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Des Plaines Theater renovations on display at open house

Area residents will have their first opportunity Sunday to sneak a peek at ongoing renovations to the 85-year-old Des Plaines Theater.

The theater, at 1476 Miner St. in downtown Des Plaines, was once a stunning 1920s-era vaudeville theater, a tour stop for “America's Favorite Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry and most recently home to blockbuster Bollywood musicals.

What visitors to Sunday's open house will see under the peeled-back layers of plaster and paint are remnants of a bygone era terra cotta tiles uncovered behind sheet rock walls in the theater lobby, signatures of vaudeville performers on the walls of a backstage dressing room, ornate wall designs, painted detail on the ceiling and intricate plaster work on huge connecting beams once hidden by a drop ceiling.

Master painters are repainting the original decorative plaster that surrounds the doorways and stage in four-color detail.

“We have a first coat of paint that highlights all of the detailed plaster work on the porticos around the door,” said Gay Miezin, development director for Stage One Productions. The group, one of the theater's new anchor tenants, is helping restore the building in conjunction with its owners.

Sunday's open house begins at noon with a showing of the 1935 classic movie “Scrooge,” based on Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol.” At 2 p.m., carolers from The Willows Academy Chamber Choir will perform in front of the stage. At 3 p.m., there will be a showing of “A Christmas Without Snow,” followed by a 7:30 p.m. performance by the St. Alphonsus Contemporary Choir, and a second showing of “Scrooge” at 8:30 p.m.

A modest $5 donation is encouraged with proceeds going toward the renovation fund.

Workers have taken down the wall that divided the theater and split its large screen. The theater's concession area and counters are being refurbished and transformed into the new Music Box Cafe where freshly popped popcorn and homemade cookies will be served.

Visitors will have access to the main lobby, hallway, washrooms and main floor of the theater. And, for the first time, they'll be able to set foot on a 30-year-old stage where new theater productions will be mounted starting next year.

“We'll have carolers, and (visitors) will be able to walk around in the main theater, and there will be guides to explain some of the history,” Miezin said.

Visitors also will see a huge pile of roughly 1,000 velvet Radio City Music Hall seats recently purchased by the theater. The seats had been reupholstered a few years before Radio City Music Hall was renovated and had been in storage for the past 10 years.

“We liked the idea that these were historical seats from a wonderful playhouse,” Miezin said. “We wanted these seats partly because of the history, the name, and they are very plush high-back burgundy seats. They match the burgundy that we had chosen. We believe we uncovered the original base color of the porticos and proscenium.”

Community members may sponsor a seat for $50 to $100 and have their names engraved on a brass plate that will be affixed to the back of each seat.

While the seats are in good condition, there is still work to be done to restore the paint on the wrought iron legs. They won't be installed until architectural drawings are updated to determine how many seats will be allowed in the theater under current city code.

The original theater had 1,018 seats in 1925, Miezin said.

Visitors may place orders for a 20-page commemorative photo journal of the theater renovation project for $10 during the open house, and the books will be available in the spring once the theater renovation is complete. Proceeds will support future community shows and performances at the theater.

“It's mainly just to get the community to come see what we're doing and hope we get people interested in being volunteers,” Miezin said.

To donate, volunteer or for more information, visit stageoneproductionsdp.org or call (224) 558-8054.

Open: You can sponsor a theater seat, get your name on it

  The historic downtown Des Plaines Theater, which celebrated its 85th anniversary this year, is undergoing a renovation to restore it to past glory. Visitors can get a look at the work done so far at an open house Sunday. MADHU KRISHNAMURTHY/mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com
A 1925 postcard of the historic Des Plaines Theater, shortly after its opening on Aug. 9, 1925. courtesy of Brian Wolf
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