Reviews of Chicago Fan Day Performance — Page 2

Sounds sweet.

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Personally, I am a little bit surprised that on Chicago Facebook Fan Day so many people saw the show live for the first time.

I've seen Chicago on Broadway before but I think part of the reason some people haven't seen it is because it's perpetually "there". Like Phantom people just aren't in a rush to see it because so many other shows have shorter lives. Chicago has been on Broadway for as long as some theatre goers have been alive. For them it's always been there and it always will be. That's my take on it anyway.

the glorious James Naughton ("who??" I can hear many of you ask as I shudder) is just something that dumbfounds me.

Isn't he that guy who does the Cialis commercials?

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there is always someone isnt there. You take a show... Chicago- that has been playing for fifteen years and they give up the chance to make money and instead (god forbid) they give away tickets in a contest where people who "friend and like" them on facebook can get a free ticket. THEN... you offer then food and coffe and give then FREE tshirts (and how dare they ONLY have size Large) and bowler hats (and can you believe it? They were only PLASTIC?)....And then they very rudely only give SOME people extra prizes for sitting in their seat. The monstrocity of it. THEN THE WORST HAPPENS> Some of the people who may not have even been able to afford a show might have won so they could get a chance to see their favorite movie musical or cd LIVE. The nerve. Only those of us like myself who have seen it twelve times deserved to see it.

Okay that is what some of the poeple sound like.

I could have sat in the LAST row of the Rear Mezz and still loved every minute of it because the show thought they would be nice and give us FREE TICKETS.

The cast was excellent. LaVon is my boo! I thought she was the best! The rest of the cast was spot on and the energy of all the people there really made it very very special.

Yes the show takes place 80 years ago (as someone pointed out.. since none of us know that this is chicago in the 20s).. but the fact that they made a cute NOD to the fans was really nice. It made thed show a once in a lifetime thing.

I did get to meet Ute, Chita and I hugged Lillias as her music has done so much for me in my life. I also told her my first dance to my husband was her "Born for You" and that she has been such an inspiration.
AND then after we got to see Karen Ziemba. And we chatted about her in Curtains and how they just need to get her back on Broadway ASAP!

It was the BEST day!

I dont know why anyone would be critical of something that technically they did not have to do at all anyway. They did not owe ANYONE anything. It amazes me how sh.tty people get about stuff like that. I am just so thrilled I sat next to people who were nice and had a lovely time with my friends and thought it was a great time.

BRAVO Chicago!

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^ Once that other kid started spouting off songs like me, I got that uneasy "Oh sh!t" feeling. I honestly thought my contest was going to be to name the famous Roxies. (I was running a fail-proof list in my head...)

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Good God, it's as if Chicago dressed itself up as a Trekkie convention and invited all of the coupon-clippers. I wonder what they had to offer Lilias, Brent and Ziemba to show up and meander amongst people who likely only knew half of what they've done in their career. How... Sad.

This is brilliant marketing by Fran and Barry, but it's likely not going to be reproduced by other shows. The kitsch factor of this whole event seemed like Beatlemania gone retarded. I'd hope that some of this audience would someday cough up some actual cash and TRULY support the live theatre rather than wait for the Groupon-esque, five-for-one, Facebook free mentality that this event was smothered in.

Congrats: You got to see a far-from original Broadway revival cast who stuck in Facebook gags to keep the one-centers chuckling. Kander and Ebb, this truly ain't.



BN

Updated On: 1/31/11 at 10:04 PM

I'm completely comfortable saying that there were 3 different types of patrons at Fan Day yesterday.

1. The constant theater-goer: One who lives in NYC and sees every show possible by either paying full price, rushing, or getting lottery tickets. Or one who has the money to travel to NYC and see every show possible by either paying full price, rushing, or getting lottery tickets. This patron has probably seen Chicago more than once and will continue to see the show as many times as they please.

