Aiken’s Theater,
Life Span: 1872-1874
Location: NW corner of Wabash Avenue and Congress Street
Architect:
- Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1873
Aiken’s Theatre, Frank E. Aiken, prop. Wabash av. nw. cor. Congress
Lakeside Monthly, October, 1872
The next new theatre to be opened is known as Aiken’s Theatre, and is the handsome result of the enterprise of Mr. Frank E. Aiken, well known as the former manager of Wood’s Museum, Aiken’s Dearborn Theatre, and, more recently of the Hooley Opera-house, in the management of which he was engaged at the time of the fire. It was not long after the smoke had cleared away before Mr. Hooley and Mr. Aiken were looking toward rebuilding. They concluded, however, to build separately, and Mr. Aiken located on Congress street and Wabash avenue, several blocks further south than any one had as yet thought of building a theatre. The style of architecture in the new structure is the Renaissance. The dimensions are 80 feet in width and 150 feet in depth. The height of the building is about 70 feet, and the stage is 51 feet deep. The front is highly ornamented, being set off with a French roof and three pavilion towers rising over the cornice. Its material is gray stone up to the second story, then red pressed brick with elaborate stone trim mings. The main entrance is very large, and practically made still larger by the lobby-room given at each side. The door posts consist of Corinthian columns of cut stone, each capital sustaining a sphinx-head, while the whole entrance is surmounted by a broken pediment cap with a bust of Shakespeare in the niche. Meli, an Italian ar tist who has done much toward the ornamentation of new Chicago, has provided two figures—one of Comedy and one of Tragedy—which have been placed be tween the pavilions of the French roof. The interior is, of course, of the most mod em style. The auditorium consists of the orchestra and three circles, the dress circle separated from the orchestra by a simple railing. The seating capacity of the house is said to be about 1700 in all. The seats themselves are of the most comfortable pattern, consisting of large iron chairs with sofa springs. The proscenium, which fur nishes room for two private boxes, is elab orately finished, as, indeed, is the entire auditorium, presenting altogether as pleas ant a place for public entertainments as could be desired. Mr. Aiken has provided a dramatic company for the season, but will also present many of the entertainments which would naturally find their way to an opera-house if one had been constructed. About the time that this number of The Lakeside comes before the public, Theodore Thomas’s superb orchestra, which arrived in Chicago about a year ago, just in time to see the fire and escape a scorching, will discourse here its sweetest music. Then Rubenstein, the pianist, Mario and Carlotta Patti, Janauschek and Aimee, will follow in rapid succession.
Chicago Evening Post, October 5, 1872
Aiken’s.
Another gentleman who stands high in the theatrical profession is Mr. Frank Aiken. He, with Mr. Lawlor, had just entered upon the management of the Hooley Opera House when the fire put a temporary end to the business. It was only temporary, however, for the spirit of Aiken would not down but immediately manifested itself in a design to rebuild, which now stands fulfilled. At the corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street Aiken’s Theater has risen and is nearly finished. It is 80 by 120 feet in area and is constructed of brick, with gray stone and granite front. It is 60 feet high from the floor to the roof of the auditorium, and, it is claimed, will seat 2,000 people comfortably. The building is so arranged that handsome parlors for ladies can be introduced. The finishing and decoration of the interior is chaste and beautiful, in keeping with the class of entertainments to be given. The stage is 36 feet deep by 34 feet wide. The proscenium has a height of 40 feet, and will have a drop curtain 40×34. Two tiers of proscenium boxes will be placed at the sides, and the drawing-room is just behind them. The theatre has two entrances on Wabash avenue to the upper gallery, besides the main entrance. On Congress street there are two entrances. A chandelier with 300 jets, is suspended from the dome, which is GO feet above the auditorium. This will be lighted by electricity. The chairs in the orchestra, parquette circle and dress circle are cushioned and comfortable. Cost $135,000.
Inter Ocean, October 8, 1872
THE THOMAS CONCERT.
The openingof Alken’s new theater. last evening, by Mr. Theodore Thomas’ splendid orchestra, was decidedly brilliant affair. The theater is a tasteful and elegant edifice; the audience was choice and numerous; the occasion one of unusual interest on many accounts; and the orchestra and performance the fittest possible crown of all these excellencies. The pressure of other matter will not allow us to speak of the entertainment with the elaborateness which its importance deserves, but we have space to record that the opening was a complete success; that Mr. Thomas has come back to us, after a constrained absence, with more solid attractions than he ever brought before, when everybody was praising him in superlatives only, and that the series of programmes selected for this week afford the richest collection of gems, especially from the advanced German composers, ever offered to the Chicago public, at least with any assurance of an adequate rendition. Of this class evening there were three principal illustrations, Tarnhauser overture, the Preludes of Liszt, and the favorite set from Lohengrin—all familiar, yet all perennially fresh and fragrant to the true lovers of music. The orchestra is reinforced by several eminent soloists, principal among whom is Herr Listemann, whose violin solo—the adagio and rondo of Paganini’s first concerto—was the revelation of a master genius far beyond the anticipations of many of the audience. Herr Listemann has a wonderful technique, and the rondo of this piece, with its duet passages in thirds and even tenths, its lighting runs and its other brilliant ornamentation is admirably adapted to show off. Not only did the artist astonish his auditors in this respect, but he showed the adagio, great beauty of tone and grace of manner. A demand for a repetition elicited from Herr L. a showy little caprice of Bazzini, introducing some brilliant pizzicato effects.
