We went downtown and met B&B to go to the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (also known as the old Oriental Theatre on Randolph) to see Wicked.
Boy, do I have mixed feelings about this experience.
On the plus side, gorgeous venue, and it was really great and refreshing to be around people (mostly women that actually dressed-up to go to the theater... they way it always has been.. and should be... (in my opinion).
The script for the show... is ok... good, even. The cast - first rate.
The seats sucked. We were in the "Dress Circle" which is the first level above the main floor. But - way in the back on the theater. What made it worse, is that it was easily 20 to 30 feet underneath the balcony, so your view was clipped at the top, and I could see the very top of the stage. I had no idea that having that clipped effected the way I enjoyed the performance... but it did. I guess I just need to see the whole proscenium, even maybe the ceiling as well, to feel that I was actually in a legitimate theater, instead of a drive-in theater. The audio sucked. It was fine for dialog and solos, but put a full orchestra and full chorus up, and it was mush. Hated the frequency envelope that was used - made the orchestra sound small, canned.
Did I like it? Let me see it again and I'll tell you.
Afterward, in the rain, Carol & I walked around the corner on State Street and caught the end of the 10 o'clock news at Channel 7 (WLS - the local ABC affiliate, where I worked 30 years ago), who has a glassed-in studio right there on State Street underneath and sort of to the side of where the regular studios and offices are at State and Lake.
I even made a prominent spot in the crowd shot at the end of the news!
2008- The new words of 2008...
- What does this mean?
2006- Venetian Taxi Service
2004- People's Choice: Survivor
- Sunny
2003- More Nigerian 419 Fraud
- *ow* effing™ *ow*
2002- Posting and Blogging