web analytics
RSS

The Chicago Theatre – A Great Venue

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with June 5th, 2012 @ 8:29 am

With comedy in its prime right now, I am in heaven with the Chicago Theatre’s amazing comedy lineup. The upcoming events include some big name stars, such as Vince Vaughn from the movie Old School, Conan O’Brien, and Aziz Ansari currently on NBC’s Parks and Recreation. These are some of the funniest people around today and they are coming to the Chicago Theatre later this year. I have been lucky in the past and was able to see some other comedians at the Chicago Theatre last year and my stomach area was honestly sore the next day from the laughing. I have already bought my tickets for these comedians and can’t wait for them to roll into town.

If you are more of a music lover, the Chicago Theatre also has some great musical acts that are scheduled this year. Acts such as The Beach Boys, Fiona Apple, and Barry Manilow will be calling the theatre home for several nights this summer. Although I have only been to one concert at the Chicago Theatre, I know that the acoustics are amazing in the building so you will be able to hear every note, no matter where you are sitting! I hope you check out the lineup and see some live art this summer!

If you liked that post, then try these...

Taking A Quick And Relaxing Trip On Lake Michigan
Like a lot of Midwesterners, I associate boating and cruises with a sort of luxurious lifestyle; or at least with the sort of vacation that may only come along once or twice in a lifetime.

History Of Chicago's Midway Airport
Midway International Airport is located on the southwest side of Chicago, eight miles from the Loop.

Beggar's Pizza : A Chicago Legend : Deep Dish Baby!
Chicago offers some of the most amazing food in the country.

Why I Love Chicago In Spring
Chicago is an exciting place to visit any time of the year.

The Cadillac Theatre In Chicago – A True Gem

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with , June 4th, 2012 @ 10:14 am

Certainly, there’s a lot to see in Chicago, and it’s easy to miss some amazing sights. One thing that you’ll want to check out on your visit to the Windy City, though, is the Cadillac Palace Theatre. This legendary venue first opened its doors in 1926 under the name of the New Palace Theatre. It began as a part of vaudeville’s Orpheum Circuit, hosting such stars as Jimmy Durante, Mae West, Sophie Tucker, and Jack Benny. With the decline of vaudeville, the venue was converted into a movie palace and didn’t take on its current incarnation until 1999.
Cadillac Palace
While seeing a show at the Cadillac Palace Theatre is ideal, it must, at the very least, be seen. Designed by the Rapp brothers, who also designed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre and the Chicago Theatre, inspiration for the Cadillac Palace Theatre is said to have been taken from the Palace of Versailles and the Fontainebleau in France. From a decorative standpoint, that means that you’ll encounter lots of gold leafing and ornate wood decorations, along with marble, complex arches, and large decorative mirrors throughout.

The Cadillac Theatre in Chicago’s decorations were actually preserved through some clever trickery on the part of the theater’s owners. During World War II, the government confiscated brass from theaters throughout the country, as the metal was used to make ammunition and other items that were vital to the war effort. The owners at the time had all of the brass in the building painted white, which fooled the government inspectors who came to collect. This was not discovered until the most recent renovation of the theater, when all the paint was scraped off and the brass ornaments throughout the building were restored and displayed once again.

The Cadillac Palace has been the home of many high-profile shows, particularly those from Broadway. It hosted the premiere of Mel Brooks’s The Producers (starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) in 2001, along with The Pirate Queen in 2006. A national tour of Mary Poppins began at the theater in 2009, as did a similar production Shrek the Musical in 2010. It also played host to Wicked in 2010. In short, the Cadillac Palace Theatre is a beautiful venue to see high-caliber theatre productions, and it’s not to be missed for anyone who’s visiting Chicago.

 

 

If you liked that post, then try these...

A Visit To Water Tower Place Mall
Once considered the tallest building in the world, the .

History Of Chicago's Midway Airport
Midway International Airport is located on the southwest side of Chicago, eight miles from the Loop.

Looking For Chicago Fun This Weekend? Late August Happenings
If you're looking to change things up before summer is completely gone, here are some great suggestions to try around Chicago this weekend.

Beggar's Pizza : A Chicago Legend : Deep Dish Baby!
Chicago offers some of the most amazing food in the country.

