstand a hurricane, due to the “stress tests” that were done to prove the balcony could hold the weight of the patrons. They used sandbags weighing a lot more to be safe. I was a kid in the 60’s and to all the theaters on the northside and am saddened only a few survive.
I am also surprised that the new development at the former Wilson CTA yards will include apts, stores…..AND a MULTIPLEX CINEMA????..What about taking the Uptown and doing it there??? I had an idea for YEARS on keeping the lobby, the main floor and stage (movie premieres?) and splitting the balcony gently into 3 or 4 but still large theaters due to its immense size. The wall that would separate/close off the main floor theater from the balcony cinemas would have a VERY LARGE artist’s painting of the balcony seats, maybe with patrons sketched in for effect, like it was still there..Cute? Or not do-able?
The fact that we have NO person here that wants to spread the wealth and save this palace sickens me….HELLO PRITZKERS…HELLO OPRAH….HELLO CROWN FAMILY….HELLO MICHAEL JORDAN…..remember….you can’t take it with you….and who wants the lawyers to get it all???
I noticed recently that scaffolding went up over the facade of the Uptown Theatre. Anyone know what work is being planned?
I saw the same program. The hosts of the program toured most of the theater including the auditorium,lobby and basement
I just watched a program on the discovery channel called urban explorers. Part of the show was on the Uptown Theatre, It was quite interesting!
One other thing, if any has seen Home Alone 2, you might just recognize that the toy store in the film was actually the lobby of the Uptown!
While I agree that the Uptown is one of the most spectacular theaters ever built, there is one major obstacle(in addition to the above mentioned problems) to restoration of the theater. If, when you pass by the theater take just a moment and check out how the theater is sited on its lot. The back wall to the stagehouse is parallel to Lawrence Ave. There is not loading dock, nor anywhere to place one. This one detail is one of the major stumbling blocks to finding any use for the theater. Live theatrical performances (Phantom of the Opera travels with about 30 semis) or performers that would be able to fill a theater the size of the Uptown travel with large amount of sets, props, costumes, etc. The simple truth is that it would very difficult for any show coming in to park a number of semi trailers on either Lawrence or the street behind the theater(Magnolia?)and unload/load. Now if someone can solve that problem, the theater might just have a chance.
And the decorative facade is truly beautiful!
I just looked at an interior photo of this theatre and my mouth fell open. It certainly has an ornate lobby!
Hey, Mark. It’s not like we and many others haven’t tried! Here are some concerns: a. The building is in title limbo; the courts and banks must sort out who can have clear title and not become embroiled in litigation from Day One. b. The city wants IMMEDIATE repairs to the exterior so that pieces do not kill people; that costs $500K. c. What the heck will go on INSIDE the theatre after its open; in other words what professionals will we use to create music, theatre, community programs so that the theatre will generate enough cash to keep the place open? d. where will all the customers park? e. Who will work with the Aldemran ansd help apply for the TIF f. Who will apply for historic tax credits? g. What world class architect and engineering firm can do the work and be credible with all parties? h. Who can come up with $2 mil in cash to start out this process? I have answers for all of the issues and questions “a-g.” Call me if you or othere want to help with “h.” Paul Warshauer, (630) 221-0667.
There was a night—almost 25 years ago—when the old Uptown rocked like no place I’d ever seen before or since. Bruce Sprngsteen and the E Street Band played two shows there on a tour where the rest of the country was getting shows in hockey arenas. From the opening notes of “Born To Run” (yeah—opened with Born To Run) to the encore of Rosalita (where the balcony literally was swaying a foot), you never heard or felt such mayhem. What a concert. What a night.
Not just Bruce—The Dead, Gabriel, J. Geils…saw them all there. This was the place. The Uptown.
It could happen again. Come on, somebody buy the place and fix it up. It could rock all over again and last forever.
Such a beautiful building. To see it sit empty and left slowly to decay is truly heart wrenching. I have also noticed new graffiti on the exterior wall. At least this place should be locked up and sealed tight to prevent further damage!
N Visible Man you have identified the solutions for a successful restroation/renovation for the Uptown: multiple income streams, a strong and experienced management team, solid financing, lucrative and appropriate naming rights, use of historic tax credits, TIF funding and strong popular support! Many of us have worked on the Uptown project and look forward to a new group who might take us forward. I always stand by ready to work on the proejct with whomever can help restore it to its former glory!
It seems to me that if the Uptown existed in New York or Los Angeles it would have little trouble generating the revenue needed to restore the theatre to its original glory and make the owner money. Why is it that in the third largest urban/suburban market in the country that such a glorious theatre is unable to do so? I believe that a deeper look at the entertainment industry as a whole is needed. There are no major movie production companies based in Chicago. There are no major record production companies based in Chicago. All signs point to a revenue stream that flows out of Chicago. If there was a company in Chicago that made millions of dollars entertaining the nation and the world, much like there is in Los Angeles and New York, then there would be a larger pool of donors and dollars to draw from in order to restore a theatre like the Uptown. It seems to me that the only way to restore the crown jewel that is the Uptown to it’s original grandure is to build the crown. Chicago needs to be an engine driving and competing in the entertainment business. This is something that can only come with an acute sense of organization, and a brilliant team of loyal and creative artists that are ready to commit themselves to the work of bringing Chicago to its potential. Until then the Uptown theatre will rest as an icon demonstrating the enourmous potential of the Windy City and the sad reality of just how difficult it is to capture that wind and make our city sail. Peace. N Visible Man.
A receiver/developer for the Uptown? Man oh man is THAT a conflict of interest! Controversy is written all over it but Mr. Holsten is a good man. I met him over a year ago and he does have the best interest of Uptown in mind. Let’s hope he calls a summit and gathers all those who wish to participate in one room to get the place open again! It can be done. Let’s work together!
There is an article about the Uptown Theatre published in this week’s edition of INSIDE, a north Chicago newspaper.
View link
The petition mentioned can be found at www.compassrose.org
There is NOTHING official about anyone’s web site! That is why on Cinema Treasures it says, “Related Websites.” I should know. The Theatre is in foreclosure and business people are trying to save it as we speak. I will talk to anyone about the theatre! (630) 221-0667.