Frank Sinatra: Chicago, Chicago, I will show you around – I love it! We do, too. Our pictures will show you around. There is much to do, much to see, lots of history, arts, music, performances. We partook.
The first three photos are of our downtown hotel, The Hilton Palmer House. It really is as over-the-top as it looks. It was built by Potter Palmer for his bride in 1871. Thirteen days after opening, it burnt to the ground in the Great Chicago Fire. He rebuilt it immediately with the largest loan ever made at that time. We thought it funny that a box by the elevator said, “Key drop & email.” Uhh….isn’t email done by computer..??
The next photos are the theaters of the shows we attended. Stage 773 was showing The Buddy Holly Story, which was fantastic. The music was excellent. For a small theater, they put on a giant show. The Cher Show is headed for Broadway, but it wasn’t very cohesive. The music was good, but they changed words to force it to fit the action, which made it frustrating to watch. The costumes by Bob Mackie were the true hit of the show. It was in the Oriental Theater. In the photo after The Cher Show, you can see a little of the theater’s elegance.
Second City, where so many famous comedians of our day got their start (Gilda Radnor, John Belushi, Steve Carell, Alan Alda, Stephen Colbert), is one of our favorite venues from past visits to Chicago. Their improv is very fresh and truly funny. Outside the improv theater, you can see tiles with their version of Graumann’s Chinese Theater, except they do handprints…Mel Brooks, Spike Lee, Mandy Patinkin.
A new favorite this time was Music Box Theater. We went to see a new documentary, Three Identical Strangers, and walked in to an organist playing a theater organ in a 30-minute concert before the movie! So delightful!
The remaining photos are sights we liked around Chicago. We always love the architecture, and have taken several architecture tours on past visits. There are lots of Art Deco and late-1800s buildings on display and still going strong. Chicago has lots of parks, fountains, and green space…more than we could photograph in one trip! And the last photo was at Wrigley Field at the beginning of the Cubs-Reds game on Sunday. The Cubs won, 6-5, in the bottom of the 9th.
