New-York tribune., 1922-02-26
Four sDld rE'Ileaters.
Cilicaoeog.urleI,narE>s, ,
Will Re DESTROYED
NcNicINer 5, Powers, Olympic
aad Grand Opera House,
Scenes Of Alany sriuanp',s,
To Make Y ay for Progress


-Four ~ chicaso's theatrical land
marks monuments to the bu4ine
acumen of o song and dance comedisn
= medicine show marnats. minstrel
manager and ra'r o1 circus men
are slated fer dc trustIou.
WorEmcn already haze begun sink
tng ca sons urder alcN lcker s., most
venerable &c tho downtown thcaters.
and the wfcchels wl take charge i'm
nay. George ST. CoAan'a Grand 0nera
House, the Powers and the OlymDic
are soon To foiloH and with them viii
disappear the Loop's most notable re
'ninders o. Nictorian grandeur, carved
walnut and red plush
The Grand probably will bo the sec
cnd Of the quartet to co, SIS under the
terms of the present lease Vt nust he
rehullt before january L. 1926 The
Powers, known 10 bvgone theatc1-
going generation as Hoolcy's Thester
end which for nearly fifty Years has
held the unouestoued prcsti~e a the
fheater IN which the most iliustrious
actors preferred to appear. H. 10 eivc
way TO an addition to the Hotel Sher.
man new playhouse may be moor
pcrated i'm the hotel extension. hat thus
point has not been definitely decided
Owners Of tie Olympic are planning
60 rebuild that house as soon a. condi-
iious are favorable
James H. McNicker. founder Of the
thester which still bears his name. was
the song and dance comedian in Chi
rago's early quartet of theatrical
1nsgnates A travelling comnanv
brought him hove in the early day.
and IL 1857 he built his FIRST theafcr
on the SPOT where the present nlar.
house-now devoted to continuous
vaudeville stauds. The theater I'M
mediateiv became TIE most importar.
center Of dramatic activity i'm the Mid
Vie est Us opening was great event.
SAd nlgntiy thereafter crowded omni-
buses lett rs doors after the porfor-
nance Tor The Bulls Head Tavern and
the fashiouably outlying suburb Of
cottage Grove, now part Of the near
south side.
McVicher installed resident stock
company which Supported" notable
succession OF visiting stars-Charlotta
Sushman, Edwin Booth, the elder
Sothern, j. II. Hacket-. Lolita Crabtrec
Lawrence Barrett. Charles Kcan ND
many others. Here Edwin Booth n1ot
Mary McNicker, the managers daucb-
GER, whom he afterwards married
he1e, Wren Lincoln was shot. there
vas double mourning. for the assassin.
). Wilkes Booth, had played McNick
81 often. Here, in le66, The Black
CrooA had It's phenomenal CHICAGO
ran Of ffty-siN nights
The theater vas DESTROYED in tho
great fire of 1871 ard was the frst
playhouse to be rebuilt after the dis
astef- IN 1870 Il was again DESTROYED
~ hfe and the present structure dates
ron its restoration in 1892.
Ire Mecic.se show magnate was
John q. haml.n and tho minstrel ,nana-
ger Richard NJ. Hoolev. Both wore
'den'lacd with the early davs Of the
present Grand Opera House. In $50
Hooley- who had made a fortune with
ms minstrel troupes, bought BRYAN
ia.!, a concert auditorium. rebuilt it
and prepared to open Hooiey's Opera
House. he FIRE Of 1871 destroyed the
lheater on the very night before K
vas to be opened and swept his fortune
away.
In 1873 Uamlin. famous throuqhout
the country for his Namlins Wizard
OIL built the largest billiard hall in the
world on the ste Of the former opera
house. Later he enlarged ana turned
It into beer garden. which in turn be-
came Ha1Hilu' IAsater n 1873, and in
1859, after extensive alterations. was
-eopened under the former name Of the
Grand Opera House.
The hamboyant announcement Of the
opening said.
SPECIAL NOTICE
The management beg to present to
he public some Of its many claims to !
supremacy in the fed it occupies. TO I
'egin at the beginning:
IT IS
The Only Theatre with Polished
farble Vestibulc.
The Only Theater with Luxuriously
furnished Foyer.