Chicago smoking ban
302Look what you fucking smoke ban people have brought us. Thanks. yes, pass more laws, that is always the answer. Trust those governing us to have any sort of common sense whatsoever when enforcing these new laws you demand for every little thing you dislike, go ahead trust them.
City's smoking ban forces 'Jersey Boys' to kick the habit
July 8, 2008
When they weren't breaking the law or going in and out of jail, the Jersey Boys who went on to become the Four Seasons were hanging out on street corners singing with cigarettes dangling from their mouths.
Not in Chicago. Here, lead singer Frankie Valli, song-writing sensation Bob Gaudio and the boys have gone cold turkey.
Following an apparent complaint from an irate theatergoer, the Chicago theatrical production of "Jersey Boys" has snuffed out cigarettes.
Never mind that smoking in the '50's and '60's was about as prevalent as a thug on a Jersey street corner. Chicago's smoking ban comes first.
"When you take it out of the production, you're changing history. If you want to be true to the times, you'll allow them to smoke on stage. To do otherwise is like blue laws in the Puritan times," said Ald. Bernard Stone (50th), a former part-time actor who favors an exemption in the city's smoking ban for live theater.
"That's what life was like then. You're denying those times existed. It's like when they refused to acknowledge the fact that Lenny Bruce was just reflecting what society was when he was using foul language. Finally, the Supreme Court had to rule that he could use artistic license."
Before leaving office, former downtown Ald. Burton F. Natarus (42nd) tried and failed to convince his colleagues to follow New York City's lead and exempt live theater from the smoking ban.
"We couldn't get anywhere with it. The Cancer Society and all of the non-smoking people prevailed. Everybody was afraid to vote for it," Natarus said.
"It's too bad. People are being unrealistic. If they're smoking in a play, I don't think that's gonna cause anybody to die of cancer. They're going to an extreme. What they're doing is taking away part of the art form. You're not allowing them to portray life the way it was."
The Public Health Department has primary responsibility for enforcing Chicago's smoking ban. But, the crackdown on Jersey Boys did not originate there, according to spokesman Tim Hadac.
"We don't proactively go to theatrical productions to see if anyone is smoking on stage. We generally have not enforced that" in live theater, Hadac said.
"Everybody in our smoking enforcement office is scratching their head saying they don't have any record of a complaint like that. It's possible that someone flagged down a police officer during a production."
Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond could not immediately confirm a Jersey Boys complaint.
Last year, the City Council's Buildings Committee voted 4-to-2 not to exempt actors from the smoking ban--not even when smoking is an "integral part of the theatrical performance."
At the time, Health Committee Chairman Ed Smith (28th) advised producers to modify the lines of the their plays to strike references to smoking and smoke-filled rooms.
"We would be duplicitous if we say it's alright to allow people to smoke on stage. ... It's an adversity to people who come to see those plays and the stagehands," said Smith, who championed a Chicago smoking ban that preceded the statewide version.
Louis F. Raizin, president of Broadway in Chicago, did not return repeated phone calls about the city's decision to snuff out smoking by the Jersey Boys.
Last year, Raizin warned aldermen that they were taking a dangerous stand that runs contrary to the First Amendment.
"Shows that are coming to Chicago will no longer come because you are modifying the art that was created. If it plays anywhere else in the country and it doesn't play here as it was originally written, it's going to have detrimental effect on what we wind up seeing in the city," Raizin said.
Natarus said he would be happy to testify at a City Council hearing if anyone wants to re-introduce the live theater exemption. But, he was not optimistic.
"Being the has-been that I am, I doubt that anyone would listen to me," he said.
Smith, who championed a Chicago smoking ban that preceded the statewide version, said Tuesday he remains dead-set against allowing smoking on stage.
"We passed it because it was a health issue and good for the city. That's what I'm gonna stay with. We've done the right thing. We will not change it," he said.
But, it's not clear whether the show can count on Mayor Daley's legislative muscle to push the exemption through the City Council.
Despite his efforts to promote Chicago's downtown theater district, Daley appeared to be somewhat ambivalent about the smoldering controversy.
