'Cheers Live' ready to serve Chicago a taste of comic nostalgia
Missing Norm? Sam? Diane?
If reruns from TV's “Cheers” have you longing for a place where everybody knows your name, the characters - though not the original actors - are reuniting for “Cheers Live On Stage” starting Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place in Chicago.
The theater comedy, set in the iconic Boston basement bar, is based on scripts from the first season of the long-running NBC sitcom, with audiences able to experience the show live for the first time since the original taping. The show depicts Sam hiring Diane to work in his bar, alongside bartender Coach and wisecracking waitress Carla. Regulars include mail carrier Cliff and accountant Norm.
The sitcom, ranked one of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, aired from 1982 to 1993. At the time of its conclusion, the series held a record 117 Emmy nominations and 28 wins.
Actor Paul Vogt, who plays Norm Peterson in the stage production, says he's got the ideal role - one played on the TV show by Chicago native George Wendt. “I walk into a bar and get handed a beer. Who wouldn't love that as their job?” Vogt says.
One challenge, he says, is depicting his character accurately, portraying Norm's “essence” while doing more than just an impression. “He's everyman,” Vogt says. “In every good show, there's one character the entire audience can connect with, and Norm is that.”
Vogt, a nondrinker, has to get used to drinking plenty of nonalcoholic beer on stage. “We're doing a two-hour play, and I go through six or seven of them, so I have to pace myself,” he says.
Actor Barry Pearl, who plays Coach, had a different challenge - to depict the subtleties of his character while portraying it in a way that's stage-appropriate.
“In TV, the camera takes the eye where the director wants it to go, so you're not looking at a full stage all at the same time,” Pearl said. “So it's a challenge to keep all characters alive at the same time, while still placing the focus on where it needs to be placed.”
The stage adaptation offers audiences a new way to enjoy the TV classic. “There's a sense of nostalgia,” Vogt says. “There's something exciting about seeing it live. It's very lovingly re-created. It's a great experience for people who know the show and for younger generations to see some fantastic comedy.”
“Cheers Live On Stage”
Location: Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago, (800) 745-3000,
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday; through Oct. 23
Tickets: Start at $32