BEHIND CHICAGO’S LANDMARK RUN
STORY BY Robert Viagas
Now that the new national touring company of the musical Chicago has brought Roxie Hart and the Merry Murderesses to Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte audiences will become part of a fascinating story – both onstage and backstage. Chicago isn’t Cats, but it has had almost as many lives as a cat, and its current life is the most successful by far. Not only is it now the longest running revival in Broadway history it is also the longest running musical (or play) written by an American in Broadway history.
HOW IT GOT THERE
The story begins in 1924, 99 years ago. Maurine Dallas Watkins was a newspaper reporter assigned by the Chicago Tribune to cover a spectacular murder trial. A local woman was accused of murdering her boyfriend and then trying to pin the killing on her hapless husband. Watkins saw both the crime and the trial as a reflection of Roaring ’20s Chicago society: a place where the legal system, the police, the media, the government, the entertainment world and even the people themselves were all, to varying degrees, corrupt and complicit.
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Jeff Brooks and the touring company of Chicago. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
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Watkins adapted the story into a hit 1926 Broadway play, which was then made into a silent 1927 movie, and filmed again in 1942 with sound (under the title Roxie Hart, the name she gave the central character).
REDISCOVERY
The 1926 play version of Chicago was rediscovered in the late 1960s by Broadway darling and multiple Tony Award-winning actress/dancer Gwen Verdon. She saw in it a great starring part for herself, if the story were adapted as a musical. She brought it to her husband, iconic directorchoreographer Bob Fosse who had collaborated with her on Sweet Charity, Damn Yankees, Redhead and other musicals. Fosse had a full plate at the time. He won a Tony for his work on Pippin, an Emmy for his work on Liza With a Z and an Oscar for his work on the film version of Cabaret – and all in the same year, 1973. Teaming with the Cabaret songwriters John Kander and Fred Ebb, he then went right into working on Chicago. They decided to tell Roxie’s story using the traditions of vaudeville, America’s dominant entertainment form in the 1920s. Each song would be presented in a different vaudeville style. The show would have “eccentric” dance numbers (“I Can’t Do It Alone”), baggy-pants comedians (“Cellophane”), a striptease (“All I Care About Is Love”), even a kind of mock ventriloquist act (“They Both Reached for the Gun”).
Subtitled “A Musical Vaudeville,” the show was scheduled to open in 1974, but Fosse’s relentless work schedule finally drove him to a near-fatal heart attack. That pushed the opening of Chicago back to 1975, placing it squarely up against a new musical juggernaut, A Chorus Line Chicago was considered dark and cynical, while A Chorus Line was bright and hopeful.
In 1976 Chicago was nominated for 11 Tony Awards but lost all of them to A Chorus Line, despite having Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach as its stars. It was also nominated for best book, score, directing, actor, actress, choreography and musical. The original production of Chicago ran 936 performances – respectable but not remarkable. By contrast, A Chorus Line went on to play 6,137 performances and became, for a time, the longestrunning show in Broadway history.
FORGOTTEN?
Chicago was so forgotten by 1996 that it was chosen by New York’s City Center for its acclaimed Encores! series, which stages readings of old musicals considered unlikely to get full-sale revivals on their own. Ha!
As with other Encores! shows, the production was bare-bones: no sets, with the orchestra on the stage behind the actors. But the production had several things going for it. First of all, Fosse, who had died in 1987 (of a second heart attack) was in the process of becoming deified. He was increasingly recognized as one of Broadway’s greatest directors and choreographers of all time. His former mentee and lover Ann Reinking came aboard the Encores! production to recreate Fosse’s dances. Second of all,
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while the show may have had no sets, it had distinctively slinky costumes by multiple Tony winner William Ivey Long. The revival started to look better than some fully-mounted shows on Broadway.
Also, the public’s cynicism had begun to catch up with Chicago’s. Audiences laughed along with its dark humor. Audiences and critics went wild, agreeing that Chicago’s time had come at last.
Producers Fran and Barry Weissler quickly transferred the production to Broadway, virtually intact, where it finally won Tony Awards – six of them, including Best Revival of a Musical. And the show began its run. It sold out at first, but because it was produced so economically at Encores! It could play to some empty seats and still turn a profit. When the box office began to flag, the Weisslers began bringing in second-or third-string stars guaranteed to attract their small but devoted fan base for a few weeks at a time. They kept adding six or eight weeks to the run until it became apparent that the show’s real star was the show itself and had its own momentum.
THE BIG TEST
A big test came in 2002 when Hollywood made a movie of Chicago, starring Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere. The movie was a smash at the box office, eventually winning the Academy Award for Best Picture – the first movie musical to do so since Oliver! In 1968.
Surely a hit movie would kill the Broadway production! People soon could rent it for far less than the cost of a Broadway ticket. But Chicago surprised everyone once again. It was now familiar to a wide public. When tourists went to New York and wanted to see Spamalot or The Book of Mormon or Hamilton, or whatever the big hit was at the time and found it was sold out, they asked what else was playing. When they saw Chicago, they knew what they were getting.
But it’s not just nostalgia or familiarity that has kept Chicago running. The show is sexy and funny and really delivers the full entertainment quotient.
