8/2/2023 0 Comments Movies in theaters now regal![]() After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, blacks began to slowly move from their southern homes. Prior to the opening of the Regal, Chicago experienced the Great Migration, which brought a large number of blacks from the south into the city looking for a new life and work. Both theaters were able to attract several big names but, due to its size and central location, the Regal was arguably able to book bigger acts. Often compared to the Apollo in Harlem, the Regal actually opened six years earlier, and had double the seating capacity. Aware of their increased popularity, Balaban and Katz hired them as the Regal house band. ![]() They had been an opening act at the Savoy Ballroom and had begun to gain a following. One of the house bands recruited for the Regal was Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra. Costing $1.5 million (in 1928 dollars) to construct, the Regal opened new doors for African Americans in the entertainment business. The Regal was a lavishly decorated, featuring velvet seating, large pillars, and grand spaces. The theater was situated near two popular black venues: both a nightclub (the Savoy Ballroom) and a major retailer (the South Center Department store). Typically shows consisted of an opening musical act followed by a film. Performers included Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, The Temptations, Miles Davis, Nat “King” Cole, Duke Ellington, Paul Robeson, the Jackson Five, and B.B. In its early years, the Regal featured silent films, well known black musicians of all types of genres-mainly jazz and blue. Owned by a white business association in Chicago, and seating about 3,000 people, the theater was one of the first entertainment complexes available for black audiences, employing black staff members (other than the musical acts). The theater was designed by Levy and Klein and was influenced by the Harlem Savoy Ballroom located in New York City. This theater opened on February 4, 1928, located in “Bronzeville”, at Congress Parkway and State Street. The theater was a prominent entertainment venue for over four decades in Chicago, Illinois. The Regal was a major complex that featured films, dance, music, and comedy. King, Herbie Hancock, Della Reese, Stevie Wonder, Les Paul, Gladys Knight & The Pips, International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Dionne Warwick, James Brown & The Famous Flames, The Isley Brothers, John Coltrane, Dorothy Dandridge, Revella Hughes, Five Stairsteps, Peg Leg Bates, Dave Peyton and Martha and the Vandellas. Other acts to appear at the Regal over the years have included such performers as The Supremes, Wayne Cochran, The Esquires The Temptations, The Four Tops, B.B. Nat "King" Cole, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington performed frequently at the theater through the 1920s and 1940s. ![]() On what for a time was known as the Chitlin' Circuit, the Regal also featured motion pictures and live stage shows. Part of the Balaban and Katz chain, the lavishly decorated venue, with plush carpeting and velvet drapes, featured some of the most celebrated African-American entertainers in America. ![]() It closed in 1968 and was demolished in 1973. The theater was designed by Edward Eichenbaum, and opened in February 1928. Rotten Less than 60% of reviews for a movie or TV show are positive.The Regal Theater was a night club, theater, and music venue, popular among African-Americans, located in the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. Fresh At least 60% of reviews for a movie or TV show are positive. Apply Tomatometer ® Clear all Close Certified fresh A special distinction awarded to the best reviewed movies and TV Shows. ![]() Rotten Less than 60% of reviews for a movie or TV show are positive. Sort Close Most popular Newest A → Z Tomatometer ® (highest) Tomatometer ® (lowest) Audience score (highest) Audience score (lowest) Genre Clear all Close Action Adventure Animation Anime Biography Comedy Crime Documentary Drama Entertainment Faith & Spirituality Fantasy Game Show LGBTQ+ Health & Wellness History Holiday Horror House & Garden Kids & Family Music Musical Mystery & Thriller Nature News Reality Romance Sci-Fi Short Soap Special Interest Sports Stand-Up Talk Show Travel Variety War Western Apply Rating Clear all Close G PG PG-13 R NC-17 Not rated Unrated Apply Audience score Clear all Close Fresh At least 60% of reviews for a movie or TV show are positive. Sort Genre Rating Audience score Tomatometer ® Certified Fresh ![]()
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