Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Home Alone

With everyone in town, we thought it would be fun to see the CSO play Home Alone. I mean is there a more perfect Christmas movie when you are visiting Chicago? The girls were so excited, they got all dressed up. Liesel and Sydney were ready first so they snapped some pics and I have to say I think they look sharp!

We left early to be on the safe side and we had ample time to get situated. There was a panel discussion with two of the actresses in the film that I honestly wasn't terribly interested but we happened to be there, so why not? Just taking in the beauty of Symphony Center was enough for me.

The panel was so interesting! They talked about how they got the job, how their scenes went, what it's been like since the movie came out. Both of them were just delightful and we all really enjoyed it. Here are the girls with Tracy J. Connor who played the check-out girl. She was talking to Macaulay Culkin (who was sick) just going back and forth asking him questions and the director noticed. When they ran the scene he asked her to do it just like that- fire away with a bunch of questions that he counters.

"Where do you live?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why not?"

"Because you're a stranger."

Whitney knows I'm always packing a toothbrush, so she got a picture with Ann Whitney who played the drugstore clerk. She's wearing the same sweater she wore in the movie and she talked about how she was trying to find it in her closet and when she was about to give up it just fell out. She also mentioned that when the music comes in and you can't quite here her talking in the background she's telling the pharmacist that if he thinks she and her husband are going to cover for him giving another customer bad information, he's mistaken. He had told her to just tell the kid it was approved by the American Dental Association.

Someone asked the orchestra director why he became one and he mentioned playing violin as a kid and then had an intense urge to control other people's lives- something like that. Anyway, it was hilarious and everyone who went to the panel really enjoyed it. We had new insights to a movie we've seen many times and now it was fresh again. Everyone cheered for these actresses when these two scenes came up which also made it special to watch live.

The orchestra began filling in but the first chair violinist wasn't there yet. I asked my two violin playing sisters if they thought it would be a man or a woman? They both grimaced and said it would be a man. I said it could be a woman and they both were certain it would be a man because that's just the way things are. I said I was holding out for a woman and Doug and Tim agreed with me. When a gorgeous, lithe woman with flowing black hair strode to her first chair seat Doug and Tim high fived me with Tim whispering, "Yeah girl power!" Made me laugh.

I've seen movies with surround sound on amazing speakers but there is just nothing like seeing one with a live orchestra. Even from the very beginning when they played the 20th Century Studios theme it just blows you away with anticipation for the film. I heard my dad let out a laugh and I just knew they were going to have a great time. Here's a snippet from the film:

Brent's Mom thought they were just going to play the music from the movie- she didn't realize we also get to watch the movie on a big screen. When we told them they do this throughout the year with different movies they were eager to return- rather apropos since this summer the CSO is doing Return of the Jedi. While watching the ending credits Ireland pointed out our next door neighbors were up in the balcony just to our left. What a crazy coincidence!

How can you not be filled to the brim with Christmas spirit after hearing that performance? While we drove home, Reagan and Doug arranged to have cheese pizzas delivered to the house and we watched the delivery guy drop them off on the Ring Doug installed. Oh man, those pizzas were perfect and everyone chowed down on them. It was such a perfect ending to the night!