Taking A Quick And Relaxing Trip On Lake Michigan

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with , , , June 1st, 2012 @ 11:41 am

Like a lot of Midwesterners, I associate boating and cruises with a sort of luxurious lifestyle; or at least with the sort of vacation that may only come along once or twice in a lifetime. What I overlooked, until recently, is how great of an experience the great lakes provide in terms of boating and pleasure cruising. I ran by the lake every day, but didn’t consider exactly how accessible it was, until a friend at work took her family out for dinner on the lake. I went online to Concierge Preferred – my now favorite site for finding “things to do in Chicago” – and found Odyssey Cruises operating out of Navy Pier in Chicago.
navy pier odyssey cruise in chicago
What I really liked about Odyssey, apart from the cruise itself, was how flexible they were. I booked ahead, and the reservation was quick and very simple to make. I took my family on a Sunday after church. We weren’t looking to compete with the brunch crowd, but still managed to have a great midday cruise around lunchtime. It worked out perfectly: we had a light breakfast before the service, and then my kids came hungry after church for one of the best meals they’ve had on land or on the water. They weren’t used to eating duck, but after a little coaxing — and maybe a little fib about it being chicken — they were thoroughly cleaning their plates. The New York style cheesecake at the end also went over really well. Timing our cruise after the service really helped my kids fit in with the dress code, too…

High-rise views of Chicago are quite popular with tourists and weekend sightseers, but there is no substitute for a panoramic view of the downtown area from the water. That, the fact that lake Michigan really does feel like an ocean, and the smoothness of the Odyssey’s ride made the trip comparable to an ocean liner coming into port. I wish I had known that this type of experience was lying in wait, in my backyard, much sooner. My son asked the captain how many of his friends could ride the boat, and the answer surprised me. If I ever wanted to splurge on a great party for 750 people in the city, I’ll be giving Odyssey cruises another call.

If you liked that post, then try these...

The Chicago Fire - A Brief History
.

History Of Chicago's Midway Airport
Midway International Airport is located on the southwest side of Chicago, eight miles from the Loop.

A Visit To Water Tower Place Mall
Once considered the tallest building in the world, the .

The Chicago Cubs And The Curse Of The Billy Goat
Superstition and rituals have been a part of national baseball, since its inception dating all the way back to the 18th century, but sometimes strange events take on mythical proportions that seem to haunt specific teams.

Historic Ford Theater For Performing Arts – Oriental Theatre

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with , May 29th, 2012 @ 9:07 pm

Gracing Chicago’s downtown area at 24 West Randolph Street is the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre. The Oriental Theatre, as it was known at the time, was opened in 1926 as a movie palace by the Rapp and Rapp firm. Today the theater is operated by Broadway in Chicago where visitors can view some of the hottest shows on Broadway in the Windy City.
Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre

History of the Oriental Theatre

In its heyday, the Oriental Theatre hosted both movies and Vaudeville Acts, but eventually it ended up primarily becoming a movie house in the 1930s. On occasion live acts and concerts were held, including frequent appearances by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. Other well known celebrities frequented the Oriental Theatre such as the Three Stooges, Judy Garland, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and many others. The Oriental continued to be part of Chicago’s theatre district for many decades.

With its unique Indian inspired motif, the Oriental was practically its own museum of Asian Art. Imagine the days of turbaned ushers guiding patrons to their seats: passing large mosaics of an Indian prince and princess, elephant-thrown chairs, and images of Buddhas.

Later in the 1970s, the Oriental came under renovation. It was added to the Federal National Registry of Historic Places in 1978. Then In 1997 it was renamed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Now a part of the Broadway in Chicago circuit, the Ford Center Oriental Theatre is one of 5 theaters where you can see some of the most popular shows playing on Broadway today. This ranges from the long-standing Les Miserables to more modern shows such as the Book of Mormon.

See a Broadway Show in Chicago

If you’re visiting Chicago and you’ve already experienced the museums, the city’s history tours, sampled as many wonderful morsels in all the amazing restaurants that you could; and now you want to do something a little more relaxing, why not spend a night watching a show? You should make it a date. Find out what shows are playing, ticket prices, and group discounts by visiting the Broadway In Chicago website for more information.

 

If you liked that post, then try these...

A Visit To Water Tower Place Mall
Once considered the tallest building in the world, the .

