It's clear the first Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, who died in 1976, had some people he certainly didn't like.

Newspaper columnist Mike Royko ranked at the top because of his regular musings in print taking the Windy City's elected officials to task.

And not too far down the line was Chicago Bears Coach/Owner George Halas, especially after he threatened in the mid-1960s to pack up the Bears and move them to a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Ill.

But more than anything, "Old Man Daley" did not like protesters or hippies or demonstrators or anyone who might threaten what he considered his city's peace, perfection and safety.

However, surpassing his list of enemies was a list of friends, which included the higher ups in politics and the Roman Catholic Church.

This is the same man who had personal audiences with Queen Elizabeth and The Pope and plenty of friendly moments with the brothers Kennedy -- John F., Bobby and Ted.

All these stories and more are shared on stage in "Hizzoner: Daley the First," the critically successful original play written by and starring Neil Giuntoli in the title role.

Performed more than 300 times for audiences throughout Chicagoland, I'm please to announce "Hizzoner" is back for a limited run through May 17 at the Theater Building, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., in Chicago.

Giuntoli, a Chicago native and relative of another Chicago mayor, Anton Cermak, has an expansive acting career that spans feature films like "Shawshank Redemption" with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and television work on series like "CSI:NY, "NYPD Blue," "Seinfeld" and "ER."

But this is the powerful role this man was made for; both portrayal and play are masterful.

Best of all, this brisk two-hour play (with one intermission), carefully researched and staged, includes real television footage on large screens to help set the tone, mood and time period.

(Sigh ... you know the audience has REALLY been transported four decades back in time when you hear Mayor Daley talking about Chicago being a city with FOUR major daily newspapers.)

There's plenty of behind-the-scenes intrigue to be lapped up, and you know it's coming each time the mayor's office door opens and one of his staff members breezes in with a box of bismark-jelly donuts and some hushed report.

And every time Mayor Daley flips on his intercom to talk to his secretary, you never know what's about to emanate from his lips.

From actor Curtis M. Jackson's on-the-money turn as a young Rev. Jesse Jackson asking Mayor Daley for a job, to actress Diane M. Honeyman as tough-as-nails future mayor Jane Byrne, the entire cast of characters is all together to tell the story of a legendary man during a legendary time in Chicago.

This play doesn't disappoint. Tickets are $35 at (773) 327-5252 or theatrebuildingchicago.org.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or 219.852.4327.

Today's Celebrity Birthdays

Actress Charlotte Rae ("The Facts of Life") is 83. Actress Estelle Harris ("Seinfeld") is 77. Singer Glen Campbell is 73. Actor Jack Nicholson is 72. Singer Mel Carter is 66. Country singer Cleve Francis is 64. Director John Waters is 63. Singer Peter Frampton is 59. Singer Paul Carrack (Squeeze, Mike and the Mechanics) and actress Robin Bartlett (Debbie Buchman on "Mad About You") are 58. Actor Steve Bond (Jimmy Lee Holt on "General Hospital") is 56. Actor Joseph Bottoms is 55. Actor Ryan Stiles ("The Drew Carey Show") is 50. Comedian Byron Allen is 48. Actor Chris Makepeace is 45. Actress Lauri Hendler (Julie on "Gimme a Break") is 44. Guitarist Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise and actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Grey's Anatomy") are 43. Actress Sheryl Lee ("Twin Peaks") and TV personality Sherri Shepherd ("The View") and country singer Heath

Wright of Ricochet are 42. Country singer Kellie Coffey and actor Eric Mabius ("Ugly Betty") are 38. Bassist Shavo Odadjian of System Of A Down is 35. Singer-guitarist Daniel Johns of Silverchair is 30. Actor Francis Capra ("A Bronx Tale" and "Veronica Mars") is 26.