The Chez Paree was a Chicago nightclub known for its glamorous atmosphere, elaborate dance numbers, and top entertainers. It operated from 1932 until 1960 in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago at 610 N. Fairbanks Court. The club was the epitome of the golden age of entertainment, and it hosted a wide variety of performers, from singers to comedians to vaudeville acts. ^[1] A "new" Chez Paree opened briefly in the mid-1960s on 400 N. Wabash Avenue and was seen in the film Mickey One with Warren Beatty.

History

The Chez Paree was initially opened in 1932 by Mike Fritzel and Joe Jacobson. After reported financial problems operating the club, it was sold to a group of partners in 1949; Jack Schatz, ^[2] Don Jo Medlevine, Al Kaiser (not the MLB player), and Dave Halper.

Chez Paree was housed on the third floor of a loft building designed in 1917 by the architects Marshall and Fox. Marshall and Fox are best known for the Drake Hotel and Blackstone Hotel. During the Chez Paree's early years, the building's second floor featured the School of Design, which was started by László Moholy-Nagy, the former director of the New Bauhaus School in Chicago. ^[3]

From 1951 until the Venue's closing it was the remote location for WMAQ (AM)s The Jack Eigen Show. ^[4]

Current use

The address is now home to Chez, ^[5] a contemporary event space named in homage to the Chez Paree, and the Internet-based apartment listing service Domu. ^[6]

Notable performers

Artists who performed at Chez Paree included:

Musicians

Comedians

Dancers and other celebrities

In popular culture

• The movie The Bridges at Toko-Ri included a scene where William Holden is listening to an Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast of Henry Busse music from "the Chez Paree in Chicago overlooking Lake Michigan".

References

External links

• The Chez Paree
• Chicago Cubs through history-Chez Paree
• Schatz Building History-Chez Paree