Rialto Square Theatre

The Rialto Square Theatre is a former Vaudeville movie palace built during the "Golden Age" of movies. Debuting on May 24, 1926, the Rialto was two years in the making at an approximate
cost of one and a half million dollars. Originally conceived as a Palace For The People by the Rubens Brothers, the Rialto is now considered one of the most beautiful theatres in the nation. The building reflects Italian Renaissance, Byzantine,
Roman, Greek, Rococo, Venetian and Baroque architecture.

The Esplanade, or inner lobby, is designed after the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, France. The arch between the Esplanade and the Rotunda area
has been carefully copied from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The elegant rotunda is surrounded by eighteen Corinthian-style columns and surmounted by a dome quite similar to the Pantheon in Rome.

There are over one hundred crystal chandeliers and light fixtures throughout the Rialto. All are Czechoslovakian crystal. Steuben glass, copper and bronze. Each piece of crystal was crafted by the Victor S. Perlman Company, in Chicago. The magnificent chandelier in the center of the Rotunda is called "The Duchess". It is one of the largest crystal chandeliers in the United States. It weighs over two and one half tons,
is nearly twenty-two feet long and has approximately two hundred fifty lights.

The Rialto serves Joliet and the greater Chicagoland area as a performing arts center and hosts or presents nearly one hundred events per year.

Entertainers
Who Have
Performed at
the Rialto:

Jerry Seinfeld
Reba McEntire
Andy Williams
Styx
Johnny Cash
Jewel
Liberace
Wayne Newton
Sara Evans
Trisha Yearwood
Vince Gill
Carrot Top
Englebert
Humperdink
Alice Cooper
Kenny Wayne
Shepherd
Tim Conway
Harvey Korman
Steven Wright
Ray Charles
Mitzi Gaynor
Victor Borge
Gin Blossoms
Rick Springfield
Colin Mochrie
Jo Dee Messina
BoDeans
Jonny Lang
Anne Murray
Kenny Rogers
Ted Nugent
Pat Benetar
George Thorogood
Barbara Mandrell
Bill Cosby
Burt Reynolds
Dennis Miller
Richard Lewis
Lyle Lovett
Weird Al Yankovic
Sinbad
Jeff Foxworthy
Bill Engvall
Ron White
Lonestar
BB King
James Brown
Buddy Guy
Olivia Newton-John
Lilly Tomlin
Robert Wagner
Jill St. John
Steve Lawrence
Eddie Gorme
Red Skelton
Lou Rawls
Bruce Hornsby
The Guess Who
Jay Leno

Theatre
Productions
Include:

AIDA
The Nutcracker
RENT
Discover Theatre!
Late Night Catechism
Sideswipe
Cirque on Ice
and many more...

Become a S.T.A.R. and experience "Special Treatment at the Rialto". Our new program will grant you S.T.A.R. treatment from the moment you join. This donor program offers you a closer relationship with the Rialto Square Theatre through special services, opportunities and amenities. For information, contact the Development Office at 815.726.7171 ext. 206, to enroll.

YOU OWE IT

TO YOURSELF

TO EXPERIENCE

A SHOW AT THE

MAGNIFICENT

RIALTO SQUARE

THEATRE!

The Rialto is Also
Available for Meetings,
Conventions, and
Unforgettable
Weddings.

OFFICIAL HOTEL
OF THE RIALTO
Wingate Inn®
Built For Business®