too good to be true

We kept looking at the weather forecast this past Saturday.  Praying it wouldn’t rain.  Broadway In Chicago had a lot at stake.  Sunday we had a float in the Gay Pride Parade and Monday was the concert at the Taste of Chicago.  God must have heard us because  Sunday was so beautiful..just about a perfect day.  I was sitting at my desk Sunday late afternoon doing reports when the Marketing Interns burst into the office- jubilant, exhausted, sunburned and singing.  Some of them are brand new so this was their first Gay Pride Parade and boy did they have stories.  See the photo:

 

 

I wasn’t too sure even a novena would help me when I woke up Monday morning and saw both papers predicted rain in early evening.  The Taste Concert attracts over 10,000 attendees and is an incredible free event.  It is labor intensive for the entire Broadway In Chicago staff who must coordinate casts from six different shows, musicians and crew.  This year I had thrown in a new element.  Broadway In Chicago was hosting a reception in the Hospitality Tent for Season Ticket Holders with reserved seating for the actual concert.  Marc and Maureen Schulman had donated Eli’s cheesecake even though they were in the middle of the Taste with their own booth.  I had staff scheduled, RSVP lists…what if it rained?  I pictured 10,000 people dashing down Columbus Drive leaving the casts of MARY POPPINS, JERSEY BOYS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, 101 DALMATIONS, IN THE HEIGHTS, BOYS VERSAS GIRLS  standing on stage at the Perillo Band Shell staring out at the empty seats and lawn.

 

It did not rain.  The season ticket holders stood up and danced along with the JERSEY BOYS.  The Schulmans gave us so much cheesecake we even had some left over for lunch (okay- I ate some for breakfast) on Tuesday.   We are still getting emails and calls from people saying that this was the best Taste Concert we have ever done.    Even if I say so myself…It was absolutely fabulous!

 Gemma