History Of Chicago's O'Hare Airport
The history of O’Hare International Airport begins in 1942, when a plot of undeveloped land in Cook County was purchased by the War Production Board of the United States of America.

The Chicago Fire - A Brief History
.

The Chicago Cubs And The Curse Of The Billy Goat
Superstition and rituals have been a part of national baseball, since its inception dating all the way back to the 18th century, but sometimes strange events take on mythical proportions that seem to haunt specific teams.

The Chicago Fire – A Brief History

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with , May 8th, 2012 @ 12:25 pm

It’s no secret I love our city – and with it – I love its rich history :::

It’s a Sunday in 1871, the morning of October 8, and Chicago has started to burn. It started near a small barn in an alleyway by 137 DeKoven Street. It’s unknown how exactly the fire began. Though Michael Ahem — a reporter for the Chicago Republican — famously wrote that the fire started when a cow kicked over a lantern, he later admitted that the account was fiction and he simply thought it would be a good story. It was, of course, a good story, but the fallout of the blaze told its own tale: having spread easily among Chicago’s wooden buildings (a then-overused material in the Windy City), the fire continued until Tuesday, October 10, destroying much of the city, killing more than 300, and leaving more than 100,000 people without homes. All in all, roughly 34 blocks of Chicago were completely destroyed.

The damages totaled roughly $222 million in property, which then amounted to roughly one-third of the city’s worth — so how could the Great Chicago Fire possibly be a benefit to the city in the long run? For one thing, the disaster spurred a re-evaluation and reform of Chicago’s fire standards, which led to the Windy City boasting one of the country’s most formidable fire-fighting forces a short time later.

Perhaps the greatest benefits to Chicago were economic though. The destruction spurred not only an outpouring of donations to the beleaguered city, but also necessitated tremendous amounts of construction for rebuilding efforts. It wasn’t long before the affected area was rebuilt and Chicago was once again one of the country’s crown jewels, hosting the World’s Columbian Exposition and the more than 21 million visitors it entailed only 22 years after the blaze.

In 1956, the Chicago Fire Academy was constructed near the start of the fire, at 558 DeKoven Street. There are four structures that survived the fire and continue to stand: St Michael’s Church in Old Town, the Chicago Water Tower, the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station, and St. Ignatius College Prep. To this day, the Great Chicago Fire remains a prominent event in the city’s history, and this is reflected by the fact that many Chicago-area sports teams boast fire-related names (such as the UIC Flames and the Chicago Fire). The Windy City is nothing if not a Phoenix, as the 1871 disaster has proven.

If you liked that post, then try these...

Why I Love Chicago In Spring
Chicago is an exciting place to visit any time of the year.

Looking For Chicago Fun This Weekend? Late August Happenings
If you're looking to change things up before summer is completely gone, here are some great suggestions to try around Chicago this weekend.

10 South Chicago Suburbs
.

A Brief History Of The Chicago Union Stockyards
In 1848, the area that is now Chicago was a crossroads for shipping livestock between the Western half of the United States and the more populated areas in the East.

A Day At The John Hancock Observatory

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with May 7th, 2012 @ 10:39 pm

The skydeck observatory located at the very top of the John Hancock Building offers visitors a breathtaking view of Chicago’s skyline. It also provides a sweeping view of four different states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Located at 875 North Michigan Avenue, the John Hancock Center is the fourth tallest building in Chicago, measuring 1,127 feet in the air. It was constructed by the Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill architectural firm under Chief Designer Bruce Graham and Bangladeshi American structural engineer, Fazlur Khan.

The building contains offices, restaurants, and about 700 condominiums, and it received its name to represent the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. The John Hancock Observatory offers a competitive view to the Willis Tower Skydeck, though the former has Chicago’s only open-air Skywalk with a free multimedia tour given in six languages.

Start your day 94 stories high with the best view of Chicago, and plan your next adventure on the ground, whether it’s dinner and theater or a family walking tour. You can participate in an audio tour and view the city through five telescopes, allowing you to experience Chicago like never before. Plus, the John Hancock Observatory offers the world’s highest cafe — Lavazza Expression Cafe — where you can enjoy a variety of foods and a cocktail. Best of all, the Observatory is open to large groups and parties, and weddings, graduations, school trips, and even corporate private parties have made their mark in the Observatory.

