Cadillac Palace Theatre

Detail: The Palace Theatre opened at the corner of Randolph and LaSalle Streets in Chicago on October 4, 1926. Designed by legendary theatre architects the Rapp Brothers, the theatre's interior featured a splendor previously unseen in Chicago — a breathtaking vision inspired by the palaces of Fontainebleau and Versailles. The theatre's distinctive characteristics included a lobby richly appointed in huge decorative mirrors and breche violet and white marble, which swept majestically through a succession of lobbies and foyers; great wall surfaces enhanced with gold leaf and wood decorations; and 2,500 plush, roomy seats. The theatre was originally opened as the flagship of vaudeville's legendary Orpheum Circuit, and among the stars believed to have played the Palace in its early years are Jimmy Durante, Mae West, Jack Benny, Sophie Tucker and Bob Hope.

The renovated theatre was reopened during the fall of 1999, with the premiere of Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida." Since then, the Cadillac palace has been the home to several pre-Broadway hits including "The Producers—The New Mel Brooks Musical" and "Mamma Mia!" in 2001. And it will host the show that all Chicago has waited for "Disney's The Lion King" with it first performance on April 23, 2003.