HR0666 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0666 LRB096 14769 GRL 29852 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize the 80th anniversary of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb on December 10, 2009; and

WHEREAS, The rich history of the Egyptian Theatre began in the 1920s, during a period of great prosperity for the people of DeKalb; the City's new-found affluence from the invention and manufacturing of barbed wire fencing made the creation of a vaudeville theatre and movie house possible; and

WHEREAS, In response to great public demand, the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp, one of the premier and prolific theatre design firms in the nation, was chosen to design the Egyptian Theatre; the firm selected and Egyptian theme to commemorate the discovery of King Tut's tomb; site acquisition was then completed by the DeKalb Theatre Company, which awarded the construction contracts to Guldbeck and Eckstrom in 1928; and

WHEREAS, The theatre opened on December 10, 1929, despite the crash of the stock market just six weeks before; as the Great Depression grew deeper in the 1930s, the demand for movies increased and vaudeville shows faded away; the mighty Wurlitzer organ, manufactured in DeKalb, played for daily shows; and

WHEREAS, By the late 1970s, the Egyptian Theatre fell into disrepair, with holes in the roof, flooded dressing rooms, and ruined murals and ornaments; the theatre was on the verge of being demolished; and

WHEREAS, In response to the potential loss of this classic DeKalb fixture, The Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre (P.E.T.) was formed on March 1, 1978; the theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior on December 1, 1978; a major theatre renovation followed and was completed in 1983, opening with the world premiere of G. Gordon Liddy's "Will", which was filmed in the DeKalb and Sycamore area; and

WHEREAS, In December of 2007, the Egyptian Theatre was named one of 150 important Illinois architectural sites by the American Institute of Architects; and

WHEREAS, The Egyptian Theatre has welcomed many personalities throughout its 80 years of existence, including Jerry Colonna, Lawrence Welk, Ray Charles, George Winston, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Ramsey Lewis, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Jay Leno, and John Astin; on October 25, 1959, John F. Kennedy, then a candidate for U.S. President, made a campaign stop at the theatre during a 3-day tour of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Today, the Egyptian Theatre is the home of many local performing groups and hosts many private parties and celebrations; even in the age of the multiplex theatre, the Egyptian still shows movies on its single 35-foot movie screen, the largest in DeKalb County; and

WHEREAS, The Egyptian Theatre's iconic architecture and world-class entertainment are significant contributions to the rich culture and history of the City of DeKalb and the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members, volunteers, and patrons of The Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre on the occasion of the theatre's 80th anniversary and wish them continued success in preserving this historic icon for the enjoyment of present and future generations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the P.E.T. Board of Directors as a symbol of our esteem and respect.