Des Plaines Theatre turns 100 as ‘important connection’ between city’s past and present

The last 100 years haven’t always been bright ones for the Des Plaines Theatre, but there’s no question the entertainment palace in the city’s downtown is a glimmering cultural attraction once again.

“People are coming to shows and spending their evenings there just like they did in 1925,” Mayor Andrew Goczkowski said.

Now owned by the city but operated by a private company, the theater at 1476 Miner St. will mark its centennial Aug. 9 with a parade, musical performances and more.

Goczkowski intends to be there.

“The Des Plaines Theatre is such an important connection between our modern community and our city’s history,” he said.

Here are 10 things you should know about the Des Plaines Theatre:

The architect was from Park Ridge

Park Ridge architect William B. Betts designed the theater, which originally seated about 1,000 customers in a single auditorium.

Betts’ design featured Spanish-style tile, arches and other elements.

Theaters built today, whether for live performances or movies, are bland boxes that don’t have the same character or “community vibe” as the two-tone brick building on Miner Street, said Ron Onesti, president and CEO of the eponymous company that runs the theater.

“It comes out of the pores of the bricks and mortar,” he said. “It’s something that can’t be re-created.”

It hosted movies and vaudeville

Entrepreneur Barney Winkelman opened the Des Plaines Theatre Aug. 9, 1925. It hosted vaudeville acts and movies.

After the decline of vaudeville in the 1930s, the theater’s focus shifted almost entirely to films for decades.

Its first movie was silent

The first movie that reportedly played at the theater on its opening day was a silent picture called “Are Parents People?” The cast included Betty Bronson, Florence Vidor and Adolphe Menjou.

“Are Parents People” will be presented at the theater once again at 2 p.m. Aug. 9. Admission is a mere 25 cents.

The marquee came later

The theater was purchased by the Balaban family in 1935. With vaudeville dying, the Balabans turned the Des Plaines Theatre into a movie house. They also remodeled the theater, adding some Art Deco touches and the illuminated, red marquee over the front doors that still greets customers.

It survived a fire

A fire badly damaged the building in 1982. The theater reopened the next year but the operation struggled. Multiple ownership and building changes — including conversion into a twin-screen venue — followed until it was shuttered by the city because of code violations in January 2014. By that time, the theater primarily had been exhibiting pictures from India.

An Oscar-winner once stopped by

Academy Award-winning actor Patty Duke toured the theater in spring 2014 while she considered directing a production of the play “The Miracle Worker” there. Duke won her Best Supporting Actress Award for playing Helen Keller in the 1962 film version of the drama.

Duke said she loved the space and its history, but the production was not to be. She died in 2016.

The renovation got funding from a casino

Des Plaines bought the two-story building in 2018 for nearly $1.3 million, envisioning it as an anchor of a bustling entertainment and restaurant district. A $6.7 million renovation was undertaken, and the venue reopened in 2021.

Rivers Casino contributed $2.2 million to assist the city with purchasing and renovating the theater. The donation came without any strings; the casino doesn't have an ownership stake in the building or the theater operation.

A secret bar is on the second floor

In addition to the auditorium that hosts performances by original acts and tribute bands several nights a week, the modern venue has speakeasy-style bar with a hidden entrance called Bourbon ‘N Brass and a restaurant dubbed Des Pizza.

Onesti said he aimed to create a theater “that would resemble its previous splendor,” a place that would be a source of community pride.

“And I think we’ve achieved that,” said Onesti, whose company also operates the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.

A famous actor helped reopen the venue

The theater is back to being a one-auditorium venue today, and its focus is live entertainment. “Field of Dreams” and “Yellowstone” actor Kevin Costner and his Modern West band were the first headline performers at the Des Plaines Theatre under city ownership, taking the stage Oct. 31, 2021.

A star-filled parade is planned

As part of the centennial celebration, a parade down a short stretch of Miner Street is planned for 5 p.m. Aug. 9. It will feature a Charlie Chaplin impersonator; the Maine West High School marching band; and celebrities who will participate in programs at the theater that night. Set to take part are actor and musician Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees; actor Priscilla Presley; drummer Danny Seraphine of the band Chicago; and guitarist and singer Jim Peterik of the Ides of March and Survivor.

The procession will run from Pearson Street to Lee Street. A blessing of the theater and a dedication to Winkelman will follow.

Dolenz, Presley, Seraphine and the Ides of March will take the stage starting at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9, for a show called “Des Plaines Theatre Through the Decades.” Other acts are planned, too, including a band that will play music from the Prohibition era and a vocal-and-orchestra act that will pay tribute to the music of the 1940s.

Tickets start at $39 and are available at the theater box office and at oshows.com.

For more information, visit that website or call (224) 354-2333.