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Hizzoner
By Neil Giuntoli
Directed by Stefan Brun
At Prop Thtr
3502 N. Elston Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-539-7838, tickets $35
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 2 hours, 10 min with intermission
Open run--call for times and locations throughout Chicago
Hizzoner captures the essence of Richard J. effectively
Prop Thtr celebrates their 25th Anniversary with an original, world premiere, Hizzoner written and staring Neil Giuntoli. This play aptly captures the real Mayor Richard J. Daley (1902-1976) who was the last big city political boss (Mayor of Chicago 1955-76) who ran the last of the strong Democratic ‘machines’. Daley was credited with putting Kennedy in the White House by producing tremendous support for the Irish candidate through his aggressive, corrupt political organization. Few mayors can call the White House and get JFK or LBJ to talk to them quickly. Hizzoner could---that’s power and Daley was all about power.
I have memories of Mayor Daley beginning with him ordering the air raid sirens to wail at 10:30 PM on the night his beloved White Sox won the 1959 Pennant. I enjoyed his outspoken, tantrum-filled press conference and his amazing misuse of language. Full of “dee’s and dozes” tree for three, etc. Daley was an American anachronism. He understood and used power befitting a pharaoh. Personally honest, religious (he attended Mass everyday), a true family man, Richard J. believed Chicago was “his” city and he ran it like it was his fiefdom.
Neil Giuntoli not only wrote a terrific play—a fine personal look at Hizzoner, but he was uncanny and quite believable as the Mayor. He looks someone like Daley, has his speech and personal mannerism down complete with Daley’s famous charm, good manners and his ferocious temper. Giuntoli deftly shows Daley’s tender side with his family and his coldness when one of his lieutenants gets caught in corruption.
Giuntoli depicts Daley as an enigma, part loving family man, part ego maniac completely power drive; devote Catholic, racist and prone to fascist actions. The complex man is presented warts and all which I think worked. This is neither an anti-Daley nor a homage to him. This is a personal look at the man who seemed bewildered with the chaos of 1968 with the King Riots and the Democratic National Convention demonstrations. We see Daley over react as his protective actions to secure the city seemed paranoid. How dare the demonstrators invade “his” city! His utter disregard of civil liberties is well documented.
The play is aided with Michael Dawson’s video projections and Joe Tech’s sound design which graphically illustrated the historical events surrounding Daley’s time. Director Stefan Brun keeps the story rolling nicely. William Bullion as Matt Danaher, Whit Spurgeon as Tom Keane and Nick Leininger as Danny Cooley offered excellent supporting work.
The high points of this bio-drama come from Hizzoner’s famous press conferences. Giuntoli marvelously uses Daley’s own words with skill as he smartly delivered Daley’s style, phrasing and physical gestures so realistically, I though I was on the 5th Floor of City Hall with Hizzoner. His contempt for the press is evident.
The play got me thinking about the King Riots and the Democratic of 1968 as I was with the 333rd Military Police Battalion of the Illinois Army Nation Guard. I saw first hand the Chicago Police go wild on the hippie demonstrators in Lincoln and Grant Parks on orders from Daley. Playwright Giuntoli borrows from and talks about newspaper columnist Mike Royko (whose book Boss was also about Daley) as he did his homework in this play. This is a frank look at a Chicago icon who loved Chicago and ruled it truly as “his” city.
I wonder if Richard M. Daley, the present Mayor of Chicago and son of Richard J., will see this play? If he does, I’m betting he’ll admire the honesty of the script and Giuntoli’s accurate portrayal of Hizzoner even if he won’t say so publicly. Please do come see this show, Mr. Mayor. I think you’ll have a déjà vu experience.
Hizzoner is a smart, honest biography of a Chicago original.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed March 4, 2006
Jeff Recommended
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