History of the Civic Opera in Chicago

Their site gives a detailed history of the Opera House on Wacker in Downtown Chicago. 

Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the world’s great opera companies. It is renowned internationally for its artistic excellence and financial strength. Founded in 1954, since its earliest years Lyric has distinguished itself by presenting the finest international singers, directors, and designers in classic and less-familiar operatic repertoire and in world-premiere productions. Lyric Opera has operated in the black for 24 of the past 25 years, a record among the country’s major not-for-profit music and performing-arts companies. For more than two decades the company has achieved unparalleled success in its ticket sales, averaging 100% attendance from 1988 through 2002. In 2011/12 the company sold a grand total of 233,113 tickets for the season, which comprised 72 performances of eight operas. - See more at: http://www.lyricopera.org/about/lyric-history.aspx#sthash.M1E7wAZJ.dpuf

Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the world’s great opera companies. It is renowned internationally for its artistic excellence and financial strength. Founded in 1954, since its earliest years Lyric has distinguished itself by presenting the finest international singers, directors, and designers in classic and less-familiar operatic repertoire and in world-premiere productions. Lyric Opera has operated in the black for 24 of the past 25 years, a record among the country’s major not-for-profit music and performing-arts companies. For more than two decades the company has achieved unparalleled success in its ticket sales, averaging 100% attendance from 1988 through 2002. In 2011/12 the company sold a grand total of 233,113 tickets for the season, which comprised 72 performances of eight operas. - See more at: http://www.lyricopera.org/about/lyric-history.aspx#sthash.M1E7wAZJ.dpuf