The John Hancock Observatory also offers a free concierge service. In partnership with WHERE Magazine, the Observatory offers you the chance to plan your day in Chicago. Begin with an amazing view of the city and Lake Michigan. You can then use the Sky High Concierge to help plan the rest of your trip, whether you’re booking a hotel or a dinner reservation.

Best of all is the Observatory’s sky high skating rink 1,000 feet up — the highest in the world. Measuring 900 square feet and created with a synthetic substance called XTRAICE, kids and adults can enjoy ice-skating against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline every year from January 1 through April 8. The rink is open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and each 25-minute skating session costs $5. Skates can be rented for just $1.

As you can see, there’s more than meets the eye at the John Hancock Observatory. Take the opportunity to spend a fun and intimate time with family and friends, while seeing Chicago in a whole new way.

If you liked that post, then try these...

Historic Ford Theater For Performing Arts - Oriental Theatre
Gracing Chicago’s downtown area at 24 West Randolph Street is the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre.

Taking A Quick And Relaxing Trip On Lake Michigan
Like a lot of Midwesterners, I associate boating and cruises with a sort of luxurious lifestyle; or at least with the sort of vacation that may only come along once or twice in a lifetime.

The Cadillac Theatre In Chicago - A True Gem
Certainly, there’s a lot to see in Chicago, and it’s easy to miss some amazing sights.

Looking For Chicago Fun This Weekend? Late August Happenings
If you're looking to change things up before summer is completely gone, here are some great suggestions to try around Chicago this weekend.

Why I Love Chicago In Spring

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago May 7th, 2012 @ 10:33 pm

Chicago is an exciting place to visit any time of the year. Whether you’re heading downtown to see the trees all lit up for Christmas or spending a gorgeous summer afternoon walking around for a much-needed day of retail therapy, there’s always something to do in Chicago. There are many times when I love visiting Chicago, but my favorite time to head to the city is in the spring.

There are many reasons why I love Chicago in the spring:

● The gorgeous spring weather – Often it’s too cold to walk around the city in the winter, and it can get very warm in the summer. In the spring, though, you can throw on a skirt or a pair of shorts and grab a light sweater and you’re good to go. The springtime is the perfect time to visit Chicago for a day of shopping, walking around, and visiting the various attractions the city has to offer.

● Enjoying a delicious meal outside – Chicago is known for having some of the most delicious restaurants in the country. A favorite has always been Mity Nice Grill inside of Water Tower Place. After a day of shopping, you can sit in a fun and relaxing environment while enjoying a delicious turkey burger, green chilli chicken nachos, or a seven vegetable Asian salad.

● Outdoor shopping – The best part about Chicago in the spring is spending a Saturday afternoon shopping and enjoying the beautiful weather. Chicago is known for brutal winters, so I do what I can to enjoy the weather when it’s gorgeous. This means taking some time to shop around the city for great small boutiques and popular stores that are having major spring sales.

● Popular attractions – Chicago is known for its diverse culture, and it’s always fun to visit the city in the spring on a rainy day and check out the various museums to learn more about art and culture.

Those who have been to Chicago know that there’s always something to do no matter what the weather is like, but for me, the best time to visit Chicago is in the spring. The weather is gorgeous, and you can spend the day doing some shopping before enjoying a delicious meal outside at one of your favorite restaurants.

If you liked that post, then try these...

A Brief History Of The Chicago Union Stockyards
In 1848, the area that is now Chicago was a crossroads for shipping livestock between the Western half of the United States and the more populated areas in the East.

The Chicago Theatre - A Great Venue
With comedy in its prime right now, I am in heaven with the Chicago Theatre’s amazing comedy lineup.

10 South Chicago Suburbs
.

A Visit To Water Tower Place Mall
Once considered the tallest building in the world, the .

Chicago Blog Coming Soon

0 comments By jchura Filed in Uncategorized April 15th, 2012 @ 11:59 am

Hey friends, I am fired up to start up blogging out Chicago – the city I love.

It will take me a few days to get rolling, but in case you were wondering, that’s what’s going on here.

Chicago is a wonderful city and this is my chance to share my daily life in the jewel of the Midwest::: Chicago.

Read more recent entries

Copyright © I Blog Chicago
Life In The Windy City

Built on Notes Blog Core
Powered by WordPress