I booked this activity for my group because of the ranking it had on Tripadvisor, and this was the first time Tripadvisor has led us so badly astray. We were a group of four women visiting Chicago, having a great time, and ready to be entertained. We didn't have expectations of a flashy show--just of good stories to illuminate the supernatural history which Chicago truly does possess.
We were greeted at the Excalibur by the doorman, then the bartender, then a young woman representing the "performer." Admission does include two beverages, and since no service is offered during the performance, we were encouraged to get our drinks before the show. As soon as we were seated in the show room, we were told that during the 90 minute performance we were not supposed to use the restroom, though four doors in the back of the room led to restrooms if "absolutely necessary." Needless to say, before the event concluded two of my group could contain themselves no longer and had to break for those doors. The performer made a point of my poor mother's journey referring to her by name twice.
Beyond the organizational issues, the performance was really disappointing. Story-telling is an art for which not every person has a gift. Unfortunately so, since the performance consisted primarily of story telling by the self-described "Necromancer." This involved about four tired stories which were stretched and drug out until one of my companions was all but screaming for it to end. The "magic" used to illustrate the story telling was pedestrian at best and certainly did not warrant the arrogance of the performer. One attendee of the performance, who attended by himself, acted so blatantly put out and disinterested from before the time he was seated that one of our group was sure he was a shill. That gentleman seemed to confirm a collusive role when he was called upon to lend assistance for two of the tricks.
While I felt this was a wasted opportunity to learn about and appreciate Chicago's heritage, since everything in life is a learning experience I can't say this was a total waste. But we would have been much happier spending one of our few evenings in Chicago enjoying the Blues Fest at Grant Park or listening to music down on Navy Pier.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Management Response
(Management representative)
Jun 16, 2009
I have apologized privately to the writer for her disappointment and asked for ways in which I could have better set her expectations.
Sometimes, comments about pacing speak as much about the specific individual's attention span and group expectation as it does about the show. And while the show may feel slow to some, many others have commented quite favorably about the show's deliberate and unrushed approach to the material. Different strokes, as they say.
I have also apologized for any perceived indelicacy on my part regarding any interaction with the reviewer's mother. It has always been of prime importance to me as a performer to treat my audience members with respect. In this instance, the audience member spoke often to those around her during storytelling sequences of the show, which is conduct that is disruptive in so intimate a performance space. Each time this happened, I did speak to her by name in the same way that I address nearly everybody in my audience by name. Perhaps I was too firm -- but as a performer, I am sometimes called upon to balance an individual audience member's conduct with my responsibility to serve the entertainment needs of the greater audience.
To anybody who might be considering attending Supernatural Chicago, please know that the stories are not tired: they are timeless. Each has been lovingly selected to comprise a balanced mixture of better-known and lesser-known paranormal events in Chicago history, so that audiences with varying amounts of prior knowledge can find something in the show to enjoy.
As for the interactive magical and psychic demonstrations, they are not and have NEVER been accomplished using shills planted in the audience. To some members of the audience, it can be comforting to have an easy explanation such as this to lean upon when faced with the confounding aspects of the show's performance. But the fact of the matter is that it is flat-out wrong -- and such an accusation does a grave disservice to the time and hard work I have personally invested in crafting, producing, and performing this 90-minute show for the public every week for the past five-plus years.
I would not do this show if I did not love it, and this city, and the audiences who honor me by including me in their theater-going and travel itineraries. If you, dear reader, have an interest in original theater, magic, comedy, the paranormal, or all of the above, I deeply hope you will join me soon at Supernatural Chicago.
Sincerely,
Neil Tobin
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
