 During its first 40 years of operation , the Chicago Theatre presented premiere films and live entertainment . Throughout its existence , many of the top performers and stars of their day made live appearances at the theater . One of its biggest draws was live jazz , which Balaban and Katz promoted as early as September 1922 in a special event they called " Syncopation Week " . This proved so successful that jazz bands became a mainstay of the Chicago Theatre 's programming through the 1920s and into the 1930s . In preparation for the 1933 World 's Fair in Chicago , the Chicago Theatre was redecorated . Part of the World 's Fair renovation included another commission by Balaban & Katz for Grell to repaint the architecturally enclosed fourteen murals . This time Grell chose Greek / Roman deities as the theme for the large oil on canvas murals which are on public exhibit today in the theatre auditorium . The building has been associated with popular culture occasions . For example , Ronald Reagan announced his engagement to Jane Wyman at the theater . Another modernization occurred in the 1950s when management discontinued stage shows . 