The revival of Chicago has kept running and running. On Aug. 27, 2011, it passed its old nemesis A Chorus Line, becoming the longest-running American-written Broadway musical of all time, and in November 2014 it even passed Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, to become the second longest running Broadway show of all time. On June 25, 2022, Chicago played its 10,000th Broadway performance. There have been more than 10 separate national tours.
Today, only Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera has run longer on Broadway, and it completed its run April 16, 2023. How much longer will Chicago run on Broadway? Will it eventually surpass Phantom? You will be watching the stellar new 25th anniversary national touring company today. Judge for yourself!
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Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Razzle Dazzle LLC presents
Music by John Kander
Book by Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse
Based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins Original Production Directed and Choreographed by Bob Fosse
Starring
Logan Floyd Katie Frieden
Jeff Brooks
Brian Kalinowski
Also Starring
Illeana “illy” Kirven G. A. James
Michelle Attardo, Lincoln Belford, Ryan Blackson, Megan Campbell, Jason Carroll, Jess DiForte, Ed Gotthelf, Chelsea James, Jasmine Janae, Tal Kedem, Liz Lester, Chase McFadden
Francisco Thurston, Sammy Tuchman, Asher Van Meter, Evy Vaughan
Scenic Design
John Lee Beatty
Supervising Music Director
Robert Billig
Costume Design William Ivey Long
Music Director Cameron Blake Kinnear
Lighting Design Ken Billington
Orchestrations Ralph Burns
Sound Design Scott Lehrer
Vocal Arrangements Rob Fisher
Dance Music Arrangements Peter Howard Script Adaptation David Thompson Music Coordinator JP Meyer Assistant Music Director Jacob Kidder
Casting ARC/Duncan Stewart, CSA & Patrick Maravilla
Resident Director/ Assistant Choreographer Camden Loeser
Associate Producer Lauren L. Sobon
Tour Booking Agency The Booking Group
Tour Company Manager Timothe Bittle
Production Manager Russell A. Thompson
Re-creation of Original Production Choreography by Gary Chryst
Tour Marketing & Press Anita Dloniak & Associates, Inc.
Resident Company Manager Marc Ciemiewicz
Production Supervisor Ryan B. Gibbs
Production Stage Manager Ella Johnson
General Management Apex Touring Executive Producer William T. Prather
Re-creation of Original Production Direction by Tânia Nardini
Choreographer Original New York Production Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse
Director Original New York Production Walter Bobbie
CHICAGO
Based
the presentation
Encores!
on
by City Center’s
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LOGAN FLOYD
KATIE FRIEDEN
BRIAN KALINOWSKI
LINCOLN BELFORD
MICHELLE ATTARDO
ED GOTTHELF
G.A. JAMES
CHELSEA JAMES
LIZ LESTER
CHASE MCFADDEN
SAMMY TUCHMAN FRANCISCO THURSTON
TAL KEDEM
ASHER VAN METER EVY VAUGHAN
RYAN BLACKSON
MEGAN CAMPBELL
ILLEANA “illy” KIRVEN
JESS DIFORTE
JEFF BROOKS
JASON CARROLL
JASMINE JANAE
CAST
(in order of appearance)
Velma Kelly ............................................................................................................. LOGAN FLOYD
Roxie Hart .............................................................................................................. KATIE FRIEDEN
Fred Casely ............................................................................................................ ED GOTTHELF
Sergeant Fogarty ASHER VAN METER
Amos Hart BRIAN KALINOWSKI
Liz MEGAN CAMPBELL
Annie JASMINE JANAE
June JESS DIFORTE
Hunyak LIZ LESTER
Mona EVY VAUGHAN
Matron “Mama” Morton ILLEANA “illy” KIRVEN
Billy Flynn................................................................................................................. JEFF BROOKS
Mary Sunshine .............................................................................................................. G.A. JAMES
Go-to-Hell-Kitty ............................................................................................ SAMMY TUCHMAN
Harry ................................................................................................................................ TAL KEDEM
The Doctor ......................................................................................................... JASON CARROLL
Aaron LINCOLN BELFORD
The Judge FRANCISCO THURSTON
The Bailiff RYAN BLACKSON
Martin Harrison ASHER VAN METER
Court Clerk JASON CARROLL
The Jury RYAN BLACKSON
THE SCENE: Chicago, Illinois. The late 1920s.
UNDERSTUDIES
Understudies never substitute for a listed player unless a specific announcement for the appearance is made at the time of the performance.
