Crown Room / La Playa / Blu

The 23rd floor of the Pfister Hotel tower, located at 424 East Wisconsin Avenue, was known as the Crown Room from 1968 through 1980 and featured big-name cabaret entertainment. Nationally known singers like Frankie Avalon and Al Martino, comedians such as Joan Rivers and David Brenner, and jazz stars including George Shearing, Sarah Vaughan, and Lionel Hampton performed there, often in residencies lasting over two weeks. Local jazz artists such as Charlene Gibson, Penny Goodwin, and Buddy Montgomery were part of the lineup as well. In 1981, the venue became La Playa, a South American–themed nightclub with décor inspired by 1930s Rio, and continued to feature jazz. Renamed Blu in 2000, it continues to operate today and presents jazz on weekends.