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]
Notable events
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult performed at the theatre October 28, 1988 and three tracks from the performance were released in 2004 as part of the reissue for their debut album.
Blondie played at the theatre on August 14, 1999 as part of their 1999 comeback No Exit tour. Recordings of three songs from the concert - Under The Gun, No Exit, and Heart of Glass - were included on Blondie's 1999 Live album.
Tame Impala performed at the theatre October 10, 2013 and the recordings were used for their live album Live Versions.
The venue served as the opening night on Miley Cyrus'Milky Milky Milk Tour which was a very limited tour with only 8 cities across North America. The show sold out within a few minutes with one fixed price of US$69.69.
Chlöe performed at the theatre on April 11, 2023 for the opening night of her highly-anticipated In Pieces Tour.
Devo performed to a sold out 93XRT concert crowd on May 11, 2024.
