Apollo Theatre (Belvidere, Illinois)

Former movie theater in Belvidere, Illinois, United States

Apollo Theatre

Address| 104 N State St
Belvidere, Illinois
United States
Coordinates| 42°15′34″N 88°50′37″W﻿ / ﻿42.25944°N 88.84361°W﻿ / 42.25944; -88.84361
Opened| January 11, 1922; 102 years ago (1922-01-11)

United States historic place

Apollo Theatre

U.S. Historic district
Contributing property

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Location| 104 N State St., Belvidere, Illinois
Built| 1922
Architectural style| Commercial Style
Part of| Belvidere North State Street Historic District (ID12000324[1])
Designated CP| June 6, 2012

The Apollo Theatre is an American theater in Belvidere, Illinois, built in 1921. The Apollo is a contributing property in downtown Belvidere's North State Street Historic District, on the north bank of the Kishwaukee River.[2]: 18 On March 31, 2023, the Apollo's roof collapsed in the midst of a tornado outbreak, during a concert attended by 260 persons.[3]

## History[edit]

The Apollo was built and initially managed by the Rhinehart family of Belvidere. The theater was designed to host stage shows and films, featuring a pipe organ for live musical accompaniment. The Apollo's predecessor was the Derthick Opera House, located on the same site, which was destroyed by fire in 1917.[4]

The Apollo opened on January 11, 1922, seating 950.[5] The theater was built in commercial style by local general contractor and stonemason Edward Byron Glass.[6]: 188 The theater's decor includes simplistic stone and masonry designs on top of steel frames, with an overall focus on fireproofing.[2]: 17

The theater was the subject, and filming location, of Don O. Newland's 1926 film Belvidere's Hero.[7]

Air conditioning was added in 1931, and further renovations continued into 1940. A period of decline began in the 1950s, culminating in a major fire in 1975. The building cycled through owners until a long-term closure beginning in the 1980s.[4]

The theater reopened as the Apollo Theatre AC banquet hall in 2001, with Belvidere-based insurance agent Maria Martinez leading the effort to reopen the theater.[5]

The theater was listed as a contributing property to the Belvidere North State Street Historic District in 2012.[2]

## Collapse[edit]

Main article: Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023

On March 31, 2023, the Storm Prediction Center issued a high risk for severe weather, including tornadoes and an official Tornado Watch was issued at 2:35pm. An official tornado warning was subsequently issued at 7:24 p.m. CDT at which point Apollo Theater management halted the scheduled performance and had patrons remain inside the building to wait out the storm. The tornado reportedly struck at 7:44 p.m. CDT, causing the theater's roof and marquee to collapse. The National Weather Service reported "possible tornado damage" to the theater,[8] with winds in the area reaching 90 miles per hour (140 km/h).[9] An official damage survey revealed that an EF1 tornado had hit the building.[10]

Four death metal bands were scheduled to play on the evening of the collapse: Morbid Angel, Revocation, Skeletal Remains and Crypta.[11] Approximately 260 people were inside the venue at the time of the collapse, which killed one person and injured 48 others.[9][12]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b c Dorochoff, Nicholas (January 17, 2012). National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Belvidere North State Street Historic District. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023. Includes maps, historic photos, and 15 photos from 2011-2012. Photo #15, taken on January 5, 2012, portrays the Apollo Theatre.
3. ^ Moritz, Gwen; Oxenden, McKenna; Albeck-Ripka, Livia; Ives, Mike (2023-03-31). "Storms Kill at Least 4 as Tornadoes Tear Through Midwest and South". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
4. ^ a b Schiecke, Konrad (2015-06-08). Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois, 1883-1960. McFarland. p. 47\. ISBN 978-1-4766-1070-2. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
5. ^ a b Vela, Susan (2017-06-01). "Belvidere insurance agent banked on historic Apollo Theatre". Rockford Register Star. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
6. ^ Way, Royal Brunson (1926). The Rock River Valley: Its History, Traditions, Legends and Charms. Chicago: S. J. Clarke. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
7. ^ Johnson, Martin L. (2018-01-23). Main Street Movies: The History of Local Film in the United States. Indiana University Press. p. 125\. ISBN 978-0-253-03254-6. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
8. ^ Ives, Mike; Chiarito, Robert (2023-04-01). "One Dead and Dozens Hurt in Roof Collapse at Illinois Theater". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
9. ^ a b Perlman, Marissa; Habermehl, Kris (2023-03-31). "One killed, dozens injured when roof collapses at Apollo Theatre in Belvidere amid severe storms". CBS Chicago. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
10. ^ National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois (April 1, 2023). NWS Damage Survey for 03/31/2023 Tornado Event (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
11. ^ "Morbid Angel, Revocation, Skeletal Remains". The Apollo Theatre AC. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
12. ^ Sheridan, Jake; Sobol, Rosemary; Cheung, Ariel (2023-03-31). "'Absolute chaos': 1 dead, 28 injured after roof collapses at metal concert during storm in Belvidere". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.

## External links[edit]

* Official website