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The Logan Theatre Marks Its Grand Opening Party With Style

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on May 14, 2012 4:00PM

The newly remodeled theater has actually been back in business for a while now, but Thursday was the Grand Opening celebration. Since it was built in 1915 as the Paramount, the theater has been an entertainment hub for the neighborhood; and judging from the fancified digs, that won't change anytime soon. Mark Fishman poured a ton of money into the overhaul and it certainly shows. The new seats, for one, will banish all memory of the lumpy, spring-loaded seats of years gone by. Its four screens show a mix of mainstream and art house fare, with occasional midnight movies on the weekends. The concessions are reasonably priced. A lounge area, complete with full bar, makes for an ideal pre- or post-movie chill out spot. What's not to love? It just feels like a very cool place to see a movie.

Some bigwigs were on hand for the Grand Opening, include Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He joked that although, unlike Fishman, he "never watched any of the Planet of the Apes movies at the Logan," he appreciated its long history, pronouncing the theatre's reopening an important component of securing the neighborhood's economic health. Rahm only stayed about 15 minutes, giving a short speech and then shaking hands on the way out.