Main auditorium of Chicago's Music Box closed for repairs
CHICAGO (CBS)—Starting Monday, Chicago's nearly centuries-old Music Box Theatre will undergo a refresh as the main auditorium will be closed for repairs and upgrades.
As part of its "Revive at 95 " project, the theater is getting new seats with cup holders and rehabilitating the lights and floors.
The Music Box announced its plans back in June. The theater is set to reopen in early September in time for the 2024 Noir City: Chicago Film Festival, from September 6 through12.
The original proscenium arch is also being repaired, and new supports for people with disabilities—including a T-Coil Hearing Loop system for those with hearing aids—will be provided.
If you'd like to contribute to cover costs, you can sponsor a seat in the auditorium for $750 for one and $1,400 for two. The theater will engrave your name on a plate on the seats. Contributors donating other amounts will be acknowledged on the theater's website.
Supporters donating more than $100 between now and August 15 will get a box of Music Box goodies, including a poster, mug, and other commemorative items.
The theater opened back in 1929, and it cost $110,000 to build. The whole building, which includes nine storefronts and 32 apartments, cost $260,000.
According to the Music Box's website, Louis I. Simon was the local architect who designed the theater. "The building was erected by The Southport Avenue Businessmen's Association and operated by Lasker and Sons, who operated several smaller neighborhood houses in Chicago."
The smaller theater screen remains open, and the Music Box Garden Movies Series continues throughout the end of September.