Stephen Colbert turned over some of his Wednesday “Late Show” to another personality — a hot dog vendor played by Stephen Colbert.
The host revived a character named Donnie Franks, last seen at Wrigley Field during the Cubs’ run to the World Series in 2016. In aviator sunglasses, a shaggy wig and a goatee, Colbert roamed the field and stands selling Vienna Beef.
In Wednesday’s segment at the United Center (taped Sunday, in full view of various journalists and organizers), Donnie brought not just wieners but also ill-conceived political merch.
He got a primary primer from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, drank Old Style with James Carville and quizzed Gov. JB Pritzker (always game for talk-show tomfoolery) about his encased meat habits.
“Terrorists are gonna blow up the bean unless you have ketchup on a hot dog,” he asked in a thick Chicago accent. “Do you eat ketchup on a hot dog?”
“Mustard only,” the governor replied.
Said Donnie, “That’s the right answer.”
With Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison, Donnie called himself a swing voter because he likes to take his wife to Sybaris and engage in a certain lifestyle.
He outfitted Harrison with a fake mustache and educated him on Chicago lingo, from “over by dere” to “nice sammich.”
During his third night broadcasting live from the Auditorium Theatre, Colbert also had a multi-segment (and uninterrupted) conversation with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and welcomed Chance the Rapper, who performed as Chicago artist Tyrue “Slang” Jones drew murals behind him.
Chance’s song, “Together,” is a call for community and family connection that references Harold’s Chicken Shack and the Bud Billiken Parade in reminiscing about the musician’s Chicago youth.
The crowd cheered Chance’s lyric invoking Barack Obama in support of community benefit agreements that ensure neighborhood benefits from developers: “We need CBA, CBA, CBA, Barry / Before they build another presidential library.”
Ocasio-Cortez will return to the show as a guest on Thursday’s farewell to Chicago, which also will feature music from Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy.