The Regal was a major complex that featured films, dance, music, and comedy. The theater was a prominent entertainment venue for over four decades in Chicago, Illinois. This theater opened on February 4, 1928, located in "Bronzeville", at 4719 South Parkway (now King Drive). The theater was designed by Levy and Klein and was influenced by
Harlem's
Savoy Ballroom in New York City. 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). In its early years, the Regal featured silent films, well-known black musicians of all genres, though mainly jazz and blues. Performers included
Ray Charles,
Sam Cooke,
Stevie Wonder,
Ella Fitzgerald,
The Temptations,
Miles Davis,
Nat "King" Cole (from Chicago),
Duke Ellington,
Paul Robeson,
Muddy Waters in 1956, the
Jackson Five in 1968, and
B.B. King. Typically shows consisted of an opening musical act followed by a film. The theater was situated near two popular black venues: both a nightclub (the
Savoy Ballroom) and a major retailer (the South Center Department store). The Regal was lavishly decorated, featuring velvet seating, large pillars, and grand spaces. Costing $1.5 million (in 1928 dollars) to construct, it was a venue that opened new doors for African Americans in the entertainment business. One of the house bands recruited for the Regal was
Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra. They had been an opening act at the Savoy Ballroom and had begun to gain a following. Aware of their increased popularity, Balaban and Katz hired them as the Regal house band. Often compared to the Apollo in Harlem, the Regal actually opened six years earlier, and had double the seating capacity. 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. 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. After the signing of the
Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, blacks began to slowly move from their southern homes. Once blacks had the ability to move away from their slave owners and find industrial jobs, the north was able to provide this "new life" for them. Over a 20- to 30-year period, waves of thousands of blacks left the south and entered major cities such as Chicago, New York City, Detroit, and elsewhere. For most of its time, the Regal thrived with business by bringing in musical talents from across the country. People had some of the best times at the theater which helped spread the word about it and bring in more business. Eventually, with developments in technology like with the radio and TV, business began to decline. With the repercussions of all these factors, the Regal began losing more and more business which eventually led to the owner having to file bankruptcy and close down the theater in 1968. The building was later demolished in 1973. The site is now occupied by the
Harold Washington Cultural Center. ==Notable events==