41°28′24″N 87°19′45″W / 41.473442°N 87.329116°W
 | |
| Former names | Holiday Star Theatre (1979-90) |
|---|---|
| Address | 8001 Delaware Pl Merrillville, IN 46410-5641 |
| Location | Chicago metropolitan area |
| Owner | Whiteco Industries |
| Operator | Star Productions |
| Capacity | 3,400 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | December 19, 1979 |
| Closed | December 17, 2017 |
| Demolished | Summer 2018 |
| Construction cost | $12 million ($56.1 million in 2023 dollars[1]) |
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
The Star Plaza Theatre (formerly known as the Holiday Star Theatre) was a live music venue located in Merrillville, Indiana. The theatre was a 3,400-seat intimate venue with two seating levels in a semicircle around the stage. The Main Floor Level sat 2,000 people, and the Mezzanine Level, which overhangs the main level about midway, sat 1,400. The furthest seat in the auditorium was 120 feet from the stage.
The Star Plaza Theatre closed on December 17, 2017 after its final show with the only group to perform every year that the theater was open, The Oak Ridge Boys. The final song sung on the stage was "Amazing Grace". Demolition lasted throughout summer 2018.[2][3][4]
Entertainers who appeared there included Christina Aguilera, Anita Baker, The Beach Boys, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Captain & Tennille, Ray Charles, Kenny Chesney, Phil Collins, Perry Como, Alice Cooper, Bill Cosby, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ellen DeGeneres, John Denver, Duran Duran, Bob Dylan, Jamie Foxx, Aretha Franklin, Mitzi Gaynor, The Go-Go's, Bob Hope, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, Julio Iglesias, Rick James, Tom Jones, R. Kelly, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Jay Leno, Liberace, Barry Manilow,Ken Mate, Reba McEntire, Bette Midler, Ministry, Liza Minnelli, The Monkees, Morrissey, Mötley Crüe, Sam Kinison, Wayne Newton, Robert Palmer, Dolly Parton, Richard Pryor, REO Speedwagon, Joan Rivers, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Jerry Seinfeld, Red Skelton, Squeeze, Donna Summer, Tiffany, James Taylor, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Tina Turner, Luther Vandross, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dionne Warwick, Andy Williams, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Warren Zevon, ZZ Top, Nancy Wilson, and many more.
External links edit
- Prescott, David (September 22, 1985). "Cornfield Colossus: How A Bigtime Showbiz Theater Came To The 'Middle Of Nowhere'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
References edit
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Caffarini, Karen (June 16, 2017). "After temporary reprieve, Star Plaza Theatre, Twin Towers to be razed". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ "Northwest Indiana's Longtime Star Plaza Theatre to Be Demolished". WMAQ-TV. June 24, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ Johnson, Charles (July 11, 2017). "The Curtain Will Fall On The Star Plaza Theater". ChicagoNow.com. Retrieved July 29, 2017.