Apollo Theater
Address: 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
Phone: 773-935-6100
Fax: 773-935-6214

The Apollo Theater (no relation to New York City's Apollo Theatre) is a lush venue with a prestigious reputation, located in the heart of Chicago's fashionable Lincoln Park neighborhood. Built in 1978 by theatre producers Jason Brett and Stuart Oken and twice renovated, the Apollo boasts a dramatic glass and concrete design conceived by Chicagoan Michael Lustig. Its three-quarter thrust stage has 440 plush seats configured in just eleven rows, allowing audiences a theatrical experience unparalleled in intimacy and accessibility.

The Apollo Theater has a rich theatrical history. For its inaugural engagement, producers Oken and Brett chose Albert Innaurato's Gemini,which featured the production's original Broadway director, Peter Schifter. David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago became a smash hit at the Apollo, starring Jim Belushi in his dramatic stage debut and directed by former Second City Artistic Director Sheldon Patinkin. The Apollo Theater also became home to many plays produced by the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, including Balm in Gilead with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, Cloud Nine, Secret Rapture, Harvey, Wrong Turn at Lungfish, and Sam Shepard's True West.

In 1991, Michael Leavitt and Fox Theatricals took over operation of the Apollo and brought stars John Astin and Jamie Farr for Lend Me a Tenor. Other productions under the Fox banner included Cole Porter, No Regrets, Edward Albee's Pulitzer prize-winning drama Three Tall Women, the musical comedy Forbidden Hollywood, and the one-man show 20th Century Man, starring Ray Davies of the Kinks. In August of 1996, producer Rob Kolson and his company Rob Kolson Creative Productions took over control of the Apollo. Since then, the theater's track record for acclaimed hits has remained unblemished. The Apollo hosted two phenomenally popular musicals, Always...Patsy Cline and Buddy...The Buddy Holly Story, followed by Robert Dubac's long-running one man show The Male Intellect: an oxymoron?

On September 26, 2000, the critically acclaimed smash hit The Vagina Monologues made its Midwest premiere at the Apollo with author Eve Ensler starring in the production for a limited five-week run. The Vagina Monologues then continued its run with a three-cast version, starring an array of renown local and national stars, including Loretta Swit, Kim Fields, Mayim Bialik, Dawn Wells, Judy Tenuta, Maureen McCormick, Amy Morton and Rondi Reed. The show, which enjoyed a nearly three year run at the Apollo, quickly evolved to become the fastest-selling show in the history of the Theater. On July 25, 2003, the Smash Hit Menopause the Musical made its Chicago Debut on the Apollo main stage, becoming the highest grossing show in Apollo History, and entertaining nearly a quarter of a million people from Chicago and surrounding states. Menopause recently closed its doors after a three and a half year run. During the summer of 2005, a smaller, second stage was added to the Apollo Theater. In the space formerly occupied by the Act One bookstore, the Apollo Studio was born. The 50 seat studio space has quickly become one of the most sought after venues for comedy, sketch, upstart theater companies, and improv.  In Fall of 2006, the popular sketch group Baby Wants Candy moved their improvised musical to the Apollo Studio for an open ended run after 9 successful years at IO. Other artists and groups included Comedian/Political Satirist Aaron Freeman, Tracy Egan, WNEP and Rubicon Theaters, Triplette, Grandma June's Sewing Circle, Sketchcore, and many many more.

The Apollo is also home to Emerald City Theatre Company, Chicago's largest Children's Theater Company dedicated solely to families.  Now in their 7th season at the Apollo, Emerald City Theatre Company draws nearly fifty-thousand patrons annually, and has been called "Chicago's most innovative theater for families" by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Directions: Take Irving Park to Lincoln Avenue, then south. Or, take Fullerton to Lincoln and go north. The Apollo is only a few blocks north of Fullerton Ave. Street parking can be difficult, but you can use Apollo's own valet.

Transit Directions: Take the red, brown or purple lines to Fullerton, and walk north on Lincoln Avenue; you can't miss it, its right under the El. Or, take the Lincoln Bus, #11.
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