City of the Big Shoulders

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am thoroughly citified.  I love cities.  I also have enjoyed soaking in a hot spring in the Boise National Forest miles away from the nearest village and camping where I couldn't even get a cell phone signal.  I've had a great time in some of the smaller towns we've played along the way like Greenville and Madison.  That said, I was happy to see the skyline of Chicago appearing out of the falling snow on Sunday night as the bus rolled into town.

The Hotel Blake in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood was a nice home base for two weeks of exploring the Second City.  We were just a few blocks from Grant Park and the Lake Michigan waterfront, an easy walk to the El Train, State Street and Michigan Ave  were nearby and there were always cabs cruising the street.  From my window I looked across the main branch of the Chicago Public Library to the CNA Center.  It was so nice to step out onto Dearborn Street everyday and be in the middle of everything.

VFMRHW - Chicago: The Harold Washington Library Center and the the CNA Center.

The Library is a relatively new building, completed in 1991.  It's architects (Hammond, Beeby and Babka) echoed the historic architectural features of some landmarks in the neighborhood and is a striking building in its own right.  The CNA Center is a 1972 creation.  It's 44 stories are painted red making it stick out of Chicago's impressive skyline.

Monday morning, I went out for a long walk to get reacquainted with Chicago.  After college, lots of my friends moved west to the Windy City while I started eastward.  Many of them are still there, but it's been too long since I visited.  I headed through Grant Park toward the Aquarium and along the frozen lake shore to Navy Pier, along the Chicago River, past the Water Tower and the base of the Magnificent Mile before heading back to the hotel to defrost.  Chicago's riverfront is spectacular.  Its mixture of historic buildings (the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower and the Carbide and Carbon Building) and modern structures (the new Trump Tower will be the second tallest building in Chicago) alongside the river and it's distinctive drawbridges creates a awesome cityscape.

 Standing on one of the drawbridges looking west along the Chicago River with the Trump Tower rising over me.

I visited Millennium Park en route back to the hotel.  The park is home to the iconic Cloud Gate sculpture by Anish Kapoor also known as the "Chicago Bean".  I'd seen the sculpture in photos, but never in person - it is fascinating.  The piece was inspired by liquid mercury and is constructed from highly polished stainless steel.  It reflects everything around it in varying degrees of funhouse-mirror deformity; bending the skyline, distorting the image of passers by and generally entertaining me.  The park also contains the Pritzker Music Pavilion designed by Frank Gehry.  Like so much of his work, the bandshell announces quite clearly that "Gehry was here."  It's beautiful.

My reflection in Cloud Gate

Gehry's Pritzker Music Pavilion

While we loaded the show into the Auditorium Theatre on Tuesday, the country was inaugurating our 44th President.  Of course, I was sorry that I couldn't experience all the inaugural festivities first-hand, but the excitement in Chicago was palpable.  The work of load-in kept me from even being able to watch much of the ceremonies on TV.  Ken, however, insisted that history trumped Spamalot and we scurried back to the hotel to watch the swearing in of Barack live.  I, like so many others, have such high hopes for where President Obama can lead us but am trying to remember that he is just one man & will need the help of so many others (in word and in deed) to get us where we need to go.  I am so grateful that Ken insisted we watch the swearing in live - it was a truly great moment.

Chicago was crazy for the new President.  The mayor erected these banners all over town.

Chicago is full of friends of mine from all different parts of my life.  As I mentioned, many of my college friends left East Lansing for Chicago and I got a chance to catch up with some of them.  Saskia and her husband Mael came to see the big show and took me out for a drink afterwords.  Though they've been married for quite some time, this is the first time I've met Mael - it's amazing how time slides by!  I also caught up with fellow Spartans Nicole and Gene VanDyke for a meal - yet more of my friends I haven't seen since my wedding...  I spent an evening with Aaron Kelly (AK) and his partner Dan and got to see their apartment in Chicago's uptown neighborhood.  Dan and AK took me out for dinner and margaritas before we caught up with some of the Spamily for Musical Monday at Sidetrack in Boystown.  We had a blast drinking slushies and belting out showtunes.  The tour has given me so many wonderful opportunities to catch up with my friends all around the country - I'm incredibly thankful that so many people have made time to see me in my travels.

