Adventures In Chicago: An Actors Photographic Report

So Crystal Lake, as nice as they have been to us here, isn't quite the tourist-mecca. So, what do you do in Crystal Lake for fun? We found out yesterday...you go down to the train station, you buy a $5 train ticket, and you hop the Union Pacific Northwest Line into the WINDY CITY! The ride takes about 1 hour, 15 minutes - there are about 15-20 stops along the way - but when you arrive at the other end, you're right downtown Chicago and you're ready for some F-U-N, Chi-Town Style!
Everyone had their own plans in the city - and my plan was to make it into the city late morning and do the things I haven't done here before, or the things that I enjoyed doing the last time I was here. Elisa, Jackie and Chris joined me...and it turned out to be a VERY enjoyable day for everyone!

L: Chris, Elisa and Jackie on the platform as we wait for the train. (Notice Chris DOES have a coat on, Mom Sizemore.) R: Elisa and Jackie smile on the train. We are UPSTAIRS on the train. (I love how OUT the woman in the back is....)

This storefront entertained me. Kelly couldn't figure out why her Singles Bar did poor business. I said it might be the name.

Our first stop out of the train was to head the 8 blocks from the train station to Sears Tower and go UP! UP! UP! The nice thing about being here in late October is that the tourist-rush is done, so the line was non-existent! We walked up to the window, bought our tickets to the top, and we were on our way. (Of course, like all of these type venues, they make you watch a movie about the building before you can go up. ALTHOUGH, once we were seated, a very sneaky group of Asian tourists snuck out the doors to head up without seeing the movie. MAN I wish I was Asian.)
The trip up the 103 stories goes quickly - and once you're up there, you're free to wander around the enclosed observation deck at your own pace. Let me describe each of our individual paces: Me - happy to saunter and look out the window. Don't need to read everything on the walls...will just do whatever. Chris - a pretty good saunterer, as well. Although he moves through the deck a little quicker than me. Jacke - a molasses mover. She is a very THOROUGH tourist...reading everything, taking in every moment, enjoying the Tower to its fullest. (As rightfully she should.) Elisa - I'm pretty sure the time it took her to go around the observation deck would qualify her for a gold medal in the 100 yard dash. Screw the reading - screw the view - screw it all. Just get her on the elevator and back down to floor 1. And that is what makes us all such a great group: our differences make us strong.

A couple of different shots from the top of the Sears Tower. I mean, no joke, we were WAY up there.

For those of you who have never done the Sears Tower...if you're in town and the tourists aren't, it's totally worth the trip. OH - and if it's a clear day. I'm glad I did it - but was ok that I hadn't done it on my previous trips to Chicago.

An artistic look at the Sears Tower. You had BETTER enjoy it - because I got WAY dizzy looking up at it.

After we had all gotten back to ground-level (with postcards purchased and stomachs growling), we decided it was time to head to a Chicago-style lunch! Elisa was incharge of the LUNCH PLANS COMMITTEE - and so we headed a block up to GIORDANO'S! (In honor, of course, to our dear castmate, Tara...who was elsewhere in the city...) Giordano's is a magical place - full of deliscious stuffed pizza, fried cheese and other treats like that. (www.giordanos.com) For those of you looking for a Chicago-style pizza to end all pizzas, then this is your place! But let me give you a little INSIDERS INFORMATION: when ordering pizza...know that there is a HUGE difference between the 'small' and the 'individual' pizza. Individual - perfect for one person...to enjoy on an afternoon jaunt around the city. Easily finished in the hour lunch time. Small - a 10' pizza, 6 slices, that probably shouldn't be ordered for one person as a lunch special, UNLESS you want to take a bunch with you (and not end up handing it off to a homeless man...or throwing it in the garbage.) Lunch was a lot of fun - and gave us our second wind to head out on the streets again.

Top Left: Jackie and Chris cheese it up at lunch. Top R: Elisa and I show off the GIORDANO'S logo - in honor of Tara. Bottom: Jackie illustrates the difference between MY individual pizza (on the left) and HER small pizza (on the right.) This tour is about learning lessons...

Post-lunch, we headed down to State Street for some shopping...but when I couldn't find what I wanted (and once I quickly lost my patience looking for a coat), Chris and I headed down to the Art Institute and Jackie and Elisa shopped away.

All of Chicago has their White Sox Spirit on dislpay! Even the lions in front of the Art Institute.

Once inside the Art Institute, the dark clouds of misfortune began to gather. Let me explain to you why. I am not, nor have I ever been, an expert in art. I know what I like to look at - and I don't spend a lot of time analyzing what I'm looking at. The last time I was at the Art Institute, in 1991, I saw some things that I REALLY enjoyed - and was excited to come back and see again. I saw a few of the pieces that I knew I liked: Degas' Dancer art, Seurat's "La Grande Jatte", Van Gogh's Self Portrait, Hopper's "Nighthawks" - and found my new favorite, Caillebotte's "Paris Street; Rainy Day 1877". AND THEN...I was with Chris and I wanted to show him my favorite thing in the museum: Chagall's "American Windows". So we walk through the hall with all the swords and armor...and we get to where American Windows is. Or should I say WAS. It has been REMOVED while the build the next expansion on the museum (to keep it from breaking) and it won't be back in 2009. (I don't even think I can process how long that is...4 years? Is someone TALKING to me?) So big letdown. We head back upstairs, because there was only one more thing that I wanted to see before heading out. We get up to an information desk, and I ask a nice man to point me in the direction of "American Gothic". And the nice man turned on me, and let me know that it's on LOAN to a stupid museum in Des Moines...and won't be back until December. So not only do I not see it, but I also deepen my dislike of Des Moines.

