Devil’s Ball is an annual fundraiser thrown by our Auxiliary Board in order to raise money and generate awareness for the Auditorium Theatre’s restoration and preservation efforts.
So now you ask, why the name, Devil’s Ball? We’ve had several questions about the name lately, so we thought we’d clear up the confusion. The event was partially named after the song At the Devil’s Ball (1913), composed by Irving Berlin. The song offers a view of life in a contemporary city of 1913 as exciting and glamorous. Mr. Berlin is a very well know composer, having created the scores for Madame Butterfly, Top Hat, and even White Christmas, a song featured in Holiday Inn (1935). And just as a side note, he was popular icon within the Hollywood elite of the era; he was a very close friend and colleague with Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, and Ginger Rogers. We encourage you to listen to the song and read the full lyrics.
Devil’s Ball was also inspired by the popular novel by Erik Larson and Chicago’s connection to the 1893 World’s Fair that the Auditorium Theatre was a part of. The author actually quotes some of the features of the Auditorium in his novel:
“The result was an opulent structure that, for the moment, was the biggest private building in America. Its theater contained more than four thousand seats, twelve hundred more than New York's Metropolitan Opera House. And it was air-conditioned, through a system that blew air over ice.”– Erik Larson
So, now you know a little bit more about this event and the reference it has not only to the Auditorium Theatre, but also to Chicago’s history. Devil’s Ball is a cocktail party that celebrates not only the Auditorium, but also ‘old Chicago’ in a gala event for those 21 years of age and above, as there will be an open bar. The Auxiliary Board is a group of young professionals dedicated to the preservation and restoration of our National Historic Landmark, Auditorium Theatre. The event will also feature a silent auction, wine raffle, heavy appetizers, guided theatre tours of the historic Auditorium Theatre, a DJ, and dancing. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore Chicago in a whole new way; dance with us at the Devil’s Ball.
