Grand Hotel - now in Chicago

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 12:35pm

Grand Hotel is one of my favorite shows, and there is a phenomenal production of it starting here in Chicago. I saw a preview last night at Drury Lane Water Tower and thought it was perfect.

I think the show itself is amazing - the woven storylines, complex music and intriguing characters. It also has one of the best opening sequences of any show.

I've seen a few different productions of the show, and this Chicago production is the best. It has an outstanding cast, a gorgeous set, beautiful costumes, comfortable seats - everything going for it. I was completely absorbed for the entire intermissionless 1 hr, 50 min. The staging sticks pretty closely to the original, Broadway production. In particular, the actors playing Grushinskaya and Kringelein were amazing. The part of the aging ballerina was actually played by someone who was aging (apologies to the actress) and obviously had a ballet background. Check out the photos at the link below.

I have no connection in any way to this production. I just wanted to let anyone in Chicago, passing through, or able to visit, know that they shouldn't miss this phenomenal show. Since this theatre opened less than a year ago, I've seen great productions of The Full Monty and Mornings at Seven. I'll probably return to see this Grand Hotel again.
Grand Hotel

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 12:39pm

Glad to hear it. I plan on seeing this one. I've never seen a production of Grand Hotel.

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 3:13pm

If you've never seen a production of Grand Hotel, this is a great one to see, since it is very similar in concept and staging to the original.

[JulianHookbucks]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 3:51pm

I did a childrens production of it. Yes. There was no sex, no whores in the bathroom, no pregnancy, pretty much the JR. version. We still rocked the house though. I love this show. I played a Jimmy... even though I'm about as far from Back as you can get. There were four of us. (We splti the parts to accomidate the large cast.) A White Guy (Me) A White Girl, A Black Guy, and a Puerto Rican Girl. It was so much fun.

I wish I could see this one. It looks like a wonderful production... However, I think Flemchen should be blonde with dark roots... even though Our Flemchen was a brunette, but w/e. To each their own.

Updated On: 9/14/05 at 03:51 PM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 3:56pm

I also look forward to seeing this production. (Was the bar open yet at Drury Lane WT?)

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:03pm

Julian - I can't imagine a children's production of Grand Hotel. It must have been about 15 minutes long. Yes, Flemchen was brunette, but terrific. They changed the lyric in "I Want to Go to Hollywood" to "I want to be the girl with raven hair".

brdlwyr - You'll love it, and yes, the bar is open!

[JulianHookbucks]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:05pm

Actually... it was about an hour and twenty minutes. It was also cut for time constraints. Won't go into details... but I'd love to do a full boar production of it some day. It's an AMAMZING show!! When done correctly of course.

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:22pm

I was in a local production once. We had two white Jimmys, even a female Jimmy for a while. At one point, Eric the desk clerk was a Jimmy. You know how it is in community theatre.

We also had to cut a number of scenes and parts of songs, only because they were so difficult to learn. This is a really hard show to do. Even at this Drury Lane production, they were still having a little difficulty with song entrances and the coordination of the many countermelodies.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 5:31pm

Was Joan Crawford a blonde as Flaemchen in the movie?

There seems to be a stereotype that all sexy bombshells must be blonde.

It always bothered me that Evelyn Nesbit was played as a blonde inthe musicl of RAGTIME, when she was a brunette in real life. Especially with "Mother" also being played as a blonde!

Posted: 9/14/05 at 6:37pm

Who played Grushinskaya? She looks awfully familiar?

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 8:12pm

Her name is Barbara Robertson, a local Chicago actress, and she was amazing. Looking at her credits...she was in the movie The Company. Maybe that's where you recognize her from?

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 8:24pm

Barbara Robertson (a friend of mine) was in The Company and played Desiree for Chicago Shakespeare - A Little Night Music.
She is a wonderful actress.
I had best get my butt over there to see Grand Hotel.
I've not seen it since the original Broadway production.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 10:20pm

Jeff Kuhl, who plays Kringelein, seems to be channelling the spirit of Michael Jeter. His singing sounds exactly the same, for sure. Unfortunately, he doesn't do the "rubber legs" dance on "Let's Take A Glass Together".

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 10:23pm

Of course Glebb would know one of our Chicago divas Barb Robertson!!!!!

Glebb for you it is not even a cab ride!!!!

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 10:23pm

No, Jeff's dance wasn't as crazy as Jeter's. But he did have me hooked from the start of his first number. Terrific.

Yes, Glebb and Beaverhausen, you must.

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 10:30pm

Yes, I am within walking distance.
I think I'll go Friday night.
Barbara asked me to come see her and give her my opinion.
She's a great lady and what a beauty.
She was magnificent in 'Hard Times', gosh was it three years ago already?

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 10:37pm

G - I knew Barb in passing years ago. She was nominated for yet another Jeff. It was funny to review the nominations and see how many people I knew even though I have not worked in the theatre in about 10 years. My wife does get one production a year which does keep us in contact.

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/15/05 at 9:42am

Barbara was also great in Sylvia/The Goat at The Goodman.

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:03am

Add this production of GRAND HOTEL to Glebb's picks.
It's top notch and Barbara Robertson is magic!
Go see it!

[Stagedoor2]

Posted: 11/4/05 at 10:11am

Bumping this up from long ago to remind Chicago folks (or those visiting) to check out this show -- it closes on Sunday.

I saw it last night and the cast was great -- especially Barbara Robertson and the man who played Otto (sorry I don't remember his name at the moment).