Traveling down the Broadway Loop of Chicago, you’re bound to end up beneath the flashing marquee of red and gold of the Oriental Theatre. At its very zenith after being opened in 1926, the Oriental was the pulsing heart of a bustling capitol of starlets and red carpet hopefuls, abuzz with the cheer of comedic vaudevilles and captivating musicals. It was a glittering glimmer of hope, rising from the very site where one of the worst theater fires in US history took place.

After several rounds of reconstruction and patchwork, the age of the compound can hardly be detected. Running up 22 stories with an auditorium fit for exactly 3238 audience members, the Oriental is an elaborate affair for musical enthusiasts worldwide. Borrowing elements and icons of the Far East as per its namesake, incorporated into the flourishing extravagance of Roccocco, the Oriental is an over-the-top display of wealth. Pillars in black ebony and inlaid with gold patterning, light flooding out through the trunk of a bronze elephant and other artful melds of east and west turn the entire theatre into a work of art. In fact, a total of 62,500 sq ft of gold leaf was spent across all the gilded furnishings and curved ceilings within. This grandeur is well earned for the Oriental hosts some of the best productions bound for Broadway upon its stage such as Wicked and Big Fish. For an evening of wonder, grab a ticket and walk through the towering gates of the Oriental Theatre.