For Roxie Hart- MEGAN CAMPBELL, EVY VAUGHAN
For Velma Kelly- JESS DIFORTE, LIZ LESTER
For Billy Flynn- FRANCISCO THURSTON, ASHER VAN METER
For Amos Hart- LINCOLN BELFORD, CHASE MCFADDEN
For Matron “Mama” Morton- MEGAN CAMPBELL, LIZ LESTER
For Mary Sunshine- L. BELFORD
For Fred Casely- FRANCISCO THURSTON
SWINGS
Michelle Attardo, Chelsea James, Chase McFadden
DANCE CAPTAINS: Michelle Attardo, Chase McFadden
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MUSICAL NUMBERS
Overture The Band and Company
“All That Jazz” Velma and Company
“Funny Honey” .......................................................................................................................... Roxie
“Cell Block Tango” .............................................................................................. Velma and Girls
“When You’re Good to Mama” ........................................................ Matron “Mama” Morton
“Tap Dance” .............................................................................................. Roxie, Amos and Boys
“All I Care About” ..................................................................................................... Billy and Girls
“A Little Bit of Good” Mary Sunshine
“We Both Reached for the Gun” Billy, Roxie, Mary Sunshine and Company
“Roxie” Roxie and Boys
“I Can’t Do It Alone” Velma
“My Own Best Friend” Roxie and Velma
INTERMISSION
Entr’acte .............................................................................................................................. The Band
“I Know a Girl” .......................................................................................................................... Velma
“Me and My Baby” ............................................................................................... Roxie and Boys
“Mister Cellophane” .................................................................................................................Amos
“When Velma Takes the Stand” Velma and Boys
“Razzle Dazzle” Billy and Company
“Class” Velma and Matron “Mama” Morton
“Nowadays” Roxie and Velma
“Hot Honey Rag” Roxie and Velma
Finale Company
Original choreography for “Hot Honey Rag” by Bob Fosse
ORCHESTRA
Music Director and Conductor: CAMERON BLAKE KINNEAR
Piano 1/Assistant Music Director: JACOB KIDDER
Reed 1: JESSIE ENGLANDER
Reed 2: HEATHER KRIESEL
Reed 3: CLAY STEINER
Trumpet 1: JORDAN WEBB
Trumpet 2: WILL ESPOSITO
Trombone: ANDY SHARKEY
Banjo/Mandolin/Ukulele: DYLAN DELGIUDICE
Tuba/Bass: ADAM HAMMER
Percussion: JEREMY WISLER
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The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device or such photographing or sound recording inside the theater, without the written permission of the management, is prohibited by law.
WHO’S WHO in the CAST
LOGAN FLOYD (Velma Kelly) (they/ them) is overjoyed to be back with Chicago! Credits: Cabaret (Sally Bowles), A Chorus Line (Sheila). A special thanks to The Mine, the inspiring creative team, and the entire cast and crew! Immense gratitude to their family and friends. For Mom and Dad because “I just can’t do it alone!” IG: @iamloganfloyd
KATIE FRIEDEN (Roxie Hart) (she/ her) is thrilled to join the company of Chicago in this dream role. Recent credits include Sweet Charity (Charity Hope Valentine), Netflix’s A Bridgerton Experience (Maria), Fame and Ebenezer: A Musical Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cratchit). Proud Oklahoma City University graduate. Love to my family and friends for all their support!
IG: @katiefrieden8
JEFF BROOKS (Billy Flynn). (he/him) National Tours: A Bronx Tale (Sonny), Bullets Over Broadway (Cheech), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Gaston), Fiddler on the Roof (Constable), The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!. Many continued thanks to Todd and everyone at ATB, my mentors, Kevin and Cindy, my loving family and supportive friends, and of course, to Stef. IG: @bathrobedbrooks
BRIAN KALINOWSKI (Amos Hart)
Previous roles: Edna in Hairspray for Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Joey in Sister Act at Dutch Apple & Broadway Palm. Winner of 2022 MAC Award for Male Piano Bar Entertainer at NYC’s legendary “Don’t Tell Mama Piano Bar.” IG: @bkonbway
ILLEANA “illy” KIRVEN (Matron
“Mama” Morton) is delighted to join the cast of the 25th Anniversary tour of Chicago. With hundreds of shows on her resume, here are a few of her favorites: Caroline in multiple productions of Caroline, or Change, Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, the Narrator in multiple productions of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. IG: @321illy Enjoy the show!
G. A. JAMES (Mary Sunshine). BFA Musical Theatre, The New School. American Musical and Dramatic Academy Alumni. Many thanks to the Chicago team and ARC Casting. Much gratitude and love to my family and friends for their continuous support. IG: @ garrettalanjames
MICHELLE ATTARDO (Swing/ Dance Captain). (she/her) So excited to be back in the cellblock! BFA Dance, Marymount Manhattan College. Favorite credits: Christmas Wonderland (Tokyū Theatre Orb), Funny Girl, Singin’ in the Rain, Cabaret. Special thanks to ARC casting, family, and the amazing Chicago team!
IG: @michelleattardo
LINCOLN BELFORD (Aaron/Amos Hart Understudy). (he/him/his) National tour debut! Favorite past credits include Head Over Heels (u/s Musidorus), Young Frankenstein (u/s Frau Blucher, Dance Captain), Singin’ in the Rain (Don Lockwood) and Big Fish (Will Bloom). Proud alum of Idyllwild Arts Academy and Otterbein University; BFA 2020. For Stella Kane, my Fosse queen. IG:@mr.razzmatazz10
RYAN BLACKSON (The Bailiff/The Jury) (he/him) is excited to be joining the cast of Chicago. Favorite credits: Dancer/Soloist with Step One Dance Company, Christmas Wonderland (National Tour), Cats (Mr. Mistoffelees), A Chorus Line (Larry), La Cage aux Folles (Cagelle). BFA Dance, Marymount Manhattan College. Much love and thanks to family, friends, Nick and the Chicago team! @rblackson
MEGAN CAMPBELL (Liz/Matron
“Mama” Morton Understudy) (she/ her) is thrilled to be back on tour with Chicago! Favorite credits: SpeakeasyTimes Square (Amour), ¡Havana!, Swing! (Latin Feature), Christmas Wonderland (Tokyū Theatre Orb), A Jazzman’s Blues (Netflix), Legends in Concert, Da-Bangg Reloaded. Many thanks to the Chicago team, ARC Casting, LDC, and family!
