The Portland daily press., 1892-01-07
A CITY OF THEATERS.
That Is What Chicago May be
raas
Called Hereafter.
Two Grand Houses About to Be Added to
the Largs Number Already in Exist
ence ~ The Schiller and the
Jackson Street Theaters.
Especial Chicago Letter. |

According to theatrical managers
Chicago is the best ''show town" in the
United States. The city now supports
seven frst-class houses, the Audi
torium, Hooley's, Chicago opera house,
McViclzer's, Grand opera house, Colum-
bia and Haymarket. The managers of
these theaters play none but first-class
attractions, prices of admission varying
from 80 cents to ST. so. Then we have
four theaters considered second-class-
the Alhambra, Havlin's. Peoples and
Windsor, and four whose prices of ad-
mission do not warrant the engagement
of the best companies-the Academy of
Music, Standard, Clark street and Cri-
terion. Vaudeville has it's own temples
the Lyceum, Olympic and Madison
street theaters. All of these houses are
making money. as are the Casino and
two or three panoramas and other
places of amusement. It is hard to es-
innate what the people of Chicago and
the thousands of visitors within her
gates pay annually for amusements,
but If each house sells but 500 tickets a
day, it is safe to say that the treasures
of the various theaters have an aver
age daily income of $4,000, or 1880 000
per year. These figures, am inclined
to think, are too low; but they are
large enough to show that theatrical
property in this city is very desirable,
and they will prepare the reader to hear
that stock companies have recently
been formed for the purpose of adding
two first-class theaters to the places of
amusement already in existence.
The first of the two ventures is in the
hands of the German citizens of Chi
cago, who propose to erect structure
equal in imposing exterior and superior
in internal arrangements to the sky
scraping buildings which have made
the city famous. The theater is to be
called the Schiller, in honor of the
most popular and prolific of German
poets and dramatists. 1t will be To-
Gated on Randolph street, between
Dearborn and Clark. The building
will have a frontage of about so feet
and depth of 1So. A notable feature
will be a tower, in front which will
reach a, height of fifteen stories. On
either side. of the tower will rise the
two wings of the building to height
of nine stories.
From the architects plans it has
been learned that the main entrance to
the theater viii be in the center of the
building and will be 80 feet wide lead
ing direct to the auditorium which is to
be 60 by 80 feet and will have a seating
capacity of 1900. The interior decora-
tions will be of ornamental stucco and
the stairs of marble. One balcony, a
gallery and the main floor constitute
the seating department. Three boxes
on each side of the house will be on a
level with the parquette. The balcony
and gallery will be supported by steel
girders extending across the house, in
no way interfering with those seated
in the rear of the house. The floor and
wainscotipg will be of mosaic and
marble. Before reaching the foyer the
visitor VIII pass through two vesti-
bules, in the last of which the tick
ct Office will be located. From the in
ner vestibule guests of the hotel, which
viii occupy the upper floors of the
building, can take elevators. Marble
stairs eight feet wide will lead from
the foyer. to the main floor, continuing