My name is Roman. I'm 57 years of age, born on November 11, 1961 and a native born Texan. I first saw Miss Patti in concert at the Paramount Theatre (Austin) in 1996. I finally got to meet her in person at the same theatre in November 2000. I've met her also in Dallas (2001), San Francisco(July 2001: spoke with her briefly as she left in her limousine).. met her backstage in Houston, Texas (November 2003), saw her perform in "Regina" in March 2005 in D.C. and last saw her in her dressing room at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (March 2006) following her performance in "Sweeny." Most recently, I traveled to NYC in May 2007 to see "Avenue Q", "Drowsy Chaperone", "A Chorus Line" and saw the fabulous Angela Lansbury in "Deuce." Both Angela and Marian Seldes were delightful at the stage door. Most recently, I had the wonderful chance to see Miss Patti backstage in Dallas (on January 22, 2008) when she performed her "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" show on the SMU campus. She was a "doll." Next stop, NYC.. and "Gypsy" on June 10, 2008. I most recently saw Miss Patti in San Antonio, Texas after her "An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin". She is coming to Austin in March 2010. I have my tickets. During my last trip to NYC in June 2010, I saw: "La Cage Aux Folles, "Addams Family" and "Dietrich and Chevalier." In March 2011, I saw "Lombardi", "Priscilla Queen of the Desert", "Wicked" and "Chicago." I can safely say that "Chicago" is now my FAVORITE musical. I just saw Terra McLeod (Velma) and Tracy Shayne (Roxie) in the national tour of "Chicago" in Fort Worth, TX (6 18 2011). Then, I saw "Chicago" once more the following weekend in Houston. Now, "Chicago" is my favorite musical. I saw: "Chicago" on June 8, 2013; "The Nance" on Sat. June 9th and also "Pippin." Finally, I saw "Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike" on Sun. June 10, 2013. I LOVED Pippin. It was so magical!
LovesBway! said: "Has Charlotte D'Amboise stopped dancing?" Uh, guys, Charlotte is the current Roxie at the Ambassador. She started on Sept. 9th and continues her run until Jan. 5, 2020.
I think the producers want to find an unknown person to fill the shoes of Roxie Hart. It's always a good idea to give former Roxies an opportunity at the role (Paige Davis and Amy Spanger come to mind). Plus, the publicity derived from the selection process is always a good thing for the show.
They're having 3 finalists for the Roxie search. I think it's time for one of these searches. When was that casting search for "Grease" ? It will create buzz and interest for the show. Maybe other shows will follow suit?
If you have a chance to see the show before October 13th, then you're in for a treat with Lana Gordon as Velma Kelly. I've seen Charlotte as Roxie, Fastrada and Cassie. This is the first time that I've noticed her getting a fairly long term contract as Roxie (an almost 4 month run).
https://chicagothemusical.com/cast/ Tonya Wathen is back at the Ambassador in the role of Hunyak. She is also one of three Roxie Hart understudies (the other two being Jessica Ernest and Rachel Schur).