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www.meganelizabethcampbell.com
IG: @megzycampbell
JASON CARROLL (Doctor/Court
Clerk) (he/him/his) is thrilled to be returning to Chicago! Favorite credits include Chicago (2020 National Tour), The Wizard of Oz (International Tour), Broadway Bares, Vegas! The Show (Norwegian Cruise Line), and more. Many thanks to the entire Chicago team, Peter, and my family! @jason_carrollnyc
JESS DIFORTE (June/Velma Kelly
Understudy) (she/her) is living her dream performing in such an iconic show! Royal Carribean Cruise Line: CATS (Tantomile), A Chorus Line (Val), Legally Blonde (Margot). Chicago College of Performing Arts; MTD ’20! Thank you Jane Lanier for your Fosse wisdom. Hugs to Mom, Dad, Daniballet, & Ms. Kathy. Cheers to Josh at ASA! Stay weird & BE NICE! IG: @jess_d4t
ED GOTTHELF (Fred Casely) is thrilled to be joining the family of Chicago. He hails from Paris, France where he studied at the Sorbonne University. He went on to work professionally in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States. Favorite credits include National Tours: American in Paris (Henri Baurel u/s), South Pacific (Henry). Regional: Les Misérables, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Newsies. Special thanks to ARC Casting and Dino May Management. IG: @edgotthelf
CHELSEA JAMES (Swing) is elated to make her tour debut with the company of Chicago! Recent credits include CATS (Syllabub/Dance Captain) and Hairspray! (Amber Von Tussle) with Royal Caribbean Entertainment. She is an avid fitness enthusiast, loves traveling alongside her fiancé, Michael and is eternally grateful to family and friends who continue to support her!
IG: @activelychelsea
JASMINE JANAE (Annie) is thrilled to be making her national tour debut. She is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. She began her dance training at Cincinnati Ballet
and continued at Cincinnati’s School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Jasmine attended Southern Methodist University earning a BFA in Dance with Honors. Following graduation, Jasmine joined Dallas Black Dance Theatre for eight seasons. IG: @jasminejanae_wk
TAL KEDEM (Harry) (he/him/his) is thrilled to be joining his first national tour with Chicago! BFA from The Boston Conservatory, and previous credits include: Mamma Mia! (Ensemble/ u/s Eddie/Pepper) and Diane Paulis’ The Donkey Show (Fairy). He would like to thank TPG, friends, family and all that jazz for getting him here!
IG: @tkedem
LIZ LESTER (Hunyak/Velma Kelly, Matron “Mama” Morton Understudy) (she/her) is beyond honored to join the 25th Anniversary Tour of Chicago! She was recently a part of the national tour of Finding Neverland in 2018/19 as Miss Potter/dance ensemble and again in 2020 with APEX Touring as Miss Bassett! A huge thanks to all her loved ones, along with her Broadway Arts Community family, who continue to offer support, guidance, and love throughout her journey!
IG: @thelizlester
CHASE MCFADDEN (Swing/Dance Captain/Amos Hart Understudy) (he/ him/his) is honored to make his national tour debut with Chicago! Thrilled to keep the Fosse legacy alive, Chase is a recent grad from Rider University. He dedicates his performance to his family there and a special thanks to Robin and T and ARC Casting! “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries!”
