Auditorium Theatre

Auditorium Theatre Review

Hunkered down across from Grant Park, this 110,000-ton granite-and-limestone behemoth was an instant star when it debuted in 1889, boasting a 400-room hotel, offices, and a 4,300-seat theater. It didn't hurt the careers of its designers, Dankmar Adler and Louis H. Sullivan, either. The state-of-the-art theater included electric lighting and an air-conditioning system that used 15 tons of ice per day. Adler managed the engineering—the theater's acoustics are renowned—while Sullivan ornamented the space using mosaics, cast iron, art glass, wood, and plaster. During World War II the building was conscripted for use as a Servicemen's Center. Then Roosevelt University moved in. Thanks to Herculean restoration efforts, the theater—rechristened as the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University—is once again one of the city's premiere performance venues. If you can't book a performance, call for tour details (Monday at 10:30 am and noon, Thursday at 10:30 am).