Michigan Ave. abuzz as celebratory crowd gets ready for Oprah
Some came for the free concert, to be part of the action or just to watch Oprah tape the premiere of her talk show's 24th season with celebrity guests like Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson.
The night was, indeed, a good night.
Thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds converged Tuesday on a four-block stretch of Michigan Avenue, which the city of Chicago - in an unprecedented move - allowed to be closed off and turned into a giant outdoor studio.
Whether it was to appease the talk show queen or posture for the 2016 Olympics, it didn't matter to the fans, some of whom waited 15 hours or more for the chance to see Oprah. Some carried signs, including one that read, "Oprah Should Get to Light the Torch in 2016."
With perfect weather, a generally friendly crowd and an organized entry system, not many people minded the wait. Free waters and products were handed out by sponsors while the Goodyear blimp hovered overhead, and office workers filled the windows of the buildings that faced the stage on Michigan Avenue.
"Just being here, seeing her, is enough. It was worth the wait," said LaTonya Brown, 36, of Lisle, who took the day off work to attend the show.
"I've tried to get tickets for 10 years, and I can't, so this is it," said Lisa McAllister, 46, of St. Charles, who was squished into a middle section of the audience with her son Matthew, 15.
Kalvin Mitchell, 29, of Glendale Heights met Oprah when he was 13, and she helped move his family out of the Chicago projects and paid for him to attend private boarding school. When he dropped out after three years, Oprah got mad at him and they hadn't talked since.
Calling it "one of the biggest regrets of his life," Mitchell was determined to see Oprah and thank her for changing his life. He managed to squeeze his way to the front of the line, and Oprah recognized him, saying, "Hi Kalvin!" and he got to say his thank you.
In the hours leading up to the 5 p.m. taping, the audience was taught a dance to the Black Eyed Peas' top-of-the-chart song, "I Gotta Feeling," which the crowd performed as a surprise for Oprah. When the show started, the crowd screamed, danced, waved at the cameras, and took thousands of cell-phone pictures. Oprah, holding a sparkly gold microphone, chit-chatted a bit with the crowd between performances by Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Hudson, illusionist Criss Angel, James Taylor and Rascal Flatts.
"You could be doing a hundred other things, but you're here. So thank you," she said. "This is the greatest city in the world."
Michelle Hall of Libertyville got a prime spot in the front section after e-mailing Winfrey's Web site two days ago and scoring some pink "preferred standing" wristbands.
"There's a lot of hype for today, and I didn't want to come out (to Chicago) and not see her," Hall said. "It's been great so far being on Michigan Avenue like this. You could never stand here like this unless you were about to get hit by a car."
The show taped Tuesday is set to air at 9 a.m. and 11:05 p.m. Thursday on ABC 7.
• Daily Herald contributors Emily Jurlina and Hilary Shenfeld contributed to this report.
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