Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a new crisis on his hands -- zombies!
It's a new show at Danny's Skybox at The Second City that has Chicago's chief executive trying to save city from the undead.
Creator Kevin Reome said early ideas had the mayor saving the city from a blizzard. Then he considered a locust outbreak. Instead, he ultimately came up with "Rahm Zombie."
"Zombie apocalypse! Only he would be able to solve that," said Reome , who plays Emanuel in the show that includes some ballet moves.
Also making "appearances" in the show: Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and police Supt. Garry McCarthy. Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis is there, too, but Reome says of that relationship, "that one is bad."
The main antagonist in the show -- imagine this now -- is yours truly, played by Monique Madrid.
"He doesn't even know her, and he treats her like crap," said Madrid.
Reome said the relationship was based off a pair of real-world experiences I had with the mayor. There was the time he walked away from the podium and I tried to follow, and then the finger lashing Emanuel gave me when I asked him about where his children would go to school.
"He continually keeps her at arms distance because she's the press," explained Reome. "She just wants to be respected by him for Gods sakes!"
Asked if that respect is ever given, Madrid said she didn't want to spoil the show.
"I don't want to ruin anything, but there's a brief moment when I think his true, his true heart is there," she said. "He doesn't show it for long."
The show's director, Andy Eninger, is more diplomatic. He hopes the audience is compassionate of the mayor and all of the stuff he has to juggle.
"I want them to laugh at Chicago and be able to laugh at all sides," he said. "One of the things Second City has taught us is to take satire and embody all sides of an issue."
The show includes a live band and music and will include some audience improvisation each Friday night of its five-week run.
Get ready to hear Brizard and McCarthy sing "these zombies are screwed."
