Full Text of HR0596 101st General Assembly
HR0596 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
| 3 | | Representatives are pleased to recognize the 90th anniversary
| 4 | | of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb on December 10, 2019; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, The historic Egyptian Theatre was constructed in | 6 | | 1929, serving as a
marvelous illustration of Art Deco | 7 | | architecture inspired by the then-recent discovery of King
| 8 | | Tut's tomb; the theatre was designed by the famed architectural | 9 | | firm Rapp & Rapp, who
reigned among the most prolific theatre | 10 | | design firms in the nation; the invention and
manufacture of | 11 | | barbed wire fencing generated a period of great economic | 12 | | prosperity for the
people of DeKalb, helping to facilitate the | 13 | | theatre's creation; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Mere weeks after the infamous stock market crash | 15 | | of 1929, the Egyptian Theatre
officially opened on December 10, | 16 | | 1929; the theatre served as a venue for vaudeville
| 17 | | entertainment, additionally featuring movies for attendees to | 18 | | enjoy; ever since, the theatre has
become ingrained within the | 19 | | entertainment industry for its world-class performances and | 20 | | has
established itself as a staple of Illinois' culture; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, With holes in the roof, flooding, and rampant | 22 | | deterioration
of its classic murals and ornaments, the Egyptian |
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| 1 | | Theatre was in a state of disrepair through the late 1970s; in | 2 | | 1978,
the theatre was at risk of demolition due to the | 3 | | deteriorating condition of the historic building;
in response, | 4 | | a group of dedicated volunteers formed the Preservation of the | 5 | | Egyptian Theatre
(P.E.T.) on March 1, 1978; just nine months | 6 | | later, the building was listed on the National
Register of | 7 | | Historic Places by the United States Department of the | 8 | | Interior; a renovation
overhaul ensued, helping to reassert the | 9 | | reputation of the theatre; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Throughout its 90 years of existence, the Egyptian | 11 | | Theatre has garnered the
attention of entertainment seekers | 12 | | worldwide; the theatre has welcomed
numerous historical | 13 | | figures, including Jerry Colonna, Lawrence Welk, Ray Charles, | 14 | | George
Winston, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, | 15 | | Ramsey Lewis, Wynton and Branford
Marsalis, Stan Getz, Woody | 16 | | Herman, Jay Leno, and John Austin; on October 25, 1959, | 17 | | then-presidential
candidate John F. Kennedy made a campaign | 18 | | stop at the theatre while touring
Illinois; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Providing both time and labor, P.E.T. volunteers | 20 | | continue to dedicate themselves to the
preservation of the | 21 | | Egyptian Theatre; through P.E.T., the theatre continues to | 22 | | thrive as the
entertainment pride of the City of DeKalb and | 23 | | remains an economic driver for DeKalb
businesses; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, In 2018 the State of Illinois Office of Tourism | 2 | | listed the Egyptian Theatre in the Top
20 Architectural | 3 | | Treasures in Illinois, largely thanks to P.E.T.'s continued | 4 | | dedication; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Since opening its doors in 1929, the Egyptian | 6 | | Theatre continues to deliver first-class
entertainment to the | 7 | | people of Illinois; its iconic architecture, excellence in
| 8 | | entertainment, and cultural prevalence are substantial | 9 | | contributions to the City of DeKalb and
State of Illinois; | 10 | | therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 12 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 13 | | we
congratulate the members, volunteers, and patrons of The
| 14 | | Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre on the occasion of the
| 15 | | Egyptian Theatre's 90th anniversary, and we wish them continued | 16 | | success in
preserving this historic icon for the enjoyment of | 17 | | present and
future generations; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
| 19 | | presented to the P.E.T. Board of Directors as a symbol of our
| 20 | | esteem and respect.
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