Published: November 09, 2009 10:19 am      

The great Chicago – connection

Had you going there for a minute, didn’t I? Nearing the celebration of my bicentennial column and then a few months later, the fourth anniversary of the beginning of these weekly reflections, I thought that during the next two weeks I would share some thoughts on taking my initial steps down the creative path that has led me to this time and place.

I have highlighted through the years that my youth was spent in the suburbs of post-World War II Chicago and what an idyllic time it was for us Sooner Boomers.

Yes, I too am a graduate of one of the first Boomer classes, that demographic that news pundits and others now analyze on PBS and over the seemingly hundreds of cable news outlets. I would hate to see what is out there on the Web.

Anyway, the memories of those times and places are as clear today as ever, and I owe much of that recall to an excellent, and I guess genetic, predisposition to the cataloguing of events and personalities. One thing that remains clear over the decades is that most of my extended family had a passion for expression and an enjoyment of the arts.

Growing up near the Windy City’s confines, and even through my collegiate years, I clearly remember that it was always New York that was known as the hub of theater activity.

But that really did not seem to matter, for what I also knew as a young person newly absorbed by the lure of the performance art, was that national touring companies would play Chicago’s historic venues, and that my vocal music teacher had connections downtown that provided us with costumes, music and a whole new world of theater excellence, both professional and amateur.

For example, we would take field trips to see other Chicago area high schools stage musicals.

Talking with someone recently about the fact that if they wanted an epicenter of theater today, and certainly a close second to LA, would be Chicago.

A recent Oklahoma connection to the city would be the successful launching of the play, August, Osage County that began its journey to a Pulitzer and Tony award at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Set in Pawhuska, Okla., it was written by Oklahoma playwright Tracy Letts. It is also the home of the Art Institute and the Goodman Theatre.

I learned that The Goodman and Steppenwolf, as well as the Victory Gardens and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre companies have all won a regional theater Tony Award, “making Chicago the most recognized city in the country.”

A few tidbits: The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with the Pied Pipers comes to Pauls Valley on Dec. 10 and former Pauls Valley Arts Ambassador Obba Babatunde, ends his run at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego today in the salute to the life and talents of Sammy Davis Jr.

Keep your fingers crossed for a national tour of “Sammy: Once In A Lifetime” or maybe a run on Broadway. Hopefully, one of those stops might be OKC or Tulsa.

The Windy City is our town, especially each fall.