Mayor Daley Declares Sept. 18 “Laugh Out Loud Day” in Chicago, Honoring Goodman Theatre’s Animal Crackers

In honor of Goodman Theatre Company’s production of Animal Crackers, Mayor Daley declares Friday, Sept. 18 “Laugh Out Loud Day” in Chicago

On Friday, September 18, “Laughter, merriment, and general carrying-on is expected and encouraged, in honor of Goodman Theatre’s production of Animal Crackers,” wrote Mayor Richard M. Daley, proclaiming this day “Laugh Out Loud Day” in Chicago. “(I) urge all Chicagoans to take a moment to laugh out loud as they reacquaint themselves with the Marx Brothers and the Goodman’s madcap musical,” Daley said.

Starting at 12 noon on “Laugh Out Loud Day,” cast members from Animal Crackers deliver a sneak peek of the show, performing a sampling of musical acts at Macy’s on State Street (1st Floor, Handbag Department).

Chicagoans of all ages can meet “Groucho Marx,” receive a pair of Groucho glasses* and take home an Animal Crackers-inspired creation from a balloon artist. Stop by the Estée Lauder counter, with Groucho glasses in hand, to receive a complimentary consultation and gift with purchase. Register to win a four-pack of Animal Crackers tickets at the Macy’s Express Desk with any purchase made on September 18. *One per customer, while supplies last.

The mayhem continues at select Loop locations—including Borders and Petterino’s—throughout the day as patrons can enter to win tickets to Animal Crackers and spot “Groucho,” as he makes his way to the first performance of Animal Crackers at Goodman Theatre (170 North Dearborn) at 8pm that evening.

Animal Crackers runs Sept. 18—Oct. 25, 2009 in the Goodman’s Albert Theatre. Production Sponsors include Abbott, Mayer Brown LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Goodman Theatre’s Women’s Board.

Tickets to Animal Crackers ($25 – $76) are currently on sale at GoodmanTheatre.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office (170 North Dearborn) or by phone at 312-443-3800.

About Animal Crackers and the Marx Brothers

Chaos ensues at the Long Island estate of Mrs. Rittenhouse when a celebrated piece of art goes missing during a party honoring the African explorer Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding. The Marx Brothers unleash a series of comic antics as the guests set out to find the burglar, amidst two sets of love interests and a variety of madcap subplots.

Written as a vehicle for the Marx Brothers and widely remembered as one of the first in their series of now-classic films, Animal Crackers began its legendary life as one of the great Broadway musical successes of the 1920s. Bookwriters George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind and composers/lyricists Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar tailored Animal Crackers to showcase the brothers’ unique talents: Groucho delivered his signature one-liners as Captain Spaulding, Chico utilized his Italian accent and piano skills as Emanuel Ravelli, Harpo played the silent Professor and Zeppo took on the role of the straight man, Jamison.

The stage version of Animal Crackers premiered on October 23, 1928, and ran for a nearly unprecedented 191 performances; also featured in that original cast were the great Margaret Dumont (who had already achieved some fame as the Brothers’ favorite foil) and future Hollywood choreographer Hermes Pan. The production toured the country, was captured on celluloid in 1930, and completed the ascension of the Marx Bros. to worldwide fame—but ironically, ended their stage careers. They moved to Hollywood the following year, never to return to Broadway; the stage version of Animal Crackers was consigned to the archives, considered unproduceable without its original stars. More than 50 years would pass before theater audiences would again see the play via a revival at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. The show’s brashness and charm bowled over critics and audiences, and sparked productions in Boston, Connecticut and the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End.

Born in New York between 1887 and 1901—and spending nearly a decade in Chicago, beginning in 1910—the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo) made their stage debuts in a vaudeville singing act, but soon discovered their true talents lay in comedy. As they shifted focus of their act, they developed their now-famous onstage personas and uniquely outrageous style of comedy. After years of honing shtick in vaudeville houses across the nation, the brothers earned an enviable booking at New York’s Palace Theatre. In the mid-1920s, they left vaudeville to star in three Broadway shows: I’ll Say She Is (1924), The Cocoanuts (1925) and finally Animal Crackers (1928).

Paramount Pictures made both The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers into films in which the brothers reprised their roles. After Animal Crackers, they left Broadway to focus exclusively on filmmaking; they starred in Horse Feathers, Monkey Business and Duck Soup with Paramount Pictures in the early 1920s. Despite the success of these films, Zeppo grew dissatisfied with his status as the least funny Marx Brother and left the act. Groucho, Chico and Harpo went on to make some of their best-known films with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, At the Circus, Go West and The Big Store. In the late 1940s, the brothers reunited for two more films, A Night in Casablanca and Love Happy. In the 1950s and ’60s, the brothers went their separate ways, sometimes appearing on television: Groucho hosted the game show You Bet Your Life from 1950 to 1961, and Harpo made a memorable guest appearance opposite Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy.

About Goodman Theatre

Named the country’s “Best Regional Theatre” by Time magazine (2003), Goodman Theatre is a leader in the American theater, internationally recognized for its artists, productions and educational programs since its founding in 1925. Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer’s forward-thinking leadership has earned the Goodman unparalleled artistic distinction, garnered hundreds of awards-including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre (1992) and Pulitzer Prizes for Ruined by Lynn Nottage and Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet-and moved dozens of plays from Chicago to stages in New York and abroad.

Central to its commitment to the reinvestigation of classics and development of new plays and artists is the Goodman’s Artistic Collective, including Brian Dennehy, Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor and Mary Zimmerman.

The largest not-for-profit theater in Chicago, the Goodman moved in 2000 into a brand new state-of-the-art complex which houses two principal theaters: the 856-seat Albert Ivar Goodman Theatre and the 400-seat flexible Owen Bruner Goodman Theatre. Board Chairman-Elect is Patricia Cox and Karen Pigott is President of the Women’s Board. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carly Leviton, 312-443-5151
Press@GoodmanTheatre.org