13-Jan-17 – When the new Goodman Theatre marquee on Dearborn Street switches on next week, it will be brighter and more energy-efficient than the sign that was destroyed by fire last May.

The Goodman said on Thursday the new state-of-the-art sign will be illuminated for the first time on January 19 at 5:30 p.m., and it will stay lit 24/7.

On May 28, 2016, at about 5:00 a.m., an electrical fire irreparably damaged the old sign but did not spread into the building, which was unoccupied at the time. There were no injuries and Chicago Fire Department had the fire out by 5:30 a.m. Three performances that day went on as scheduled.

The marquee has been outside the building since the Goodman moved there in 2000. Illuminated from within, the sign featured four-foot-tall brushed stainless steel letters.

(Left) The old sign is laid to rest on the back of a truck. Photo obtained from Landmark Sign Group.

The new sign looks about the same as the old sign and is the same size – 56 feet tall, reaching a height above ground of 73 feet – but will consume less than one-tenth the electricity. Built by Landmark Sign Group, the LED sign is programmable and each letter can change color. It will hang on the original steel frame that survived the fire.

“Our marquee is the brightest, most visible symbol of Goodman Theatre’s 30-plus-year commitment to high quality productions, cultural and aesthetic diversity, on and off our stages,” said artistic director Robert Falls (right), “a commitment that has distinguished us and redefined what a major cultural institution can be.”

A vinyl cover had been placed over the old sign before it could be taken down on January 8. Goodman says the damaged letters will be recycled.