Chicago’s entertainment community — everything from theaters to concerts and restaurants — has moved into overdrive, canceling and rescheduling events following Tuesday’s terrorist attacks.
While it is business as usual for many performers, others have changed plans for a variety of reasons. Transportation issues presented problems for some artists, while other entertainers feel it’s inappropriate to perform at this time.
Take Jimmy Buffett, who was scheduled to perform Thursday and Saturday at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park. Explaining his reasons for postponing his shows to later this month, Buffett said, in a statement: “I feel it is time for all of us to be with our families and friends, and to take stock of all the events that occurred and their repercussions. I have been the purveyor of many good nights of fun across this country, but I feel that now is not the time to dance. . . . Lord Buckley, the great old, hip comedian, once said, `Terror is the absence of humor, and humor is the absence of terror.’ Our sense of humor is one of our most precious natural resources as Americans, and we will put this tragedy behind us and dance again.”
U2, which hasn’t canceled its Oct. 15 tour date in Chicago, did decide to postpone the ticket sales that had been planned for this weekend.
Close to home
For some, planned Hollywood releases nudged too close to reality. Until this week, “Collateral Damage,” a film directed by Chicago native Andrew Davis and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was set to open the 37th Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 4. On Wednesday, the film — about a firefighter whose family is killed when an L.A. skyscraper is bombed — was pulled from the festival schedule.
“We’re definitely sensitive to the nature of the film,” said a spokesman for the festival. Warner Bros. Pictures has decided to postpone “Collateral’s” Oct. 5 release and is busy retrieving outdoor advertising, trailers and posters. At the festival, organizers are hoping that Schwarzenegger and Davis will still attend.
In some cases, transportation issues stepped in: At the rock club Metro, everything is functioning as normal — except that Stereophonics, a British band slated for a Friday gig, might have to cancel. The band is in London, and flights are iffy. On the other hand, Jimmy Eat World, who is supposed to play Metro on Saturday, probably will make it since band members are traveling in vans.
Some events were simply canceled. The hard rock Pledge of Allegiance tour, featuring Slipknot, System of a Down, Mudvayne and others and which had been scheduled for Friday at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, has been canceled and will be rescheduled, according to a representative for Slipknot’s record label. And while most concert venues say the security measures they have in place are sufficient, next week’s show at House of Blues by Ted Nugent, who has outspoken political views, will have heightened security.
Adjusting on the fly
Many restaurants are operating as usual, but supply delivery issues might come into play. Susan Frasca, whose Frasca Hospitality runs Mambo Grill, Kinzie Chop House and Club Creole, said: “We’re not going to know anything until Friday. And if we find out there are shortages, we’ll make adjustments to the menu and tell our customers that we are reluctantly making changes. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“Vendors have assured us they have plenty of product and there shouldn’t be any problems through the weekend,” said restaurateur Joe Carlucci, who has two eateries, Carlucci in Rosemont and Strega Nona on Southport.
Many events, of course, will go on as scheduled: Theaters hosting “The Full Monty,” “Blue Man Group,” “Vagina Monologues” and “Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding,” for example, planned to open their doors for Thursday performances and will stay open through the weekend.
Here is a list of cancellations and rescheduled dates:
– Buffett’s performances scheduled for Thursday and Saturday at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park have been rescheduled for Sept. 27 and Sept. 29.
– Celtic Fest, originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Grant Park, is canceled.
– Alison Krauss postponed her Saturday concert at the Chicago Theatre and has rescheduled it for Nov. 10.
– The Old Town School of Folk Music has canceled three concerts: Norman Blake on Friday, Junior Brown on Saturday and Pullman on Sunday. These events will be rescheduled.
– “Could It Be Magic?” has canceled its Friday performance at the Mercury Theatre.
– Five for Fighting’s Friday show and the Saturday Superestrella Dance Party at House of Blues have been canceled.
– The Three Arts Club, in collaboration with the International Latino Cultural Center, has rescheduled Thursday’s “Ellas Y Su Rumba: The Women of Latin Music” at the Three Arts Club. It will be held Oct. 25.
– The Ruth Page Dance Series “Transformations ’01,” scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until mid-December.
– Performing Arts Chicago’s presentation of the Builders Association’s “Xtravaganza” on Sunday has been canceled; Friday and Saturday performances will remain as scheduled.
– The Moon Festival, scheduled for Saturday in Chinatown, has been postponed.
– The Osaka Garden Festival, scheduled for Saturday in Jackson Park, has been postponed.