With AK and Dan at Sidetrack

I tried to take advantage of the big city dining scene during my stay in Chicago.  As soon as I dropped my bags, Jeff Brewer and I headed out for a late dinner at Italian Village: the food was good and the kitschy surroundings made me smile.  The next night, DVZ treated me to a belated Christmas dinner at Spiaggia Cafe: haute-cuisine Italian that was as good as its reputation.  Karl, Roy and I sampled some of the Windy City's famous deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati's: heaven (though I still dispute that Chicago is "Pizza City").  I had a couple of really great breakfasts at the Bongo Room on Wabash: sweet potato pancakes, poached pear upside-down pancakes...  Karl and I celebrated the Maestro's birthday with a late breakfast at Heaven on Seven, a cajun restaurant tucked in on the seventh floor of an office building.  At the airport on the way out of town, Ken and I introduced Wayne to the miracle that is the chicago dog: a snappy dog dressed with mustard, relish, a pickle spear, tomatoes, sport peppers and celery salt.  Even with all these tasty meals, I left Chicago with a long list of restaurants to hit next time I'm in town.

Roy shows off a slice of our deep dish pizza

I also tried to take advantage of some of the cultural opportunities in Chicago.  Karl and I visited the Art Institute of Chicago, spending several hours with their amazingly diverse collection.  All the way to the museum I was singing "Finishing the Hat" from Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George in anticipation of seeing the art work that inspired the show.  While "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" was impressive, it was the breadth of the collection that took my breath away.  Just behind the Seurat masterpiece was a whole room full of Monet's - a whole wall was devoted to nothing but various paintings of haystacks!  Of course, the Art Institute is also home to "Nighthawks", "American Gothic", "At the Moulin Rouge" and several Van Goghs.  

Karl contemplates "American Gothic"

I also took one of the tours offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  Entitled "Historic Skyscrapers", the walking tour detailed the development of the steel-framed skyscraper in Chicago from the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 through the Great Depression.  William Le Baron Jenney created the first steel framed skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, in 1884-5 and though this building was demolished, Chicago is still home to many early skyscrapers.  Turns out that two more of La Baron Jenney's buildings were in the block next to my hotel, but until my guide pointed them out, I had hardly noticed them.  It would have been impossible, however, to walk by Burnham and Root's 1888 Rookery Building and not notice it.  The 12 story building is a masterpiece - one of the prettiest buildings I have ever seen.  Not only is the exterior beautiful, but the architects also created the "Light Court" in the center of the building.  The building is a hollow square, allowing air to circulate to all the offices on the upper floors and creating room for a glass ceilinged arcade on the lower floors.  The "Light Court" was remodeled in 1907 by Frank Lloyd Wright (his only commission in downtown Chicago) and while his touch is clearly evident, the genius of Burnham and Root is still obvious.  The tour was only two hours and left me wanting more.  I think everyone around me grew a little weary of my reciting facts for the next couple of days...

The Rookery Building

The Chicago Board of Trade Building is an Art Deco masterpiece

Of course, our two weeks in Chicago were a busy time at the show as well.  Richard Chamberlain made his debut as King Arthur.  He won wave reviews from both of the major papers in Chicago and is settling into the role.  Richard's Arthur is very different than any of the other people I've seen in the role - it's been a treat to see, up close, five very different men put their spin on the part.  We also welcomed our newest Lady of the Lake to the company; Merle Dandridge comes to us direct from the closing of the Broadway company.  Jeff Dumas also rejoined us to begin rehearsals for a reprise of his turn as Patsy.  All these arrivals also signaled some more departures: Chicago was the last stop for Brad Bradley and Esther Stilwell.  No sooner had we celebrated Richard's opening night, than it was time for a farewell to Esther Party.  Esther was one of the few remaining original company members and it was hard to say goodbye to such a sweet person, but, as they say, "that's showbiz."  We all come to this job from another and hope there will be many more after this one where we can meet new people and be reunited with others from our past.

I stole this snap during Jeff's rehearsals - the principals (minus Richard, but plus Ken) are gathered at center with Candy serving as the rehearsal "Peasant"

Esther's last shot night was also Richard's first - I have to say that doing shots with the star of Shogun was kinda cool...

Erik hosted shot night - he's showing off the vodka bottle encased in ice

A snap from Esther's going away party - Darryl and Esther

I had a wonderful time in Chicago.  Two weeks isn't enough time to see, do and eat everything I wanted to in the Second City, but it was a wonderful reminder of how much I like it there.  I'm so thankful I got to catch up, even briefly, with so many friends and I look forward to my next visit to the "City of the Big Shoulders."

JV