Oh say, did you hear Stephen Colbert’s Chicago-style national anthem?
When the first of this week’s four Chicago “Late Show” episodes finally hit the air Monday night around midnight — delayed because the Democratic National Convention ran long — the hour kicked off with an elaborate music video paying tribute to Chicago’s greatest traditions (or, some might say, hoariest cliches). It began:
Oh say can you see
Hot Italian dipped beef?
From there we got references to deep-dish pizza, Lower Wacker Drive, the dyeing of the Chicago River, the Wieners Circle and more. Jennifer Hudson joined in a sympathetic lyric for those still not over the Cubs’ 2021 trade of Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees.
She was one of several featured celebrities with true Chicago cred: Sean Hayes, Jason Sudeikis, Nick Offerman and, in their Superfans finery, George Wendt and Robert Smigel.
While the song was a treat for Chicago viewers, it was a much-needed jolt of fun for ticketholders at the Auditorium Theatre who spent hours waiting for the live broadcast to begin — with only a screen showing the Democratic National Convention for entertainment.