Genesee Theatre is a concert hall and movie palace in Waukegan, Illinois . Today, the venue has seats for 2,403 people and opened in 1927. It's both used as a vaudeville theater and cinema and hosts musical artists and shows.
7-435: In 1926, A.L. Brumund, H.C. Burnett, and D.T. Webb bought land at the corner of Genesee and Clayton Streets for $ 130,000. Their wish was to create a community center for Waukegan that provided high-quality entertainments as well as commercial and living spaces. After a year and a half and a million dollars later they had created a luxurious movie palace open to the public. Flourishing growth in this city north of Chicago, justified
14-500: A building or structure in Illinois is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article on a music performance venue is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Caen stone Caen stone ( French : Pierre de Caen ) is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in north-western France near the city of Caen . The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in
21-511: A center of the Waukegan community. Soulja Boy shot part of his music video for " Donk ", during a performance in the theatre. Morrissey shot part of the video for his single " I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris " during a 2007 performance at the theater. Ringo Starr recorded a PBS special in this theater. 42°21′45″N 87°49′51″W / 42.362603°N 87.83093°W / 42.362603; -87.83093 This article about
28-574: The Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago. The stone is homogeneous, and therefore suitable for carving. The stone was first used for building in the Gallo-Roman period with production from open cast quarries restarting in the 11th century. Shipped to England, Canterbury Cathedral , Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London were all partially built from Caen stone. Underground mining developed in
35-566: The Theatre combine to make it the most lavish building in Waukegan, IL. It originally closed in 1989, however it re-opened in 2004, following a $ 23 million renovation. Despite the changes to the Theatre, the historic integrity of the Genesee has stood the test of time. From the street and within its walls, the Genesee Theatre is reminiscent of the hope and beauty of the early 20th century and remains
42-556: The building of a deluxe and luxurious movie theater that was unparalleled at the time throughout most of the country. The construction of the theatre began in September 1927. Waukegan contractor Alva Weeks and Chicago Architect Edward P. Steinberg were hired to construct the theatre. Steinberg had just built the BelPark and State theatres in Chicago, IL. No expense was spared in the construction of
49-509: The theatre. The façade, on Genesee street, was built from terra cotta and pressed brick in ornate design. Inside the lobby hanged a luxurious chandelier. The interior is Spanish Renaissance Style using Caen stone . A large dome in the center of the auditorium was made from hammered silver. Over 1200 yards of tapestry fabric, several tons of marble from the Carrera quarries in Italy, and lighting throughout
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