Riviera Theatre

The Riviera Theatre is a concert venue located on the north side of Chicago, Illinois.

This article is about the theatre in Chicago. For the theatre in North Tonawanda, see Riviera Theatre (North Tonawanda).

Riviera Theatre
The Riv
Address4746 N Racine Ave
Chicago, IL 60640-4912
LocationSheridan Park
OwnerJam Productions
Capacity2,500
Construction
OpenedOctober 2, 1918 (1918-10-02)
Construction cost$585,000
($11.7 million in 2019 dollars[1])
Website
Venue Website

About
Lobby of theatre, 2006

Built in 1917, it was designed by Rapp and Rapp for the Balaban & Katz theatre chain run by A. J. Balaban, his brother Barney Balaban and their partner and brother-in-law, Sam Katz.[2] It is an example of French Renaissance Revival architecture.[3] It later became a private nightclub in 1986. The theatre is located in the Uptown section of the city, at the intersection of Lawrence, Broadway and Racine. The area has several notable theaters, including the Aragon Ballroom, which is only 0.2 miles away. Since 2006 it has been owned by Chicago-based Jam Productions (itself owned by Jerry Mickelson and Arny Granat), which claims to be the "largest independent producer of live entertainment in the United States".[4][5][6]

In October 2015 in a labor dispute, Jam Productions fired the stagehands of the Riviera Theater.[7]

As of 2017, the Riviera Theater continues to serve as a venue for many popular acts, both local and national.[8]

Noted performers

Notable events

References
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. The Chicago Movie Palaces of Balaban And Katz by David Balaban & Joseph Ducibella (Arcadia Publishing, 2006)
  3. Valentine, Maggie (1994). The Show Starts on the Sidewalk: An Architectural History of the Movie Theatre. New Haven (Conn.): Yale University Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-300-06647-0.
  4. Meyer, Gregory (July 26, 2006). "Jam Productions affiliate buys Riviera Theater". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  5. Connors, Joe (April 17, 2017). "INTERVIEW: Jerry Mickelson – founder of Jam Productions". Chicago Music Magazine. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  6. "Who We Are..." Jam Productions. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  7. McGhee, Josh (October 20, 2016). "Fired Stagehands File Unfair Labor Charges Against Riviera, Jam Productions". DNAinfo Chicago. Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  8. "About the Riviera". Jam Productions. Retrieved 2016-09-18.


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