Chez Paree
The Chez Paree was a Chicago nightclub known for its glamorous atmosphere, elaborate dance numbers, and top entertainers. It operated from 1932 until 1960 in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago at 610 N. Fairbanks Court. The club was the epitome of the golden age of entertainment, and it hosted singers to comedians to vaudeville acts.[1] A "new" Chez Paree opened briefly in the mid-1960s on 400 N. Wabash Avenue and was seen in the film Mickey One with Warren Beatty.
The Chez Paree was originally opened in 1932 by Mike Fritzel and Joe Jacobson. After reported financial problems operating the large club, it was sold to a group of partners in 1949; Jack Schatz,[2] Don Jo Medlevine, Al Kaiser (not the MLB player), and Dave Halper.
Chez Paree was housed on the third floor of a loft building designed in 1917 by the architects Marshall and Fox. Marshall and Fox are best known for the Drake Hotel and Blackstone Hotel. During the Chez Paree's early years, the building's second floor featured the School of Design, which was started by László Moholy-Nagy, the former director of the New Bauhaus School in Chicago. The address is now home to Chez , a contemporary event space named in homage to the Chez Paree, and the Internet-based apartment listing service known as Domu
Artists who performed at Chez Paree included:
Musicians
- The Ames Brothers
- The Andrews Sisters
- Louis Armstrong
- Gus Arnheim
- Pearl Bailey
- Belle Baker
- Polly Bergen
- Tony Bennett
- Ben Bernie
- Connee Boswell
- Bobby Breen
- Teresa Brewer
- Carol Bruce
- Joyce Bryant
- Cab Calloway
- Kitty Carlisle
- Rosemary Clooney
- Nat King Cole
- Dorothy Collins
- Vic Damone
- Dorothy Dandridge
- Billy Daniels
- Bobby Darin
- Jean Darling
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Morton Downey
- Billy Eckstine
- Duke Ellington
- Dale Evans
- Frances Faye
- Benny Fields and Blossom Seeley
- Gracie Fields
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Connie Francis
- Jane Froman
- Judy Garland
- Eydie Gormé
- Dolores Gray
- Mitzi Green
- Joel Grey
- Connie Haines
- Phil Harris
- Woody Herman
- Al Hibbler
- Hildegarde
- Billie Holiday
- Libby Holman
- Lena Horne
- Betty Hutton
- Ina Ray Hutton
- Mahalia Jackson
- Allan Jones
- Kitty Kallen
- Eartha Kitt
- Frankie Laine
- Frances Langford
- Steve Lawrence
- Peggy Lee
- Liberace
- George Liberace
- Abbey Lincoln
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Ted Lewis
- Ella Logan
- Julie London
- Abe Lyman
- Vincent Lopez
- Abe Lyman
- June MacCloy
- Gordon MacRae
- Rose Marie
- Peter Marshall
- Dean Martin
- Tony Martin
- Johnny Mathis
- Ethel Merman
- Borrah Minnevitch
- Carmen Miranda
- Helen Morgan
- Gertrude Niesen
- Helen O'Connell
- Jane Powell
- Louis Prima
- Tito Puente
- Johnnie Ray
- Phil Regan
- Harry Richman
- Beverly Roberts
- Charles 'Buddy' Rogers
- Lillian Roth
- Connie Russell
- Jean Sablon
- Hazel Scott
- Wini Shaw
- Roberta Sherwood
- Nina Simone
- Frank Sinatra
- Keely Smith
- Ann Sothern
- Billy Strayhorn
- Yma Sumac
- Jack Teagarden
- Kay Thompson and The Williams Brothers
- Mel Tormé
- Helen Traubel
- Sophie Tucker
- Rudy Vallee
- Gus Van
- Sarah Vaughan
- Fran Warren
- Dinah Washington
Comedians
- Allen & Rossi
- Morey Amsterdam
- Dave Barry
- Milton Berle
- Joey Bishop
- Ben Blue and Ben Lessy
- Wally Brown and Alan Carney
- Red Buttons
- Sid Caesar
- Candy Candido
- Jack Carter
- Imogene Coca
- Myron Cohen
- Jimmy Durante
- Totie Fields
- Paul Gilbert
- Jack Gilford
- Buddy Hackett
- Peter Lind Hayes
- Lou Holtz
- Bob Hope
- George Jessel
- Danny Kaye
- Alan King
- Jack E. Leonard
- Buddy Lester
- Sam Levenson
- Jerry Lewis
- Joe E. Lewis
- Moms Mabley
- Gary Morton
- Zero Mostel
- Jan Murray
- Tommy Noonan
- Martha Raye
- The Ritz Brothers
- Rowan & Martin
- Jimmy Savo
- Herb Shriner
- Red Skelton
- Larry Storch
- Danny Thomas
- Mae West
- Bert Wheeler
- Yacht Club Boys
- Henny Youngman
Dancers/Other Celebrities
- Carmen Amaya
- Bill Baird's Marionettes
- Edgar Bergen[3]
- Ray Bolger
- John Boles
- Louise Brooks
- Cyd Charisse
- Jack Cole
- Carmen De Lavallade
- Paul Draper
- Katherine Dunham
- Bob Fosse
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
- Tess Gardella
- Lita Grey
- Harriet Hoctor
- Geoffrey Holder
- Betty and Jane Kean
- Peter Lawford
- Gypsy Rose Lee
- Jeni Le Gon
- Hal Le Roy
- Marie McDonald
- Butterfly McQueen
- Ann Miller
- The Nicholas Brothers
- Ann Pennington
- Eleanor Powell
- June Preisser
- Bill Robinson
- Mickey Rooney
- Ethel Shutta
- June Taylor
- Lupe Vélez
- Señor Wences
- Veloz and Yolanda
References
- ↑ Billboard November 8, 1952-20th Anniversary of the Chez Paree pages-17-28
- ↑ Transcript of Obituary Chicago Sun-Times January 24, 1996
- ↑ The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show
External links
Coordinates: 41°53′36″N 87°37′13″W / 41.8932°N 87.6204°W