BY MITCH DUDEKStaff Reporter
The line to see the David Bowie exhibit on Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Art was so long, the museum couldn’t accommodate all the procrastinators who’d waited until the very last day to see what they hype was about.So access was cut off.
On the snowy street, where the line snaked out the front door, a museum staffer announced that the dozens of would-be patrons standing in line behind a girl in a purple coat were out of luck.
“Sorry,” she said. “The exhibit is headed to France next.”Nathan Hess looked at his girlfriend. “That’s it, we’re going to Paris,” said Hess, 35, a research analyst for the University of Chicago Crime Lab.“Is your passport current?” asked Kristin Schleiter, 32, an attorney.“Yes,” he replied.The exchange is a fair measuring stick for what was the most popular exhibit ever held at the MCA. Final numbers aren’t in, but “David Bowie Is,” which opened Sept. 23, exceeded the the museum’s attendance goal of 150,000, according to MCA spokeswoman Karla Loring.“One guy flew in from Albany, New York, three times,” she said. “We had a woman who’s seen him 70 times in concert. She started to cry before she even came in.”Related:Sophia Bush, Jason Schwartzman among celebs checking out David Bowie exhibit‘David Bowie Is’ a dazzling showcase for the chameleon-like singer/showman
