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Venue Fri Dec 01 2006
Really Big Uptown Theater News
Though false starts are par for the course for the Uptown, the Sun-Times brings news today that entertainment conglomerates AEG and Live Nation are sniffing around Chicago's diamond-in-the-rough Uptown Theater. According to 48th Ward Alderperson Mary Ann Smith's office, one or both of the companies will likely submit a proposal this month to preserve the theater as a live performance venue, and perhaps incorporate some rehearsal space for community theater. Both AEG, which owns Toyota Stadium in Bridgeview and the resident Chicago Fire Soccer team, and Live Nation, owners of the World/Tweeter/Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park and the recently acquired House of Blues chain, have the truck to pull off a deal, though look for city help with acquisition, tax relief, or flat out grants to rescue the theater. Acquisition will likely be the easiest and cheapest part of the deal, with restoration after 25 years of neglect presenting huge hurdles. Also unclear, how the 4,500 seat Baroque movie palace (second in size only to NYC's Radio City) will fare in direct competition with other Chicago venues of similar capacity, such as the Aragon, Chicago, and Auditorium. It would be nice to see top flight acts gracing its stage again.