We booked a theater weekend through 1877chicago.com and I am happy to report a wonderful time was had by all.

Four women, two rooms, two plays, lots of oohing and aahing, lots of nummy treats and some of the most pleasant people I've ever encountered.

I was repeatedly amazed by how nice people were, everyone from the transit line attendants helping us figure out how to get our bags through the turnstiles (a little entertainment there, they couldn't help but laugh) to the museum attendant ("Please step back from the exhibit, you're causing the alarm to ring").

It was my first trip to Chicago and everyone else had been there so they kept explaing "It's Midwest hospitality."

We saw Wicked (fun) at the Oriental theater and Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake (aka People Being Mean to Each Other) at the Cadillac theater, theater history tours, a pre-theater cabaret at the hotel before Wicked and passes to the cocktail and appetizers studio at the Cadillac. I have to say I think the most memorable part of the trip was the Tiffany ceiling at Marshall Field's. I go into a trance just thinking about it. I want to lay in a hammock and stare at it for hours.

With the two nights at the Allegro Hotel it came to about $400 person. Airfare was separate but only $200 on Southwest. Great fun, great deal, and I'm hoping to do it again next year.

Oh...except for the food poisoning. All of us came down with it but we're still not sure where it originated from. Fortunately it only hit one of our group before we left on Sunday, the rest of us got it after we got home.

Is "Sue" still at the museum of nat'l history? Your post makes me want to go back to Chi-town

We didn't get that far I'm sorry to say. Next trip. I want to go on an architectural tour as well. We were typical tourists with our necks craned back looking at the tall buildings. Next time I'm going to the Chicago history museum as well. We kept talking about historical events that are such a part of our collective knowledge. It would be fun to see it time-line style.

My husband and I were also in Chicago last weekend for the theater package. It was my Christmas gift to him as he loves Chicago and the theatre. We loved Wicked even though we already saw it in New York. He thought this production was even better than NYC. Swan Lake, we were'nt prepared for all the swans being men but we still enjoyed it. We liked the Allegro Hotel (never stayed there before) and would definitely stay there again if we're coming to Chicago for the theatre--very convenient location. We had lunch at the Golden Budha which is just a couple of blocks down from the hotel on Randolph. Food there is great and reasonably priced.

Hi pdx, just wanted your group to be aware that there was a rash of the stomach flu going around the last couple of weeks in February in the Chicago area. I doubt if you experience was food poisioning.

RT- We've had stomach flu here in Portland, too, and that was the logical conclusion. All of us are still dealing with lingering symptoms and really aren't convinced of either diagnosis.
AntLori- you didn't get sick? Today one of our travelers was wondering if it was the appetizers from the pre-Swan Lake soiree.

Definitely not the appetizers from Swan Lake. Hubby and I had no stomach problems and we ate one of everything. I think you probably had a touch of the flu. A lot of that going around right now. We really enjoyed our trip. DH wants to do another one. I wonder if they'll do the same for Spamalot. That's one show I'd love to see but the tickets on Broadway are way out of our budget.

It's definitely stomach flu. My poor boyfriend just came down with it and he's 90 miles away from home at a basketball tournament. He wasn't on the trip.