No Smoking in Chicago Jersey Boys

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 5:50pm

"The Chicago production of "Jersey Boys" has gone smoke-free in the last few days. It is as if the Four Seasons never took so much as a drag."
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2008/07/chicago-jersey.html


"By a 4 to 2 vote, the City Council's Buildings Committee voted Friday not to exempt actors from Chicago's smoking ban -- not even when smoking is an "integral part of the theatrical performance."
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/smoking.ban.stage.2.336797.html

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 5:51pm

Yep. They had been getting away with it for months but apparently someone complained so they had to enforce the ban!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 5:53pm

Of course, I blame Barack Obama.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 6:30pm

I think we should digitally remove smoking from every movie ever made if we want to be serious about this .

Anyone caught smoking should be shot .

I blame GWB

Updated On: 7/8/08 at 06:30 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 5:14am

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/weiss/1055590,CST-FTR-Smoke15WEB.article

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 8:11am

Pathetic!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 9:18am

Eh, I don't know how I feel about it. I do think it's ridiculous and that people on stage should be allowed to smoke, but I also think that that this is the inevitable consequence of the country's desire for draconian smoking bans.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 10:37am

Apparently on-stage Foie Gras eating is next to go.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 10:38am

I blame the Republicans.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 10:40am

They aren't even real cigarettes are they?

Did anyone click on this link in the 1st article? I think this is ridiculous. One comment I read was that his patrons at the bar should be able to smoke if the actors in a show can. I suspect that a lot of the actors are non-smokers themselves and are not really smoking the cigarettes onstage.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004266188_smoke07.html?syndication=rss

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 10:40 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:07am

They're herbal, but the ban applies to all smoking whether it's tobacco or not.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:20am

Supposedly the complaint was from a smoker, PO'ed that he couldn't smoke in public anymore who grew enraged watching the actors smoke on stage.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:23am

One comment I read was that his patrons at the bar should be able to smoke if the actors in a show can.

I read that, too. It's totally idiotic. You could say just look to New York, as there are smoking bans there and people can still smoke on stage, but the smoking ban here is one of the most restrictive in the country.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:29am

So what about national tours that will come through Chicago with smoking in them? Will they have to change, or will they just avoid Chicago?

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:31am

Well I just found out that the Jersey Boys won't be smoking here in Denver when the show arrives in December. We too lost the battle for smoking onstage. It is not a show that is tops on my list to see, but I thought I might see the tour. Well my decision is made. I didn't know this, but when Hal Holbrook was here, they banned him from smoking in "Mark Twain Tonight".

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 11:31 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:52am

I doubt anyone will change tour routes to avoid Chicago, but for now smoking onstage in Chicago is out.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 3:19pm

I think that this is stupid. People know that they aren't real cigs and I don't know about Chicago but in NY there are signs as you enter the theatre saying that herbal ones will be used.

If they were smoking real ones I could MAYBE see the point of the discussion but considering that they are smoking essentially fakes and that the actors themselves don't smoke then this discussion is pointless.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 3:39pm

I love Chicago (the city), but why have they been so difficult lately? First Ragtime, now this.

Off-topic, but they did resolve the Ragtime issue...? I thought I read the headline of an article that it might be able to play, but I didn't get a chance to read it.

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 03:39 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 4:42pm

"I love Chicago (the city), but why have they been so difficult lately? First Ragtime, now this."

Chicago had absolutely nothing to do with the Ragtime situation. As for the smoking, this surprises me. Does the the law not define smoking to a degree where harmless herbal cigarette's are permissable?

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 4:45pm

I bet their law is like ours. No tobacco, clove/herbal or natural substance rolled to be smoked as a cigarette. Period. I contacted the JBs tour people in support of the show and mentioned the ban here in Denver. They said it does not affect any of the tour stops on the show. They may get a surprise when they get here! Unless they are going to just do it and hope there are no complaints.

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 04:45 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 5:27pm

What I find interesting is that NYC has a VERY strong no smoking indoors law. And, the city hasn't gotten up in arms for every Broadway and Off Broadway show that has actors smoking. Why is it that in NYC no one is getting up in arms about this but in other cities they are?

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 5:34pm

Because NYC has sense unlike the lady out here in Denver who has nothing to do with her time but push to stop smoking everywhere. I forget her name but she is one of the spearheads of our smoking ban. She is now trying to get the smoking bar at the airport closed because it poses a health threat to the employees. We are all like....stop and think about it. If the employees didn't like smoke, they wouldn't apply to work there! And it is not some smokey bar. it is well ventilated. Don't get me started!!!! lol