Rita Deco's World: Chicago Loop & Mary Poppins

This is how we traveled in Chicago. The "el" is the train that runs above and below ground all over the city. It's fast, clean, and easy. We bought 7-day passes and we used them many times a day. We took the train for long day trips and just short hops when our feet hurt from walking.

Marshall Field is a famous (100 year old) department store in Chicago. A few years ago, it was bought out by Macy's and that caused major drama with longtime residents. Although the store is officially labeled as "Macy's", they left the Marshall Field signs to soothe citizens. The store is huge and occupies an entire city block.

This is Buckingham Fountain. It's about 110 years old and is a city landmark. The fountain has an hourly water show and lights up in the evening.

There are so many interesting buildings in Chicago. This one had an awesome roofline. You look at the buildings and appreciate the details.....but it would take years to learn their names and what they are used for. Chicago is a HUGE city!

Sunday night was "theater night". We saw the musical "Mary Poppins" at the Cadillac Palace Theater. This production is the newly mounted 'national tour'. The show has been redesigned for the tour and it is gorgeous! I've seen shows in London, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Portland.......this production was (by far) one of the best I've ever seen. Great cast, tight musical numbers, special effects, and pure entertainment. I was left speechless by the end of the evening. It was AMAZING! We stood by the stage door and got to meet all of the leads in the show. Gavin Lee (Bert) was so kind and he actually said he was sorry for "taking so long to get out of the theater". Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) was gorgeous in person. When we mentioned we were from Portland, she instantly asked if I was the one who gave her the gift and card. The day before, I dropped off a gift for her at the stage door. I recently found a darling vintage pin that had an umbrella and carpetbag motif. It looked just like the ones that Mary Poppins uses in the show. I wanted Ashley to have it. So I sent it backstage to her. I was thrilled when she remembered me, the pin, and the fact we were from Portland! Wow.....how cool is that? Here's a photo of all my autographs and loot. The next photos are the theater and lobby. We had so much fun at "Mary Poppins".....!