The Goodman Theatre
Play VideoSign Type: Channel Letters / Marquee
Location: 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60601
In the early morning of May 28, 2016, an electrical fire broke out atop the iconic Goodman Theatre outdoor marquee sign. Witnesses first saw flames torching from the "G" shortly before sunrise.
Here's a link to the Chicago Tribune article covering the story.
Fortunately, no one was hurt. The theatre itself was undamaged in the incident. No performances were cancelled. Business continued to operate as normal. But that poor, poor sign. Its beautiful marquee had stood as a hallmark in the Chicago theatre district since the theatre moved there from the Art Institute in 2000. Very recently, the sign had service performed to it. (No. Not by us, and not to add any more fuel to the fire.)
When the "all clear" was given, the Goodman Theatre decided to upgrade their sign. To update their new iconic Chicago theatre district sign, they turned to Landmark Sign Group.
We kept the original spirit of The Goodman Theatre vertical marquee sign.
For the upgrade, we kept the double-sided vertical marquee, but instead of steel and fiber optics, we replaced the letters with aluminum channel letters illuminated by modern, cost-efficient RGB-based LED lighting from the Bitro LightSymphony® EX-33S Module series. With this system, the Goodman Theatre will create various lighting effects, patters, and color combinations that can align with the themes, hues, and visions of their productions.
As for the design, we maintained the red-letter, white-border design of each letter and framed them in an LED-illuminated red square border, placing each letter upon a refinished red-painted base, improving the readability of the sign.
To top it all off, we added an additional square at the bottom. It says the name, "Goodman Theatre," making it easier for customers looking for the venue from the sidewalk to find the location.
The result is a timeless marquee with new life breathed into it. It is easier to read, accessible to customers, and has an eco-friendlier cost of operation.
