Check out my mom with EBV from 1980! During the 70s and into the early 80s my late father, Uncle Henry Cukierka (you can briefly see him in the tuxedo) produced a Monday night and later an additional Thursday night Polka Party at the Ford City Shopping Center just south of Midway Airport in Chicago. They started doing these in January and later expanded to October and I believe May as well. The sets were about 45 minutes long and would take place at 6:30 and 9:15pm. The idea was that people would shop during the approximately 90 minutes between shows. Of course, what usually happened is that people never left the center mall area where the show was originally staged! I thought it was clever that the mall later moved one of the sets to a different area of the mall so people had to move (and presumably shop) during the evening! As many of you remember, indoor malls were actually a new thing in the 1970s and being able to shop in air-conditioned comfort was a new experience. My dad would see some woman watching the show wearing a big heavy coat. He would joke: Hey lady! What are you doing with a big heavy coat on. Its 72 degrees in here! Many great performers were on that stage. Often, an out of town band would play somewhere in Chicago on Sunday, then stay over and play for my dad on Monday. EBV, The Pala Brothers, Wanda and Stephanie, Frankie Yankovic, Joe Pat (Paterek), Eddie Korosa (Sr.) and it was venue for the second job that Lenny Gomulka played with the Chicago Push. If anyone remembers other bands that played here, please reply. Even yours truly would occasionally get on stage to sing a number or two! If you were around back them, see if you recognize some of the musicians and dancers. Champion dance couple Helen and Clary Kafka are easy to spot! Unfortunately, a change in management, the bad economy (anyone remember stagflation) and changing demographics lead to the mall discontinuing the shows in the early 1980s. But, boy, I grew up having to be dragged, sometimes kicking and screaming to these shows. Remember, I was maybe 8 years old when they started. Of course later, I found ways to explore some of the hidden areas of the mall (It was a massive World War II engine plant.) Later, I accepted that it was just part of what we, as a family did. Now, I miss it terribly as I realize that all but two of the people on stage are gone. But when it was happening, it was AWESOME!
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 13:30:47 +0000
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