Kogan brings life to ‘Chicago Live!’ — as no one else could

Rick Kogan

Photo: Glenn Kaupert/Chicago Live!

Once and for all, I had to see for myself what it was all about. On Thursday I finally attended a performance of Chicago Live!, the ballyhooed weekly variety show staged by the Chicago Tribune and recorded for airing on Tribune-owned WGN-AM (720).

I’d been hearing about Chicago Live! since it was launched in October 2010. But frankly, the idea of watching a bunch of newspaper people being forced to put on a dog-and-pony show at the behest of their bosses (which at the time included the vulgar and soon-to-be-ousted CEO Randy Michaels) seemed less than appealing.

As a matter of fact, I’ve never really bought into the whole Trib Nation concept (“the umbrella for how we stay connected with you — in print, online and in person — to improve our journalism”), of which Chicago Live! is an integral part. It always struck me as being more about promotion and profits than serving the interests of readers.

But in a moment of weakness, I broke down and bought a ticket for the last show of the season. There in the basement of the Chicago Theatre (requiring entry through a side door beneath a black awning marked “Chicago Theatre Downstairs”), I grabbed a seat in the back row just as Trib U columnist Jenniffer Weigel was interviewing Rich Svengoolie Koz, who was dressed in his full Sven regalia.

It turned out that most of the guests that night were somehow connected to movies. Other shows, I was told, have had a more eclectic mix of topics (ranging from current events and politics to sports and food). But since this was the season finale, they decided to go the single-theme route. I suppose Koz tied in because he hosts horror movies on television.

Others who appeared on stage in bursts of 10 minutes or less included Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia; filmmaker Xan Aranda; Chicago cultural historian Tim Samuelson and movie location manager Al Cohn; Tribune movie critic Michael Phillips with my Time Out Chicago colleague Ben Kenigsberg and Tasha Robinson of The Onion A.V. Club; and the great Chicago actor John Mahoney. Tribune rock critic Greg Kot closed out the show with the local band Kids These Days.

Three guys from The Second City also served up a few sketches that produced more groans than laughs from the audience. Second City is listed as the Tribune’s production partner.

Up to now, I’ve left out the best part — and the real reason Chicago Live! succeeds as it does as both a live variety show and a taped radio show: Rick Kogan. Credited as host/producer, the illustrious Tribune senior writer and columnist, WGN weekend host and author also happens to be the star of this unorthodox enterprise.

In addition to serving as a smooth and genial emcee for the proceedings, Kogan does much of the heavy lifting. His conversations with Mahoney, Stehlik, Samuelson and Cohn all were intimate, engaging and enlightening. In Mahoney’s case, it seemed more like we were eavesdropping on a chat between two old friends. My regret is that it didn’t last longer.

The high point of the evening — and, I suspect, of every show — is Kogan’s Almanac feature. Spotlighting a year in Chicago history, Kogan delivers a personal essay punctuated by evocative images, music and video. With the precision of a master, his piece Thursday on 2008 moved deftly from Barack Obama’s victory rally in Grant Park to the late Studs Terkel’s ode to the human voice. Kogan’s earlier essays are archived and accessible online. Two others in particular — covering 1968 and 2004 — are nothing short of exquisite.

Another emotional connection between Kogan and the audience came during an aside when he recounted an incident that happened just before the start of the show. While mingling with the crowd, Kogan was approached by a man who handed him a book. It turned out to be a first edition of Lords of the Levee, the classic 1943 history of corrupt Chicago pols “Bathhouse” John Coughlin and “Hinky Dink” Kenna, written by Herman Kogan (Rick’s late father) and Lloyd Wendt. On the first page was a hand-written inscription by Herman to his parents, dated 1943.

Kogan told the audience that Lords of the Levee recently had been optioned for a movie, with Martin Scorsese, Nick Pileggi and Robert De Niro among those who’ve expressed interest in the project. Kogan had pretty much put it out of his mind until that night. “Maybe getting that book was an omen that the movie really will get made,” he said.

When he was still an up-and-comer in his 20s and 30s, Kogan was known around town as Dr. Night Life, the name he used for his saloon column in the Sun-Times and a fairly apt description of his reputation. Now a distinguished eminence and devoted father who recently turned 60, Kogan has ascended to a new title as his generation’s Mr. Chicago. I defy anyone to argue otherwise — especially after witnessing his tour de force onstage.

After 30 performances, Trib bosses are hoping Chicago Live! can start breaking even when it returns on February 2. There’s talk of three eight-week seasons in 2012 (as opposed to four six-week seasons this year). There’s also talk of switching to a new venue — the soon-to-open 300-seat Up theater at Second City on North Wells Street. While such a move might increase ticket sales, it would surely lose the allure of the Loop at night and the ambiance of the Chicago Theatre. I’d love to hear what Kogan would say about that.