2. The "Bad" Patron: One who may or may not live in NYC and went to see the show purely because they saw it was a free ticket and said "What the hell!" (Note: these patrons are very rare)

3. Everyone else: Whether they live in NYC or not, they LOVE Chicago. Whether they have the money to see the show or not, they still LOVE Chicago and all musical theater. Examples) theater students on a tight budget for both travel and tickets, parents who have kids and a job (or two) at home, fans in families who don't support their love for theater, etc etc. These fans, however, were the most enthusiastic and enjoyed their time whether they were 3rd row center (like myself) or in the rear mezzanine.

The way I see it, Chicago gave it's fans an opportunity. So many people flew in from Vegas, LA and all over the country to see a show they wouldn't have been able to see otherwise.

Those who are trying to ruin that day for us by saying that we're not true supporters of theater should just ignore the thread altogether and move on with their lives. The day was fantastic and I'm thrilled I was able to be a part of it.


(And to those who did attend fan day and don't fall into any of my 3 joke categories, sorry! Hope you had as wonderful a day as I did!)

It might have been people who had tickets but weren't able to come for whatever reason.

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There should be no shaming of those who took free tickets to see a show. It was my first time seeing Chicago, and the first time in almost 6 years that I have gone to a broadway show. This is not to say that I don't support theater, I still attend tour performances on occasion, however as a college student money is tight and it's not exactly cheap to get into the city for a day.

I frankly would not be surprised if other shows continue on what Chicago started on Sunday, while they did not make money of it per sey (although its not as though the souvenirs and such were free) they got a hell of a lot of publicity out of this. And considering that the show is in its 14th year, and is presently running without any kind of "Star" name in the cast, that is a very good thing.

While this was my first time seeing Chicago on broadway, it will most certainly not be my last, and I have a feeling that goes for many of the other folks that were in the audience with me.

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BN - what about getting free tickets when the producers paper the audience? Or a free ticket for the gypsy dress? Or a free ticket for opening night when someone gives it to you as he or she is in the cast? Is that also a bad thing? What is the problem with a publicity stunt that actually benefitted the general public? I get all sorts of promotions for shows, discounts, cds, etc. I don't think I have to defend myself, but I don't see an issue with anyone taking advantage of the free ticket and I think people who are criticizing those of us who did attend are theater snobs.

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This past May NJ Transit dropped their "off peak discount" and now a round trip ticket from where I live to NYC is $30. While that might seem cheap to some people it can add up for someone who goes fairly often. In response to this I cut back on my trips to the city. Sure, I still go but not as often as I used to.

I don't have the opportunities to "rush" shows or take advatange of "papering" since I don't live in the city. I pay for every Broadway show I see. And even with my dialing back I still see a good many.

It's funny though - just last week we were arguing about people paying to see shows too many times and now we're arguing about people who don't pay.

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This is incredible how horrible this tread has gotten!!! This was not just about getting free tickets to a Broadway show. This was about being a part of history. Just the same way people go to the super bowl or come to Time Square for New Years Eve. It was also a generous way for the producers of Chicago to give back to the fans who have kept the show running for 14 years and give a little publicity push as well. You have to think that 1100 people got 10 of their friends to "like" the fan page of Chicago The Musical on Facebook. Thats 11,000 more eyes that may or may not have known about the show. It was also great for the cast being that the last Sunday Matinee in January is typically has the worst audience attendance. They filled house with screaming supportive fans when it would otherwise be half full or less. The cast must have felt like rock stars with all the energetic supportive fans.

This was my second time seeing Chicago on stage and overall, it was a pretty fun experience. Some of the people on line were a little bit ridiculous which I totally expected. I thought the food, shirts, hats, etc were such cute ideas.

As for the show, I was a little underwhelmed. Leigh Zimmerman was absolutely forgettable. I didn't care for her performance one way or the other.

The actor playing Billy Flynn was awful. His singing was terrible and he clearly didn't have the voice for the role. His acting really didn't even make up for the lack of vocals.

Bianca Marroquin was the only redeeming factor of the show. Her Roxie was so fresh for someone who's been with the show for so long. In fact, I would love to see Bianca as Velma just to see her take on the role.