IG:@Unofficialchase
FRANCISCO THURSTON (The Judge/ Billy Flynn, Fred Casely Understudy.) His credits include: A Chorus Line Japan Tour (Al Deluca/Zach u/s), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical national tour (Ensemble/Bruce Sudano u/s/ Dance Captain), Grease (Danny Zuko), On Your Feet (Ensemble/Jose Fajardo u/s), The Wizard of Oz (Ensemble) and Priscilla Queen Of The Desert (Ensemble/
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Young Bernadette). Danced for Justin Bieber, Zendaya, Todrick Hall, Saturday Night Live, Disney, Cartoon Network. IG: @itsfranciscoofficial
SAMMY TUCHMAN (Go-to-Hell-Kitty) is delighted to be making her national tour debut in her favorite show, Chicago Regional credits include Singin’ in the Rain and Disney’s The Little Mermaid She also recently performed in Cirque Du Soleil’s Cirque Dreams Holidaze. Special thanks to her family, the LDC Artist Rep team, and ARC Casting! IG: @sammy.tuchman
ASHER VAN METER (Sergeant Fogarty/ Martin Harrison/Billy Flynn Understudy) (he/him/his) is over the moon to return to the Chicago national tour. Native of Oklahoma and a proud NSULA graduate. Favorite credits include Rock of Ages, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Who’s Tommy. Big shoutout to the incredible team at Resolute Artists Agency and to my wonderful family! @asher.vanmeter
EVY VAUGHAN (Mona/Roxie Hart Understudy). (she/her/hers) National Tour debut! Regional: The Producers, West Side Story, Tarzan. AIDA Cruises (Solo Dancer). Avid educator, dance medicine enthusiast, plant mom. BFA Pace University, Biology Minor. Endless gratitude to ARC Casting, Resolute Artists Agency, the Chicago family, my teachers, my people, and all that jazz. IG: @evyvaughan
JOHN KANDER & FRED EBB (Music, Book, Lyrics). The John Kander and Fred Ebb collaboration of four decades created what many would consider Broadway standards and contemporary classics: Flora, the Red Menace, Cabaret (Tony Award), The Happy Time, Zorba, 70, Girls, 70, Chicago, The Act, Woman of the Year (Tony Award, Best Score), The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award, Best Score) and Steel Pier. Their collaboration also transferred itself to movies and television as they wrote original material for the Academy Awards, “Liza With a Z” (Emmy Award),
HBO’s “Liza Minnelli’s Stepping Out” (Emmy Award), Funny Lady (Oscar nominated for “How Lucky Can You Get”), Lucky Lady, New York, New York, Stepping Out and Chicago (Oscar nominated for Best Song). In the mid ’80s the song “New York, New York” became the official anthem of New York City. At the time of the unfortunate death of Mr. Ebb, Kander and Ebb had several projects in different stages of completion waiting in the wings: All About Us, Curtains and The Scottsboro Boys. Life goes on.
BOB FOSSE (Book). First director in history to win Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards in one year (1973) for the film Cabaret, the musical Pippin and the TV special “Liza With a Z.” He won the first of eight Tonys as choreographer for The Pajama Game followed by directing and choreographing Redhead, Little Me, Sweet Charity (stage and film), Chicago, Dancin’. Other choreography: Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, How to Succeed…, Big Deal. Film: My Sister Eileen, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees. Director: Lenny (Oscar nom.), All That Jazz (Oscar nom.), Star 80
WALTER BOBBIE (Director) directed the New York productions of Bright Star, Venus in Fur, The Landing, Golden Age, School for Lies, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Chicago, The Submission, Cabin Pressure, The Savannah Disputation, New Jerusalem, High Fidelity, The Other Woman, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Sweet Charity, Twentieth Century, Footloose, Durang/Durang, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls and A Grand Night for Singing. He was Artistic Director of City Center Encores! where he also directed Fiorello!, Chicago, Tenderloin, Golden Boy, No, No, Nanette, and Zorba, as well as the Carnegie Hall concerts of South Pacific and Carousel Mr. Bobbie served for 12 years on the Board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He is the recipient of Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Tony awards.
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ANN REINKING (Choreographer). 1997 Tony Award, Best Choreography for Chicago, as well as Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Astaire and NY Drama Critics awards. Other credits include: director, co-choreographer for Fosse (1998 Tony Award for Best Musical), Tony nomination for Best Director in a Musical, Fosse. Nominations for Tonys in four different categories: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Choreographer, Best Director (won the Tony for Best Choreography), as well as Tony nominations for her leading performances in Dancin’ and Goodtime Charlie, won the Lawrence Olivier Award for Fosse, recipient of Theatre World, Clarence Derwent and Outer Critics Circle awards for her work as Maggie in Over Here!. Film credits: Movie Movie, All That Jazz, Annie, Micki and Maude. Recent choreography: Sondheim Suite for Pacific Northwest Ballet, Suite Kander for Missouri State Ballet, Ritmo & Ruido for Ballet Hispanico, Legends for Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, The Threepenny Opera for Williamstown Theatre Festival, Nilsson/ Schmillson for Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theatre, “Bye Bye Birdie” for ABC-TV, national tour of the revival of Applause Co-choreographed The White City and Light In The Dark/Thodos Dance Chicago. Choreographed The Harrison Tribute/American Ballet Theatre. She is the recipient of the National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Choreography, Fosse, 2001, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre 1999, Musical Hall of Fame Award 1999, Dance Library of Israel Award 1998, Distinguished Artist Award 1998, School of American Ballet Artistic Achievement Award 1997, National Art Club Award for Service to the Arts 1995, Governor’s Award— Ambassador of the Arts for the State of Florida 1994, Honorary Doctorate from Florida State University, Dance Magazine Award, Ford Foundation Scholarship for the San Francisco Ballet Company and the Robert Joffrey Scholarship with the Joffrey Ballet.
JOHN LEE BEATTY (Set Design).
Broadway: Plaza Suite, Junk, Disgraced,
Venus in Fur, After Midnight, The Nance, Other Desert Cities, The Color Purple, A Delicate Balance, The Heiress, The Sisters Rosensweig, The Most Happy Fella, Burn This, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Talley’s Folly, Fifth of July, among 100 others. Off-Broadway: Sylvia, The Substance of Fire, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, A Life in the Theatre, many seasons at MTC, Circle Rep, Lincoln Center and Encores. Major regional theaters, film, opera, TV and the circus. Multiple Tony, Obie, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. Graduate: Brown and Yale.
