Arcada Theater

The Arcada Theater Building is a historic theater and entertainment venue on Main Street in downtown St. Charles, Illinois. It opened on Labor Day, September 6, 1926, as a combined movie palace and vaudeville house, and has remained in substantially continuous operation apart from periods of renovation. The building is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. The theater was developed by local benefactors Dellora A. Norris and Lester J. Norris, whose investment reflected their confidence in St. Charles at a time when the town had approximately 5,000 residents. The reported construction cost was $500,000, and the opening configuration provided more than 1,000 seats. Lester Norris, a commercial artist and Chicago Tribune cartoonist, designed the interior. Architect Elmer Behrns designed the exterior in the Spanish Colonial Revival style; Behrns was also associated with the design of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois. At its opening, the Arcada presented both motion pictures and live vaudeville. The inaugural program featured the film The Last Frontier and appearances by Fibber McGee and Molly. The response was unusually strong: large crowds attended, hundreds reportedly could not enter, and visitors from Chicago traveled to St. Charles by a special railway car. The theater also opened with a major Marr and Colton pipe organ valued at $25,000. The organ was expanded in 1928 and 1929 by the Geneva Organ Company and received an Art Deco console decorated with carved herons associated with the Fox River Valley. During the vaudeville era, the Arcada became one of the notable houses in the Fox River Valley. Its stage hosted a wide range of performers, including George Burns and Gracie Allen, Judy Garland, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Olivia de Havilland, the John Philip Sousa Band, Liberace, Mitzi Gaynor, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Vincent Price, Carol Channing, Jeanette MacDonald, Walter Slezak, and the Von Trapp Family Singers. These appearances established the venue as more than a local cinema: it functioned as a regional presentation space for touring theatrical, musical, and variety acts. In May 2005, Ron Onesti, president of Onesti Entertainment Corporation, assumed responsibility for operating the theater. The arrangement did not transfer ownership of the building to Onesti. Under Onesti Entertainment's operation, the Arcada was used to bring touring performances associated with larger metropolitan venues to Chicago's western suburbs. The venue also continued to serve community organizations and local performers when it was not presenting headline events. The modern Arcada is described as an 897-seat venue. Its original pipe organ remains a defining feature, rising from the stage floor. In recent decades, the program has included rock, pop, soul, comedy, film and television personalities, and legacy entertainers. Listed performers include The B-52's, 38 Special, Poi Dog Pondering, Dionne Warwick, Joan Rivers, Paul Anka, Kenny Rogers, Pat Benatar, Three Dog Night, Petula Clark, Wayne Newton, Frankie Avalon, Dana Carvey, Molly Ringwald, Corey Feldman, Scott Weiland, Fastball, Rich Little, Eric Burdon, Gladys Knight, Howie Mandel, The Lettermen, and Martin Short. Andrew Dice Clay recorded his Showtime special Indestructible at the theater in August 2012. The Arcada therefore operates simultaneously as a preserved historic building, a movie and performance venue, and a regional live-entertainment brand.

