The Music Box Theatre Is Turning the Big 9-0
WDCB’s Gary Zidek caught up with Music Box Theatre general manager Ryan Oestreich to learn more about the iconic theatre’s long history as it approaches its 90th anniversary.
LISTEN
“No matter what happens with more streaming services or more abilities with your phone to watch whatever the heck you want to watch, you’re never going to be able to fully replace the experience that you get of seeing something in a movie theatre with 700 people … you just … can’t do it.” - Music Box general manager Ryan Oestreich talking about the unique role the theatre still plays in today’s entertainment landscape.
Music Box general manager Ryan Oestreich
The Music Box Theatre is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Film-loving audiences have been coming to 3733 N. Southport Avenue since 1929. The theatre first opened its doors on August 22 that year.
The Music Box Theatre 1929
Over the past nine decades, the Music Box has navigated a variety of challenges, enduring the Great Depression, ownership changes, shifts in consumer tastes and advancements in technology. Today the theatre is a mecca for cinema enthusiasts from all over the region.
A look at the Music Box over the years:
A look inside the Music Box’s projector room in 2018. The theatre is one of only a handful in the country equipped to present 70mm films.
The Music Box will commemorate its big 90th anniversary with a week of celebratory programming that honors the theatre’s unique history.
The Music Box, September 2018.
The 90th Anniversary celebration kicks off on Thursday August 22, with a special “Cinema in 1929” program. The theatre will screen INNOCENTS OF PARIS, along with a selection of shorts that would have been presented to theater-goers ninety years ago.
The Music Box will honor its monthly silent film series with a presentation of a rarely seen 1931 film titled WORLD CITY IN ITS TEENS: A REPORT ON CHICAGO.
An image from WORLD CITY IN ITS TEENS: A REPORT ON CHICAGO