WILLIAM IVEY LONG (Costume Design). Mr. Long is currently represented on Broadway by Chicago (now in its 26th year) and on tour by Chicago, Hairspray, Tootsie, and Beetlejuice. In addition to his countless design credits for ballet, opera, film and television, Mr. Long has won six Tony Awards, with eighteen nominations. He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2005. www.williamiveylong.com
KEN BILLINGTON (Lighting Design). 100 Broadway shows including the original production of Sweeney Todd and the current Chicago, the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. Hundreds of US and worldwide tours including Waitress, White Christmas, also Chicago in 20 countries. Awards include the Tony, the Lumen (architecture), Ace (television). Inducted into The Theatre Hall of Fame in 2015.
SCOTT LEHRER (Sound Design). Recent credits include: To Kill A Mockingbird, Carousel, Hello, Dolly!, Illyria, The Front Page, The Gabriels, Shuffle Along…, Fiddler on the Roof, Dames at Sea, The King and I (also London), Living on Love, Honeymoon in Vegas, Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance, Love Letters, A Raisin in the Sun, Betrayal, Lucky Guy, South Pacific (first Tony Award for Sound Design), Death of a Salesman, The Apple Family Plays: Scenes From Life in the Country and over 60 City Center Encores! productions including Chicago. Recordings include An American in Paris
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(Grammy Award nomination), Loudon Wainwright’s High Wide and Handsome (Grammy Award) and Meredith Monk’s Mercy. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, he currently teaches at Hunter College and was on the faculty of Bennington College from 2002 to 2013.
TÂNIA NARDINI (Re-Creation of Original Production Director) is a director, choreographer, actress and dancer born in Rio de Janeiro. Besides her work as a director and choreographer in many theatrical, films, events and shows in Brazil, she also was the Director for Rent and the Resident Director for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, The Musical and Phantom of the Opera She was the Associate Director and Choreographer for My Fair Lady, West Side Story, O Rei e Eu and Evita; she was the Resident Director/Choreographer for Priscilla – A Rainha do Deserto; She choreographed the musical Raia 30. She directed and choreographed Nuvem de Lágrimas, o Musical. She choreographed the opera The Tales of Hoffman; Orfeo e Euridice and The Merry Widow. Directed and choreographed the Brazilian musical Nelson Gonçalves. Since 2007 she has been the Associate Director for the international productions of Chicago, The Musical. She has directed Chicago, The Musical in South Korea, Japan, UK (tours and West End), Argentina, Russia, Germany, Denmark, South Africa, France, Australia and Mexico. Tânia Nardini is truly honored to be working on this new production of Chicago, The Musical.
GARY CHRYST (Re-creation of Original Production Choreographer) has staged the Chicago choreography on every continent except Antarctica. He worked closely with Choreographer Ann Reinking on many of the productions and taught roles to Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth, Usher, Brooke Shields, Charlotte d’Amboise, Amra-Faye Wright, Jennifer Holliday and too many others to be listed. He is in demand to stage classical ballet works including the landmark Petrouchka for American Ballet Theatre, The National Ballet of Canada and the Mariinsky Ballet and Jerome Robbins’ NY Export Opus Jazz
for the Juilliard School and University of Indiana. He assisted Ann Reinking in creating choreography for a production of Kander and Ebb’s The Visit with Chita Rivera at the Signature Theater in Virginia. He was Co-Choreographer of a new production of West Side Story in Brazil and choreographed a new American production of South Pacific, Nijinsky in Japan and numerous MTV videos. Mr. Chryst’s Broadway credits include Guys and Dolls, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, A Chorus Line and an international tour of West Side Story. He had a notable career as a dancer with The Joffrey Ballet and Nederlans Dans Theatre 3. He performed as a guest with the companies of Twyla Tharp, David Parsons, Lar Lubovitch, Eliot Feld, Jose Limon, Nureyev and Friends among others.
CAMDEN LOESER (Resident Director/ Assistant Choreographer) is thrilled to be returning to this dazzling show! Camden served as the Assistant Choreographer for Chicago back in 2019 previous to the Covid-19 shut down. Camden also serves as the Associate Choreographer for the Broadway revival of Pippin, which he has helped remount numerous times around the globe in Australia and Japan. In addition, Camden acts as the Assistant Choreographer for the upcoming new musical Jack Cole, and previously served as tour choreographer for the national tour of Finding Neverland. Much love and gratitude to Gary, APEX, and the entire Chicago team! We’re back!
DAVID THOMPSON (Script Adaptation). Broadway productions include the librettos for The Scottsboro Boys (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, Hull-Warriner Award), Steel Pier (Tony nomination) and Thou Shalt Not. Off-Broadway: And the World Goes ‘Round (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards), Flora, the Red Menace (Drama Desk nomination). Regional: McCarter Theater’s A Christmas Carol. Television: “Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall,” “My Favorite Broadway.” Thompson is a graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
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ROBERT BILLIG (Music Supervisor) has been music director, conductor and/or supervisor for Broadway, offBroadway and national touring musical productions for over 45 years. A graduate of New York University with a BA in Music, he has been music director/ conductor of the original Broadway productions of Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Man of La Mancha (2002 revival), Singin’ in the Rain and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Other Broadway productions he has conducted include Chicago, Wicked, Song and Dance and My One and Only National tours include Wicked, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Les Misérables (25th anniversary production), Chicago and most recently, Hello, Dolly!. Off-Broadway he was music director and vocal arranger for the original production of Little Shop of Horrors and provided the vocal arrangements for the film version of the show. In addition, he was Musical Director for Disney’s Geppetto. Mr. Billig’s other conducting credits range from intimate nightclubs to international symphony orchestras and everything in between.
