Leaving Chicago

So how did the show go over? Well let's see. We got a terrible review in the Chicago Tribune. I believe we were considered to be less than a high school show in Chris Jones's opinion. Reading between the lines though, he mentions the fact that we are non-union enough times to be suspicious, and there is also the stage of the Chicago Theatre. The stage is so shallow that even our show had to be downsized. (I will never forget the story of Disney leasing the Chicago Theatre for Beauty and the Beast only to realize that the set did not fit!) And now I don't love our set for Munchkinland but when you have to leave out a couple of set pieces then it looks even worse. Plus the back wall projections were tiny because they couldn't get the projectors back far enough. Now it is not that I disagree with everything he wrote, but I don't think his review was entirely fair. Especially given the Munchkin Parent's letter to the paper.

We had more problems with the local munchkins in Chicago than on any other stop so far. To begin with they were not prepared, and inattentive in rehearsal. Add to that, they were poorly behaved backstage culminating in one of the boys being punched in groin. So the management sat the kids down and explained that if any of them were to misbehave again, they would be taken out of the show. So of course at the next performance, two of the kids were shoving each other backstage, and were subsequently removed. This ended up with a letter being written to The Chicago Tribune complaining about everything having to do with the munchkins. The fact that the kids were not paid, the fact that they had to rehearse on their own (this woman swears that she paid $500 in rehearsals), the fact that they did not get fed between shows (actually only the crew got fed. I didn't!), and on and on. She even complained about the kids being threatened by the management. What she conveniently forgot to mention was the fighting backstage. Amazing how that happened! This letter read like an obviously one sided account of an event minus all of the facts. Everything she complained about would have been no secret when she agreed to let her kid do the show. That the Tribune should have printed this letter is pretty shameful. (Also just for the record, NETworks did not want a rebuttal letter written. I volunteered!)

Ultimately like New York, Chicago turned out to be pretty disappointing. I was glad that so many friends and family came to see the show. (Actually we had pretty terrible audiences. The morning shows were empty!) I also got to meet the writer from The Times who wrote an article about me in the newspaper. Playing at The Chicago Theatre was very exciting, but oh that schedule was crazy. Thankfully the company all seemed to have fun in Chicago especially when I dragged a group to Gino's East for pizza! Mmm Gino's...

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