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.
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.