Standing Up For the Little Guy

Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago

Mike Royko is a name known by anyone who grew in or around Chicago between the mid-1950’s into the late 1990’s. His name is synonymous with uncompromising journalism. Although he sadly left us in 1997, Mr. Royko is remembered today for being a tough and prolific reporter, a humorist and a man who always stood up for the little guy. Mike Royko was also a Pulitzer Prize-winner for Commentary, as the famed columnist for the Chicago Daily News. In this informative, very funny and sometimes poignant one-man performance, written and presented by Mitchell Bisschop, audiences will get to know the fellow called “The Toughest Man in Chicago.”

The presentation is Directed by Steve Scott, a gifted, knowledgable and well-known theatre artist, whose hand has guided hundreds of productions all over Chicago. In this one-man show he stages and molds Mitchell Bisschop’s performance between his desk in the news room, Royko’s stool at his favorite watering hole, the Billy Goat Tavern, and in a gray area backed by five LED screens, on which Smooch Medina’s historically factual films and stills are projected. The sparse, but minutely detailed set was designed by Eric Luchen, and lit by Garrett Bell, with sound bites and musical moments by Christopher Kritz.

Mitchell Bisschop obviously holds a deep reverence for Mike Royko’s work. As the author of this performance piece, Bisschop’s culled an unbelievable amount of personal and historical facts and fascinating trivia from Royko’s life and times. Through his entertaining and informative presentation, in which Mitchell Bisschop becomes Mike Royko, we learn so much. The production is not only a salute to this Chicago icon and gifted writer, but it’s also a walk through the late 20th century history of the Windy City. 

Through the show the audience discovers how Mike Royko became the famed writer that Chicago remembers so fondly. In 1955 his journalistic career began when he was appointed the editor of The O’Hare News, a publication produced by the U.S. Air Force. Following his military service, Mike began employment as an unflinching reporter at the Chicago Daily News. There he shared his blunt opinions and scathing commentary about the city’s lawmakers, while covering Cook County government and its political scene. Churning out a column every day, historian and writer Studs Terkel commented that Mike Royko must be “possessed by a demon.”

When the Daily News closed, Mike Royko went to work for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he continued his candid reporting. But when Rupert Murdoch bought the newspaper, Royko observed that the Australian business magnate wasn’t interested in quality journalism—just vast power. So Mike quit his job. Vowing that he’d never work for the man, Mike Royko is quoted saying “No self-respecting fish would want to be wrapped in a Murdoch paper!” He then went to work for the Chicago Tribune, a paper he never really liked. While there he criticized the Chicago Police Department and the round-the-clock protection given to Frank Sinatra and became known for his love/hate relationship with “The Boss,” Mayor Richard J. Daley.

Throughout this information-laden production, Mitchell Bisschop (as Mike Royko) expounds on a variety of issues from his long life. They include the 16” softball, deep dish pizza, the Chicago Cubs, racial prejudice, the Billy Goat Curse, the proliferation of gun violence reflected in the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy and the attempt on Ronald Reagan’s life. He discusses reactions to the unveiling of the Picasso sculpture in Daley Center, reveals his reactions to the police brutality during the Democratic National Convention protests, talks about his relationship with John Belushi’s family, offers his view on Chicago’s first Ribfest, reminds us about the paralyzing blizzard of 1979, Mayors Michael Bilandic and Jane Byrne, as well as the trial of O.J. Simpson. Royko spends time fondly reminiscing about his love and untimely loss of childhood sweetheart and wife, Carol. Then he talks about how life goes on and that he eventually dated and married Sun-Times co-worker, Judy Arndt.

This entertaining, often humorous and sometimes touching two-hour production illustrates Mitchell Bisschop’s admiration for a true Chicago classic. Throughout the presentation we see how time after time Mike Royko was standing up for the little guy. The actor’s charismatic presentation thoroughly holds every theatergoers’ attention, broken only by a 15-minute intermission. The show’s printed program includes a detailed timeline that highlights the major events in Mike Royko’s life. There’s even a bibliography of resources provided for those wanting to discover more about the respected, controversial news columnist who rightly earned the nickname, “The toughest man in Chicago.”        

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented September 5-29 by Toughest Man Productions at the  Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Street, Chicago.

Tickets are available at the door or by going to https://royko.brownpapertickets.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.