Auditorium Theatre To Celebrate Its 125th Anniversary Tuesday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- No longer the tallest building in Chicago, the Auditorium Theatre is now certainly one of the most durable and is celebrating its 125th anniversary Tuesday, reports WBBM's John Cody.
Executive director Brett Batterson explains 3,500 bare filament glass bulbs wash the auditorium's gold ceiling.
"It's just a glowing, gold series of arches that really just bring joy to the heart of every one who sees it," he said.
Batterson notes the auditorium's ups and downs as home for the Chicago symphony until it moved up Michigan Avenue and later bankruptcy and then lights out from 1946 until 1967.
"Then it was restored and reopened and we have been going strong ever since," he said.
Since then it has been a platform for Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, the Willow Creek Church, and now the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic as the Auditorium Theatre celebrates birthday number 125 on South Michigan Avenue.