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Chicago the Musical Appreciation Thread |
everythingtaboo said: "Whatever is the first performance after AFW and Cuba are both gone is the one I'll be buying a ticket."
Right!? LOL Chicago is just so tired and needs new blood! The same old tired ole people come back to do Chicago and sleep walk through performances!
As far as the ensemble is concerned, there have been quite a few changes within the past year or so. You have Jessica Ernest playing a fantastic Go-To-Hell-Kitty and is also one of the Roxie understudies. There is Dan Gutierrez (who has played mainly in the touring company and is a swing). Drew Nellessen is an ensemble cast member who has played with the tour. Beth Johnson Nicely is another talented player. Rachel Schur is another of the Roxie understudies. Naomi C. Walley is an ensemble member, but is also a Velma Kelly / Matron Mama Morton understudy. I must admit that there is a very small group of ladies who have an opportunity to play Velma Kelly. One person has gone on as Velma the longest, within the past 8-9 years. Every once in a while, the show brings in a celebrity Roxie, but for a very limited time. I remember seeing Brandy perform as Roxie very well. Celebrity Billy Flynns are sought after because of their name value, appeal and talent. There hasn't been a celebrity Velma Kelly in a very long time. It is a difficult role that has all sorts of requirements. My dream celebrity choice to play Velma Kelly (or Roxie Hart) would be Katharine McPhee.
In an update on principal casting, AFW has extended until July 14, 2019. So, she's been in the show contiuously since August 2018.
Wow, I ran across this little bit of interesting news. I recently followed Jessica Lee Goldyn on Instagram. She recently posted a six show extension of the current run of "Chicago" at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, PA. Jessica plays "Roxie Hart". She is joined by fellow former "A Chorus Line" castmate Heather Parcells (Velma Kelly). https://thefulton.org/chicago-cast/
https://www.telecharge.com/Broadway/Chicago/Overview Tom Hewitt returns as Billy Flynn beginning on Feb. 11th.
Donna Marie Asbury will go on as Velma Kelly on Feb. 25 and 26 (2019).
My friend saw CHICAGO Saturday evening and AFW was out and her understudy was Velma (forgot the name but she told me she was great!) It was also SOLD OUT with folks standing at the back. Great to see this show still selling out!
Tom Hewitt was also an amazing Billy Flynn!
Saw the tour today in New Jersey. Such a delight to see the energy back in this show. My last visit with the show was on Broadway in 2011 and it just felt so stale & lifeless. AFW was Velma, the ensemble had been with the show way too long. I then promised to not return unless I could see the tour or a different cast on Broadway. Though some of them ensemble is new on Broadway, I can't drag myself to the Ambassador to see AFW 8 years later still sleepwalking through the show. It would be such a pleasure if Terra C got a long term gig on Broadway playing Velma. Such great energy & passion for the role. Perfectly executed choreography along with being paired up with Dylis Croman. The Broadway cast could take notes from the tour. It's been over 10 years since I've seen the show this fresh & choreography so crisp & clean. Kudos to the tour cast of Chicago. Catch this cast if it's coming near you in the next few months. It appears they have a month break now and don't resume until March 19. The tour only runs until June 13. I haven't seen the tour pop up on any schedules for the 2019-2020 season. Also, when was the last equity tour to be a bus & truck tour? The remainder of this tour has a lot of one nighters. Very odd for an equity tour.
joined:6/18/08
joined:
6/18/08
I also saw the Cellblock company in Jersey this weekend, and agree that the cast is uniformly fantastic, and all seem to be thrilled to be in the show. If you happen to have family overseas, this company, with a local star as Roxie, are performing the show in Tel Aviv for two weeks of this four-week domestic layoff.
And the current tour of Jersey Boys is also an equity bus and truck-Both are on low-tier SETA contracts, paying not much more per week than the better paying non-equity tours, and, with small casts, and unit sets, have made it economically viable to keep an equity cast with a crazy schedule of one-nighters and split weeks.
https://chicagothemusical.com/new-york/internationaltour/ It is strange that the Tel Aviv stop is not mentioned here. I wonder if the current Cellblock tour cast will also go to Japan and Australia?
J. London will be Mary Sunshine from March 16-24, 2019, while Ryan Lowe goes on vacation.
Lana Jean Gordon (Velma Kelly) will join the current Cellblock Tour beginning March 19 in Roanoke, Virginia. I'm seeing the tour on its last stop in Houston, Texas on June 4 and 5. I haven't been to Houston since I last saw "Chicago" in 2011 (when I saw the show on one weekend in Dallas and the next weekend in Houston). https://chicagothemusical.com/new-york/ustour/
Hello, would someone please translate the dates? Thank you, Roman Castillo Jr. in Austin, Texas
The cast will be flying out this week and return on March 17th. I wonder what the weather is like in Tel Aviv?
Christy Brinkley is joining the current Cellblock Tour in Phoenix (March 28-31), Las Vegas (April 10-14) and at the Ambassador Theatre NYC (April 18--May 12). https://chicagothemusical.com/new-york/ustour/
it's interesting because the tour has a random one night stop(Kennewick, WA - April 8) in between Phoenix & Las Vegas that Brinkley isn't doing. And there's a gap on Broadway between March 25 - April 16 without a Roxie currently. Curious who they'll bring in for those 3 weeks+? Or they could just have Dylis Croman come in from the tour and fill in. Also, due to Brinkley joining, they add two more performances/dates in Phoenix.
There is a new Mama Morton for a two week limited run. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Haley-Swindal-Joins-CHICAGO-Tonight-as-Matron-Mama-Morton-20190304
I wish I could see Amy Spanger as Roxie Hart. She would be an ideal fill-in on certain dates.
Charlotte D'Amboise will return as Roxie for multiple dates. (Telecharge)
Veronica Dunne as Roxie Hart (thru 3/24)
Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxie Hart (3/25 - 4/17; 5/27 - 6/16)
Christie Brinkley as Roxie Hart (4/18 - 5/12)
Ryoko Yonekura as Roxie Hart (7/1 - 7/14)
Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly (thru 7/14)
Tom Hewitt as Billy Flynn (thru 5/2)
Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart (thru 6/30)
Haley Swindal as Matron "Mama" Morton (thru 3/17)
R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine (thru 3/10)
. There are quite a few available Billys, but it would be great if the charismatic Ryan Silverman gets another shot at the role.






joined:3/4/06
joined:
3/4/06
Posted: 1/21/19 at 3:03pm