Morgan Freeman's Chicago Connection: An Unexpected Encounter at Ravinia
- Chicago Movie Tours
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A summer concert promised blues, a symphony, and Morgan Freeman's voice. What it didn't advertise was the Academy Award winner taking a seat just one section behind me.
Sometimes, the best movie stories happen when you least expect them.
I bought tickets to Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience expecting an evening of Delta blues, orchestral music, and prerecorded narration by the Academy Award-winning actor.
I did not expect Morgan Freeman himself to walk onto the stage—and later take a seat in the audience just one section behind me.
Morgan Freeman's Chicago Connection
As its title suggests, Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience blended the sounds of the Mississippi Delta with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and featured live musicians from Ground Zero Blues Club, the venue Freeman has co-owned in Clarksdale, Mississippi, since 2001.
(Yes, Morgan Freeman owns a blues club.)
Freeman's connection to both locales made the evening especially fitting. At age six, he spent a brief period living on Chicago's South Side before returning to the Mississippi Delta, where he grew up—and where he still lives today.
The performance took place at Ravinia Festival, the nation's longest-running outdoor music festival.
A Surprise Appearance at Ravinia
Before the concert began, Freeman, wearing a suit and baseball cap, was escorted onstage to answer a few (canned) questions. That alone would have made the evening memorable.
But after introducing the program, and once the blues artists had taken their places, the actor quietly made his way into the audience—just one section behind me.
The combination of live music, orchestral arrangements, and warm Chicago summer breeze made the evening especially enjoyable.
Every so often, though, I couldn't resist glancing over my shoulder to see whether the star of The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, and Lean on Me was enjoying the performance as much as the rest of us.
He was.
One reward of writing—and creating talks and tours—about Chicago and film is discovering unexpected intersections between the two. You can set out to visit filming locations or attend movie-themed events, but sometimes your brush with Hollywood happens when you're simply enjoying a summer concert.
Have you ever had an unexpected encounter with a film star? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.
Watch the Trailer
Watch the trailer below, and then see whether Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience is coming to a city near you.
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