Chicago Tribune, July 15. 1874
Aiken’s Theater.
At 8 o’clock the fire caught by a spark an the roof of Aiken’s Theater. An engine attempted to throw a jet on the roof from the north, but unsuccessfully. The building was a splendid object in burning on account of the large amount of dry wood inside.
Thence the flames leaped over to Hough’s building, just south of J. Young Scammon’s Inter-Oceanic structure. At this point the firemen combatted the flames with praiseworthy doggedness, creeping up close and throwing their jets into the burning buildings. At half-past 9 o’clock the lurid flames which licked Aiken’s Theatre from roof to basement suddenly ceased, as an ominous report told of the collapse of the interior of the building. At this moment Wabash avenue was enveloped in smoke and darkness, and those who knew nothing about it fancied that the end of the fire was at hand. The darkness and gloom was but temporary however. The flames took hold of the mass of inflammable material which had been massed together in the fall, and the theatre fire became larger and more dangerous than ever. The ignition of the houses opposite the theatre became a mere question of time, which was very shortly answered, their top stories very shortly breaking forth into flames.
At a quarter to 10 o’clock Aiken’s Theatre was a ruin, while the fire burned actively in the opposite buildings.
The most strenuous efforts’ were made to save Aiken’s Theater. Several streams were kept constantly playing upon the roof of the building, but the western end of it was discovered to be in flames, which mastered the water, and crept along steadily toward the eastern end of the building. To the north of Aiken’s Theatre was a large, vacant lot, and, as another vacant lot was right opposite, it was hoped that a check to the conflagration could be effected here. The theatre then became the point d’appui of the firemen’s efforts, but as soon as the flame took fair bold of the building it became apparent that the theatre had to go. As is usual when such buildings burn, the flames were of the hottest description, and the sparks from the wooden-work of the most dangerous kind. These fled along Wabash avenue and lit on the top of all the buildings to the northeast, and but little effort seemed to be made to prevent them performing their miselon of destruction.
History of Chicago, Alfred T. Andreas, 1886
AIKEN’S THEATER.
The second down-town theater put in commission was Aiken’s, occupying the northwest corner of Wabash Avenue and Congress Street. Its dimensions were the following: Outside area, 80×130 feet; height of theater, 70 feet; vestibule, 20×50 feet; auditorium, 65×80 feet; height of auditorium, 67 feet; stage opening, 34×40; size of stage, 45 x80 feet; parquette, 34×50 feet.
It cost $80,000, the money being furnished by George White and Frederick Clark. It was opened by the Theodore Thomas orchestra almost upon the anniversary of the great fire, viz. on October 7, 1872. The Thomas concerts were followed by Rubinstein, the pianist, Aimee in French opera, Lawrence Barrett, etc. The stock company of Aiken’s theater was composed as follows:
- Frank E. Aiken, Frank Lawlor, Milton Nobles, F. R. Pierce, George Reed, C. R. Graves, W. C. Crosbie, Ches. Rogers, H. B. Howland, A. M. Clark, J. Cline, Fred Fenton, J. F. Dean, James Taylor, S. Rothwell, C. T. Pembroke, F. Heartwell, H. Sisson, Miss Anna Lanergan, Miss Emma Maddern, Miss Ada Gilman, Mrs. Clara Maeder, Mrs. Charles Hill, Miss Mollie Maeder, Miss F. Pierce. Miss Lizzie Queen, Miss Bella Remick, Miss Julia Nor- wood, Miss Clara Taylor, Miss Mary Rosine, Miss Susie Clark, Miss Mary Harris, Miss Ida Foster, Miss Emma Roberts.
The dramatic season at Aiken’s was a failure, and for some months it was closed. Its location and size, however, attracted the attention of a speculative manager, Leonard Grover, who leased the property and converted it into a variety theater, under the name of “The Adelphi.” It was re-opened on February 3, 1874, and was totally destroyed in the second great fire, July 14, 1874, and never afterward re-built.
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