The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-26
Playhouse viii Cost Three Millions
and Will be Up-to-Date
In Every Parti-
cular.
TWENTY STORIES TALL
Will Contain Roof Garden, Rathskel-
Ter, Buffet and 500 Office Rooms
Besides the Opera
House.


this week which is to give Chicago
within year a new twenty-story
skyscraper in the loop district and
new theatre bigger than any in the
city and unique in that it will be the I
only real music hall on this side of
the Atlantic ocean.
The structure is to be erected at
the southeast corner of Madison
street and Wabash avenue, on land
leased from the Munger estate for
nsnety-nine years at an annual ground !
rental of $4,000, by William Nor
ris, Inc, OF which William Morris.
well known figure in theatrical cir
cles, is president.
The deal was closed by Edward S.
Bloom, Mr.. Morris business manager.
and j. A. Ainsworth, representing
Farnham, Willoughby & Co., who act
!! ed for the Munger estate. Work Is
to be begun Feb. /, 1911. and COW
nants in the lease call for the con-
struction Of a $3,0oOOOO building by
/ September Is of next year
In order to carry on the business of
constructing and maintaining the
building the American Music Hall
1 company, an Illinois corporation, is
to be organized with paid-up capital
/ Of s1,00o,0o0, upon which hotation
1 of s2,000,000 bonds is to be made.
This money is all to go into the con-
struction of what will be known as
the American, Music Hall building
The plans are in the hands of Hola-
bird & Roche
The ground embraced in the lease
is that now occupied by the Contin-
entail hotel. 1t has frontage of 81
feet on Wabash avenue and of 172
] feet on Madison street The new
4 building when constructed will be
i open on four sides, on two streets
and two alleys.
The men back of the theatrical pro-
ject promise that the new theater will
be the most remarkable of its kind
in the country In addition to the
theater itself, which is to be operated
!. at Legitimate" instead of vaudeville,
prices running to $3.50 seat, there
will be rathskellar in the basement
and buffet and cafe on the second
floor There also will be large roof
garden on the top of the building,
but this is to be operated independ-
emily of the theater.
The theater will be unique because
it will combine what are regarded as
the good points of the London and
Paris STYLES of music hall. Especial
effort is to be made to get the pat
ronage of women and, with this in
view there will be not only special
box Office for women, presided over
by woman, but woman's smoking
room and women's rest and lounging
rooms.
Following the plans of the Paris
music halls, there are to be three
promenades on the theater floors a
e "Elysian'' promenade and "de lux
promenade, finished in gold and white
The building is to be 260 feet high
and the first five stories will be oc
). cupied by the theater and the theat
;. rical office, including the headquarters
of the American Music Hall company
William Morris Incorporated, ant
William Morris Western Beside.
the theater and it's appurtenances ant
the roof garden the structure viii
contain 303 oinces. 1t will be of bricl
and steel, and finished in white Ital
!. ian tile.
The stage will be 81 feet wide, B.
feet deep. and will have $500
proscenium. The auditorium vii
A. have a seating capacity of 2,204 per
V sons. The floor area of the theate
d will be built as music hall, with al
II Of the music hall conveniences, a
IS distinct from the ordinary theate
D. made over for music hall purposes
IS Among other features will be a pal
ID lor on the main floor, operated TO
IS I,the convenience of the public an
ut distinct from the theater itself
s The American Music Hall on Wa
e. bash avenue is to be operated by Wi
i'd liam Morris, Incorporated, in cor
se nection with the new theater TIL
plan now is to send the attraction
first To the new theater and to brin
tham tho following week 10 the oil