JP MEYER (Music Coordinator) is the Music Supervisor and Contractor for APEX Touring (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Pippin, Finding Neverland, Chicago, Cabaret, Wizard of Oz) and has been the Resident Music Director at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania since 2014. He also serves as the Organist and Music Director at Old Zion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
CAMERON BLAKE KINNEAR (Music Director/Conductor). National Tours: Chicago, How The Grinch Stole
Christmas! Regional: Disney’s When You Wish, Rock of Ages, Sister Act, Ghost, La Cage Aux Folles, Gutenberg!, The Musical, 1940’s Radio Hour, Ring of Fire, Sweet Charity, Big River, Urinetown, Assassins, All Shook Up, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Crazy for You, Fiddler On The Roof, Rent. Cruise Lines: Swing!, Legends In Concert
JACOB KIDDER (Associate Conductor) has more than 15 years experience as a regional theater pianist and conductor. He graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a focus on classical piano, and completed an internship with the Pacific Conservatory Theatre in Santa Maria, California. Jacob has worked with numerous theaters including the American Repertory Theater in Boston, Massachusetts and The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. As a regular member of the music team at the Tony award-winning Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, he has played for more than 30 productions including the world premieres of musicals with scores by Tom Kitt (Freaky Friday), Dana Rowe (Blackbeard, Brother Russia), Joshua Schmidt (Midwestern Gothic) and the legendary John Kander (Kid Victory).
THE BOOKING GROUP (Tour Booking Agency) has represented 27 Tony Award® winning Best Musicals and Plays. Current tours include: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, The Book of Mormon, 1776, Hadestown, Mean Girls, MJ The Musical, Pretty Woman, Six, Tina, To Kill A Mockingbird, Anastasia, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray, My Fair Lady, R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and Tootsie Future tours include: Almost Famous, Funny Girl, Mamma Mia!, Mrs. Doubtfire, A Strange Loop, The Devil Wears Prada and The Wiz
ARC (Casting). 150+ productions across the globe & 13 Artios Awards for Casting. Broadway/NY Past & Present Productions include: Life of Pi, Chicago the Musical, Disney’s The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, Hadestown, Lost in Yonkers, Great Comet of 1812, Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, 39 Steps, Pippin, La Cage aux Folles. TV/ Film: Netflix, 20th Century Fox, NBC, Lionsgate, Disney Channel. West End/U.K.: Hadestown, Thriller Live, Menier Chocolate Factory. Tours: 1776, Hairspray, Waitress, Urinetown, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, Into the Woods, We Will Rock You. Regional: A.R.T., Berkeley
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Rep, Alley, Bay Street, Goodspeed, Hollywood Bowl, McCarter, Signature. ARC, Part of RWS Global. www. castingbyarc.com IG: castingbyarc
MARC CIEMIEWICZ (Resident Company Manager). For 30 years Marc has worked as an actor, director, stage manager, company manager, and production manager from coast to coast. Tours: Yeston and Kopit’s Phantom, It’s Swingtime!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler), Footloose 10th Anniversary Tour, The Wedding Singer, Finding Neverland, Chicago, and the national and international tours of The Wizard of Oz. Marc holds a BFA and a MFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory and San Diego State University respectively. Let Art Live!
TIMOTHE BITTLE (Tour Company Manager) is excited to be a part of Chicago, the Musical and was the Company Manager for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. National tours include Finding Neverland and The Wedding Singer. He attended LeesMcRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina and Greensboro College in Greensboro, North Carolina. An avid TV and movie watcher, but has also been known to enjoy a football game or two. Go Pack Go!!
ELLA JOHNSON (Production Stage Manager). National Tours: StarQuest Dance Competition Regional and World Finals 29th Season. Regional: Swing Stage Manager for Great Balls of Fire (Arizona Broadway Theatre, created by Jason Cohen & Michael Schiralli). Stage Manager for The Yellow Boat (directed by Robert Yowell). Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol (Theatrikos, directed by Lisa Jayne). Hecuba (Crooked Figure Theatre, directed by Christina GutierrezDennehy). Stage Manager for events at NAU Auditoria. They would like to thank friends, family, and colleagues. So very much love for A.
RUSSELL A. THOMPSON (Production Manager) has been the Production
Manager for multiple national touring productions and the international tours of Chicago and Cabaret. Mr Thompson was the Lighting Designer & Production Manager for the international and national tour of The Wizard of Oz, and national tours of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Finding Neverland, Once, Pippin, Million Dollar Quartet, Memphis, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Hair, Fiddler on the Roof, All Shook Up, Footloose, The Wedding Singer, and Beehive: The 60’s Musical Thompson’s other designs include Jesus Christ Superstar, On Your Feet, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, A Bronx Tale and CATS He also designed the world premiere of Around the World in 80 Days and the regional premiere of The Civil War.
