last tango in Chicago

The Addams Family had its final performance in Chicago yesterday afternoon. Seeing it on my birthday had made me so very "hoppy" and I thought I'd go along and bid it a fond farewell. Plus, I am a bit of a nerd - I'd heard they'd been making changes and I wanted to see what had changed. I ended up in the balcony - I wanted better seats than I'd had before but not premium. I spent 87 bucks and I was STILL in nowheresville balcony land. Oy, with your ticket prices.

No matter. I had a great time. The cast was still great, and I noticed a few changes (but I honestly couldn't remember much of the first time I'd seen it. So they could have changed lots and lots of things and I would have no clue.). I don't think there is much that is fundamentally wrong with the show, but a few tweeks (or is it tweaks?) before it hits broadway might make it stronger, funnier, more focused. But I personally have no complaints. Nathan Lane (oh! How much do I love you, Nathan Lane?) made a brief thank you speech at the final curtain call. It was all, thank you for coming to our final performance... and everyone cheered and he was like What? Are you GLAD to see us leaving? No, sir, it makes me very unhoppy.

Heidi had a better seat than I did (next time, dude, you're buying for us both!) and we met back up in the lobby afterwards. I had suggested a foray to the stage door in the alley and she agreed, which was very decent of her considering it was freaking freezing cold. I have not stage door-ed for a LONG time, I do it very rarely in Chicago and never at the Oriental Theater. The stage door is in a nice little paved alley (I think it is called "Couch Alley" - fun factoid for you, yes?) and there was a nice little crowd back there. I was amused/horrified when people were calling the cast members by their character's names - "LUUUURRRCH!!" and "FESTER!" and comic/tragically "GRANDMA!" And yet they wondered why Jackie Hoffman ran quickly away. I'd run, too, if people were calling me "Grandma." I mean, COME ON. Call them by their actual NAMES. Look in the program if you have to. Geez.

Anyway - Bebe Neuwirth came out and was very gracious (even though people were calling her - not "Morticia" which would have been bad enough, but "Lillith!" which I think is worse. Even if you think of her as "Lillith" for god's sake, don't CALL HER THAT. Her actual name is above the damned marquee, okay?? Call her that instead.) She had her hands full, but stopped around to sign things and take pictures (she said she didn't want to say no, since we'd been waiting for so long...). I had my stupid camera, which ran out of batteries JUST as Heidi was starting to take the picture. Bebe looked sort of startled then she told me, "Bummer," in a sympathetic way. TOTAL bummer, Bebe. I'll just have to come and see the show in New York and try to get a picture then (note to self: charge the camera). The nerd in me is dying to know what changes they will make to the show in New York, anyway...

The security guard by the door had given us the lowdown ahead of time - Bebe usually came out and was nice, Nathan rarely exited by that door and so waiting for him would have been in vain. Oh, drat. But my camera had died anyway, so even if he HAD emerged, I would not have been able to document the occasion. Until New York, I guess...