Experience Old-Time Splendor At Waukegan's Genesee Theatre
Admittedly, trekking up to the Genesee Theatre in downtown Waukegan is a bit of a hike-about 40 miles from Chicago. Waukegan is one of the far north suburbs, and not a particularly pretty one in many areas (you may know the city as the birthplace of Jack Benny and hometown of Ray Bradbury). But here's why the trip is worth it; Genesee is one of those grand old community theaters that has been around since 1927, and is now being used for a variety of concerts, community events, expos and plays.
Although in many places these big theaters were torn down, you'll find a few still dotting Chicago's landscape (Park Ridge, Downers Grove and Oak Park also still have nice ones, but they mostly feature movies). The theater was built originally to be a center for community activity, hosting live events such as weddings, cooking schools and fashion shows and, of course, showing films. It featured the first talking picture in Waukegan, "The Lion and the Mouse" in 1928, and hosted two world premieres of Jack Benny films. The theater stopped showing first-run movies in 1982 and closed its doors for good in 1989.
Starting in 2001 the Genesee was renovated and given a new lease on life. Over 120 volunteers helped with the $23 million renovation, which included finding exact replicas of the original wallpaper, painting the place its original colors, restoring railings and light fixtures, and replicating the original marquee. Now the space is doubled from the original plans and seats 2,400. The grand lobby includes a beautiful Baccarat crystal chandelier worth $350,000 and weighing 2,2000 lbs. Today, the atmosphere is majestic and old-school and festive. Kids seem to enjoy the novelty of the place as much as the adults. It's an elegant example of how careful restoration can make an older space usable for current audiences, and evoke decades of history at the same time.
The idea behind renovating the Genesee was help revitalize Waukegan's flagging downtown area. It's had mixed success in that respect since reopening in 2004 with a couple of appearances by Bill Cosby, but I recommend coming here just to support a diverse, vital community that needs a little boost. Besides, the Genesee is so far from Chicago that seeing concerts and shows is not a big deal in terms of traffic or crowds-but it's pretty clear the people who live here are thrilled to have such a venue in their midst.
Upcoming events include: separate appearances by Donny and Marie Osmond, Ted Nugent, Clay Aiken and Weird Al Yankovic (I might be at this one myself). Upcoming shows include Annie, Chicago, Stomp, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy and Jesus Christ Superstar. A wedding expo is planned for next month, and they just featured Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, so there's something for just about everyone. Check out the full list at http://www.geneseetheatre.com/.
The Genesee is located at 203 North Genesee Street in Waukegan. Take I94 toward Milwaukee, then stay on the Edens as it becomes Skokie Hwy/US-41N. Take the Belvidere Road/IL-120 exit east (to the lake), then follow IL-120 to Genesee Street. Go north onto North Genesee Street. The theater is ½ block north of Clayton Street. There is a garage and street parking available.
