Not to beat a dead horse, but this just irks me:
Several concertgoers claimed that security had forced them to vacate the lawn at the end of the concert, even though it was only about 8:30 p.m. and the tinkle of glasses could be heard from the nearby tent housing the benefit dinner.
“Adding to the insult was that, in the remaining twilight on the lawn, the Ravinia staff immediately started shooing everyone home,” wrote Mac Birch of Downers Grove. “No chance to finish our wine or enjoy some candlelit friendship.”
Ravinia refuted that claim. “That’s not true at all,” said [Nick] Pullia [Ravinia’s director of communications]. “That’s not our policy. People should not have felt pressured to leave.”
Really? Then what exactly was happening when THREE officials on golf carts drove by as we finished our post show dinner with friends at 8:20 p.m. to tell us we “had to leave, the park was closing.” And then proceeded to watch us pack up?
I love Ravinia and am looking forward to Annie Get Your Gun, but please don’t call your audience members liars.
Chicago Theatre Addict 
This is really sad – one of the most charming things that I found in my visits to Ravinia was how relaxed and lovely it was. Yesterday, Anonymous commented on my post about the evening: “Great performance–but I didn’t really grasp the implications of “gala” when I bought my tickets. I was totally pissed when the damn show only lasted 60 minutes–AND then those bums at Ravinia were immediately kicking us out of the park! Never again will I go there!” This is too bad that Ravinia officials are suddenly making outcasts of regular concert goers.
My experience with Ravinia has been a mixed bag, recently. I’ve attended CSO concerts that were lovely and low-key, and we never felt rushed or stressed. A perfect night. Then, I saw Donna Summer last year (I think?), and it was a clusterf*ck — from parking to lawn sitting to getting back to our car. Granted, it was one of the most attended concerts of that summer, but it demonstrates they can’t handle large volumes of people effectively. And now this experience of being shooed off the lawn.
The whole episode at Ravinia as I’ve heard described sounds incredibly tacky. They should had the dinner before the performance or started the show earlier.
And who could ever doubt you, Bob?!
Thanks, SOB, for the support. I wasn’t so upset about the length of the concert as I was the lawn shoo-ing. Though, the lack of an encore was bizarre.
I am so glad that the people who enjoy Ravinia and review the shows there are NOT afraid to speak up about the treatment they received at the concert on Sunday . This includes the Chicago press. It sounds like Ravinia owes an apology to the people who attended that concert.
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