The Arcada Theater Building was constructed in St. Charles, Illinois, in 1926 at the initiative of Dellora A. Norris and Lester J. Norris. The Norrises invested approximately $500,000 in the project, a substantial commitment for a community of roughly 5,000 residents. The building was intended to combine the emerging appeal of motion pictures with the established popularity of live vaudeville. Its opening took place on Labor Day, September 6, 1926. Lester Norris, a commercial artist and Chicago Tribune cartoonist, designed the interior. Elmer Behrns designed the exterior, which is an example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The theater originally contained more than 1,000 seats and was equipped with a Marr and Colton pipe organ valued at $25,000. The organ was enlarged in 1928–1929 by the Geneva Organ Company, which also provided an Art Deco silver-and-red console decorated with carved herons, a regional reference to the Fox River Valley. The opening drew an exceptionally large audience. The featured film was The Last Frontier, and the live program included Fibber McGee and Molly. Visitors came from Chicago by special railway car, while local demand was so high that hundreds of people reportedly could not obtain admission. In its early decades, the Arcada became a prominent vaudeville house in the Fox River Valley, presenting touring performers from music, comedy, theater, dance, and popular entertainment. Documented stage names include George Burns and Gracie Allen, Judy Garland, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Olivia de Havilland, the John Philip Sousa Band, Liberace, Mitzi Gaynor, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Vincent Price, Carol Channing, Jeanette MacDonald, Walter Slezak, and the Von Trapp Family Singers. Although the entertainment industry changed as vaudeville declined and cinema evolved, the Arcada remained open except for brief renovation periods. Its continued use helped preserve the building as both a functioning venue and a local landmark. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its architectural and cultural significance. A significant operational change occurred in May 2005, when Ron Onesti, president of Onesti Entertainment Corporation, assumed operation of the theater. This arrangement distinguished management from property ownership: Onesti Entertainment operated the venue, but did not own the Arcada building. The company used the theater's location and historic character to present touring acts more commonly associated with major downtown entertainment districts, making the venue a regional destination in Chicago's far western suburbs. The current venue is described as having 897 seats. The pipe organ remains in place and rises through the stage floor, linking the modern venue to its movie-palace origins. Contemporary programming has included concerts, comedy, celebrity appearances, and special events. Performers identified in the venue's recent history include The B-52's, 38 Special, Poi Dog Pondering, Dionne Warwick, Joan Rivers, Paul Anka, Kenny Rogers, Pat Benatar, Three Dog Night, Petula Clark, Wayne Newton, Frankie Avalon, Dana Carvey, Molly Ringwald, Corey Feldman, Scott Weiland, Fastball, Rich Little, Eric Burdon, Gladys Knight, Howie Mandel, The Lettermen, and Martin Short. The venue has also remained available to community groups and local performers. In August 2012, Andrew Dice Clay recorded the Showtime special Indestructible at the Arcada. The building consequently combines historic preservation, cinema heritage, and active live entertainment.

• 2012

  Showtime comedy special recorded at the theater

  [1]Arcada Theater Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew Dice Clay recorded Indestructible at the Arcada in August.

• 2005

  Onesti Entertainment assumes operation

  [1]Arcada Theater Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  Ron Onesti and Onesti Entertainment Corporation took over venue operations while the building remained separately owned.

• 1928

  Pipe organ expansion begins

  [1]Arcada Theater Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The original Marr and Colton pipe organ was expanded during 1928–1929 by the Geneva Organ Company.

• 1926

  Arcada Theater opens

  [1]Arcada Theater Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The theater opened on September 6, 1926, with a motion picture and vaudeville program.

A preserved 1920s movie palace and vaudeville theater repositioned as a regional live-entertainment venue serving St. Charles, Chicago's western suburbs, and the wider Fox Valley area.

• Venue · 1926

  Historic theater and movie venue

  The Arcada began as a combined silent-film theater and vaudeville house. Its Spanish Colonial Revival exterior, historic interior, stage, seating, and surviving pipe organ form the core of the venue's identity. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to function as an entertainment site.

• Live entertainment · 2005

  Live concert programming

  Concert programming is a central modern use of the Arcada. The venue presents touring performers and legacy acts in a more intimate historic setting than a large arena, with programming spanning rock, pop, soul, oldies, and related popular-music formats.

• Live entertainment · 1926

  Comedy and special-event programming

  The theater hosts comedy and personality-led events in addition to concerts. Its use for the recording of Andrew Dice Clay's Showtime special demonstrates that the venue can also support filmed or recorded performances.

• 2005

  Shift toward major touring entertainmentStrategy

  Background

  After Onesti Entertainment Corporation assumed operations, the theater was positioned as a venue capable of bringing marquee performances associated with larger city centers to Chicago's western suburbs.

  Action taken

  The operator expanded the emphasis on headline concerts, comedy, and celebrity appearances while retaining the building's historic venue identity.

  Aftermath

  The Arcada continued operating as an active regional venue and community resource, with an 897-seat configuration and programming by touring and local performers.

  Source

1. 1Arcada Theater Buildingen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Arcada Theatre official websitethearcada.com