BRIAN J. ENZMAN (Associate Producer). Brian has 35 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He has been involved in over 400 productions from A Chorus Line in 1987 to the recent national tours of Cabaret, Once, The Musical and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical As resident director, credits include: Evita, Yeston and Kopit’s Phantom, Les Misérables, The Civil War, Jekyll & Hyde, The Drowsy Chaperone, South Pacific, Hello, Dolly!, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Cabaret, Gypsy, Mame, The King and I, Damn Yankees, Music Man and Annie, to name a few. Brian is a graduate of Millersville University in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
LAUREN L. SOBON (Associate Producer). Recent credits include Director for the 2021 tour of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Associate Producer for the 2020 national tour of Chicago, Artistic Producer/Casting Director for the 2020 national tour of Finding Neverland, 2019 international and 2018/2019 national tours of The Wizard of Oz as well as the 2017 national tour of Pippin. She was the Director and Artistic Producer for the 2016 national tour of Million Dollar Quartet Choreographer and Associate Producer for the 2014 national tour of Fiddler on the Roof
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WILLIAM T. PRATHER (Executive Producer) is the Executive Producer and Founder of APEX Touring. He is a second-generation theatre producer following in the footsteps of his parents, Tom and Debbie Prather, who produced live theatre for over 58 years. A graduate of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, he returned to the family business in 1993 after spending a couple of years in the corporate world. As an Executive Producer, Prather has worked on successful tours including Footloose, The Wedding Singer, Blast, Fiddler on the Roof, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Memphis and Million Dollar Quartet
APEX TOURING, LLC (Producer). APEX
Touring is the producer of the show Chicago, being presented by Chicago Razzle Dazzle, LLC. Now in its sixth tour season, APEX has produced recent national tours which include Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Once and Finding Neverland. APEX was honored to produce the first company to bring a live production to the Kingdom of
Bahrain and the Middle East with the international tour of The Wizard of Oz, which also performed across China. APEX produced the 2018 tour of Cabaret and 2017 tour of Pippin. APEX has been created to serve the ever-expanding need for high quality, Broadway-caliber touring productions around the world. APEX looks forward to many years of producing Broadway’s brightest new shows.
CITY CENTER’S ENCORES! GREAT AMERICAN MUSICALS IN CONCERT City Center, a not-for-profit theater founded in 1943 as Manhattan’s first performing arts center, is home to many of America’s leading dance companies, education programs and popular engagements.The award-winning series Encores! was created in 1994 to revisit rarely heard scores, of which Chicago is one.
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Presented by special arrangement with American Play Company, Inc., Sheldon Abend, President.
STAFF FOR CHICAGO
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
WILLIAM T. PRATHER
GENERAL MANAGEMENT APEX TOURING
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
RUSSELL A. THOMPSON
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS
LAUREN L. SOBON
BRIAN J. ENZMAN
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER RACHELLE WINESETT
TOUR MARKETING & PRESS ANITA DLONIAK & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Anita Dloniak Melissa A. Hazek
TOUR BOOKING and ENGAGEMENT MANAGEMENT
THE BOOKING GROUP
Meredith Blair
Richard Rundle Brian Brooks
CASTING
ARC Duncan Stewart, CSA Mark Brandon, CSA
Amber Snead, CSA Patrick Maravilla, Jarrett Reiche, Anthony Pichette, CSA, Kyle Coker
Ryan Stana, CEO RWS Global
Ryan Saab, SVP RWS Global
RESIDENT COMPANY MANAGER MARC CIEMIEWICZ
TOUR COMPANY MANAGER
TIMOTHE BITTLE
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER ELLA JOHNSON
PRODUCTION STAFF
Production Supervisor Ryan B. Gibbs
Company Manager Timothe Bittle
Production Stage Manager ..................................................... Ella Johnson
Assistant Stage Manager Serena Slie
Production Electrician Matthew Brehm
Associate Lighting Designer Benjamin Travis
Moving Light Programmer ................................................. Matthew Brehm
Associate Sound Designer Matthew Bell
Associate Costume Designer Donald Sanders
Head Carpenter Aaron Collins
Carpenter/Rigger ............................................................... Starrett Pattison
Head Electrician Dallas Lafon
Electrician Kelcie Nutile
Electrician Jayden Warren
Head Audio Matthew Karnatz
Head Props Jasmine Willis
Head Wardrobe/Wigs Paisley Helfrich
Swing Technician .............................................................Weston Breshears
Marketing Coordinator/Digital Marketing Specialist Denise S. Trupe
Payroll Services Paycom Payroll, LLC
Legal Council Littler Mendelson, P.C.
Banking...................................................................................... Chase Bank
Insurance Maury, Donnelly & Parr, Inc.
Art Design KellyAnne Hanrahan
Production Photography Jeremy Daniel
Web Design .......................................................................The Beardy Boys
Merchandising Creative Goods
Trucking Stage Call
Busing ........................................................................... On the Road Coach Concierge Road Concierge
CREDITS
Scenery built and painted by Hudson Scenic Studios. Lighting equipment from PRG Lighting. Sound equipment by PRG Audio.
CONNECT WITH CHICAGO ON TOUR CHICAGOONTOUR.COM
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