So...This is what I was SUPPOSED to see - Chagal's American Windows.

And THIS is what I saw. WAH-WAH!

The OTHER favorite piece I saw. I know it looks like 2 - but don't be fooled. ONE is a painting and ONE is just Chris fooling around. Can you tell the difference!? Look CLOSELY!

Not able to stand it, I leave the group and head over to Millennium Park to regroup and gather my art-offended thoughts. I love Millennium Park - so I just wandered around - took some pictures - and enjoyed the crazy cold-rain-sun-windy-clear weather. Somehow, all the forces of nature brought all the Wonka people who were in the city together in Millennium Park - we all regaled each other with stories of our days.

This photo is entitled: SELF EXPLANATORY

Part of my phot shoot at Millennium Park. The picture on the right is a reflection in the big, um, jelly bean sculpture thing. You can check it out by clicking HERE.

Some of the ART SHOTS I took of the Cloud Gate. (It's kind of fun to make the pictures big and find me in the reflection, taking the picture. Just a game idea to pass the time.)

And now my collection of PEOPLE ART SHOTS. Pretty profound pieces, aren't they?

And then, en masse, we headed over to see Buckingham Fountain (NOT Palace...I know...It was just an honest mistake....), and snap photos. Turned out there was a rainbow out over the lake, too - so that was fun, too. We snapped a quick group photo - and then everyone started heading their own way.

L: The Fountain. R: Looking THROUGH the fountain to the rainbow.

L: The OTHER end of the rainbow. R: Jackie running to find the pot of gold.

Top L: The crew at the Fountain...sans Tara. Top R: LOOK what was at the end of the rainbow? Matt and Andrew! Bottom: Notice the detail on some of the fountain pieces. This one, in particular.

As previously reported, Eric, Elisa and I headed to the Oriental Theatre in the theatre district to catch Ana Gasteyer play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, in the Chicago production of WICKED!
(For those of you thinking...WHO? Ana spent a few years on SNL - doing her NPR skit, her Martha Stewart impersonation, etc., etc.) I want to tell you all that I was BLOWN AWAY by her. I was intrigued by the casting - just because you know, from watching SNL, that she can sing...but you're just not sure she can tackle the vocal-chops of Elphaba. And I'm here to tell you that she can, she will, and she DID! On my M.A.S.E., I gave her a high, high 8. (Maybe even a low 9.) She turns out to be a GREAT actress, too - tackling all the nuances of Elphaba. She brings so many more LEVELS to her character - compared to the original, Elphaba I saw, Idina Menzel. (No hate mail - I loved Idina in the role...vocally, she is IT! But Ana could teach her a few things on the CHARACTER side of Elphaba.) The other pleasant surprise of the evening was the understudy who was in for Glenda. (Kate Reindeer, who is the Glenda here in Chicago hurt her foot last week and is out.) The understudies name is Sarah Jane Everman - and I am going to say this loud and proud: I GIVE HER A 10 ON MY SCALE - AND SHE MADE ME FORGET KRISTEN CHENOWETH EVER DID THE ROLE. She was AMAZING! Unfortunately, for those Wicked fans out there, the rest of the show isn't as strong as it could be. The guy playing Fiyero played ANGEL on the RENT tour...so...you know...take that for what's it is worth. It seemed like he was channeling Angel...not masucline FIYERO. Nessarose reminded me of a really scary Rachel Dratch (on the current SNL cast). And Madame Morrible, I swear, was a man. (OK - I see it was a woman in the program...but seriously...I NEVER would've guessed it.) But glad we saw the show - and SO glad to see this side of Ana Gasteyer. She was a REVELATION - and I hope more of you get a chance to see her!

So...to show you all who Ana is...here are some pics. One as herself. One as Elphaba.

The marquee at the theater.

The train ride home was late and uneventful...and today, another day off, was spent sleeping, eating, laundering, and chilling. Back to doing shows tomorrow...we'll see how THE VOCE holds up! And a HUGE congrats goes out the CHICAGO WHITE SOX on winning the World Series.
Hopefully we can catch the CELEBRATION party in the city!

Like I said previously - WHITE SOX SPIRIT blanketed the downtown area.

SO ADDITIONAL RANDOM PICTURES:

Just a cool looking nymph-looking thing I saw.

Pope Elisa blesses the afflicted Eye-Ball-Head-Eric. Thank GOODNESS she was passing by.

This is, quite simply, ART.

Halloween decorations in downtown Chicago. I found them BOO-tiful. HA!