"I think we should use common sense. Maybe they could do phony [herbal] cigarettes. I don't know," the mayor said.
But, Daley quickly added, "That is not a big issue."
City's smoking ban forces 'Jersey Boys' to kick the habit
July 8, 2008
When they weren't breaking the law or going in and out of jail, the Jersey Boys who went on to become the Four Seasons were hanging out on street corners singing with cigarettes dangling from their mouths.
Not in Chicago. Here, lead singer Frankie Valli, song-writing sensation Bob Gaudio and the boys have gone cold turkey.
Following an apparent complaint from an irate theatergoer, the Chicago theatrical production of "Jersey Boys" has snuffed out cigarettes.
Never mind that smoking in the '50's and '60's was about as prevalent as a thug on a Jersey street corner. Chicago's smoking ban comes first.
"When you take it out of the production, you're changing history. If you want to be true to the times, you'll allow them to smoke on stage. To do otherwise is like blue laws in the Puritan times," said Ald. Bernard Stone (50th), a former part-time actor who favors an exemption in the city's smoking ban for live theater.
"That's what life was like then. You're denying those times existed. It's like when they refused to acknowledge the fact that Lenny Bruce was just reflecting what society was when he was using foul language. Finally, the Supreme Court had to rule that he could use artistic license."
Before leaving office, former downtown Ald. Burton F. Natarus (42nd) tried and failed to convince his colleagues to follow New York City's lead and exempt live theater from the smoking ban.
"We couldn't get anywhere with it. The Cancer Society and all of the non-smoking people prevailed. Everybody was afraid to vote for it," Natarus said.
"It's too bad. People are being unrealistic. If they're smoking in a play, I don't think that's gonna cause anybody to die of cancer. They're going to an extreme. What they're doing is taking away part of the art form. You're not allowing them to portray life the way it was."
The Public Health Department has primary responsibility for enforcing Chicago's smoking ban. But, the crackdown on Jersey Boys did not originate there, according to spokesman Tim Hadac.
"We don't proactively go to theatrical productions to see if anyone is smoking on stage. We generally have not enforced that" in live theater, Hadac said.
"Everybody in our smoking enforcement office is scratching their head saying they don't have any record of a complaint like that. It's possible that someone flagged down a police officer during a production."
Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond could not immediately confirm a Jersey Boys complaint.
Last year, the City Council's Buildings Committee voted 4-to-2 not to exempt actors from the smoking ban--not even when smoking is an "integral part of the theatrical performance."
At the time, Health Committee Chairman Ed Smith (28th) advised producers to modify the lines of the their plays to strike references to smoking and smoke-filled rooms.
"We would be duplicitous if we say it's alright to allow people to smoke on stage. ... It's an adversity to people who come to see those plays and the stagehands," said Smith, who championed a Chicago smoking ban that preceded the statewide version.
Louis F. Raizin, president of Broadway in Chicago, did not return repeated phone calls about the city's decision to snuff out smoking by the Jersey Boys.
Last year, Raizin warned aldermen that they were taking a dangerous stand that runs contrary to the First Amendment.
"Shows that are coming to Chicago will no longer come because you are modifying the art that was created. If it plays anywhere else in the country and it doesn't play here as it was originally written, it's going to have detrimental effect on what we wind up seeing in the city," Raizin said.
Natarus said he would be happy to testify at a City Council hearing if anyone wants to re-introduce the live theater exemption. But, he was not optimistic.
"Being the has-been that I am, I doubt that anyone would listen to me," he said.
Smith, who championed a Chicago smoking ban that preceded the statewide version, said Tuesday he remains dead-set against allowing smoking on stage.
"We passed it because it was a health issue and good for the city. That's what I'm gonna stay with. We've done the right thing. We will not change it," he said.
But, it's not clear whether the show can count on Mayor Daley's legislative muscle to push the exemption through the City Council.
Despite his efforts to promote Chicago's downtown theater district, Daley appeared to be somewhat ambivalent about the smoldering controversy.
"I think we should use common sense. Maybe they could do phony [herbal] cigarettes. I don't know," the mayor said.
But, Daley quickly added, "That is not a big issue."
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