On Monday, December 9, 1889, the Auditorium Theatre "formally opened with ceremonies of unprecedented impressiveness." The evening featured an ambitious dedication program concert beginning with Theodore Dubois’ “Triumphal Fantasie,” a work composed for the occasion and the Auditorium’s grand organ. The program concluded with the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah. In between were performances by a chorus of 400 voices, famed soprano Adelina Patti and remarks by the mayor and governor. The crowd included a who’s who of local, national and international note, including both President Benjamin Harrison and Vice President Levi Morton, four state governors and other U.S. and Canadian dignitaries.
Designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, the Auditorium Theatre was built as a civic and national monument meant to be a symbol of Chicago’s cultural life. The theater was larger than any other in Chicago at the time, boasting over 4,000 seats, electric lighting, air conditioning and unrivaled acoustics.
Over the years, the Auditorium Theatre has played host to not only star performers from each decade, but also to the 1888 Republican National Convention (despite being unfinished) and a bowling alley built on stage for servicemen during World War II.
Travel back in time and take a look at some of the Auditorium's programs or visit the Chicago Public Library and read up on its history.
Add a comment to: The Auditorium Theatre Turns 125