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Chicago the Musical Appreciation Thread |
yeah, there was no possible way I could've made it in on Sunday or last night to see her.
with fellow Texan Dylis Croman (Roxie Hart) and Lana Gordon (Velma Kelly) outside the "Chicago" stage door at the Jesse Jones Theatre in Houston, Texas. It was the 25th time I had seen the show (12 on Broadway, 13 on tour).
Did anyone see Desi Oakley as Roxie in her first two-week run in May? She's back next week and I'm curious how she is in the role.
two random questions,
1.) When did the show start doing short contracts for the leads? Besides AFW and R. Lowe, the leads usually leave after 3-4 months.
2.) When did the show start stunt casting? I think it started around the same time the movie came out, but I can be wrong. The show still stunt cast, but it doesn't' seem as much as they did about 10 years ago.
Rachel Schur is on for Matron Mama Morton tonite (per her Instagram page).
This is another opportunity to see Donna Marie Asbury perform. Her previous 54 Below concert was a sold-out success. https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/AT-THIS-PERFORMANCE-Returns-To-The-Green-Room-July-1st-20190626?fbclid=IwAR0lWiYX1el5mzQg5C4dnnlgCfBT9nJWKBnEXxpuOXJWJiwySm5ozGIN0nA
Saw the show last Friday. Yikes, what a mess! Most of the cast looked bored as hell, starting with Amra Faye Wright, who makes it more than obvious she's been doing the show for almost 20 years. Desi Oakley has little to no stage presence, and while her vocals her fine, I kept forgetting her character existed. The Billy, Mama, and Amos were great but couldn't save the show. They need to clean out most of the cast and just close this already.
At least AFW is leaving shortly to do the US tour in Asia. Curious who'll play Velma this summer? As for the ensemble, some are fairly new to the show, so it's sad to hear they look bored already.
When AFW leaves on July 14, I think Lana Gordon will step into the role of Velma. Terra C is busy at the moment, playing "Tanya" in the Bucks County Playhouse production of "Mamma Mia" (until Aug. 3). There have been celebrity Velmas in the past. It has been quite a while that the Broadway "Chicago" has found a celebrity who would able to take on such a demanding role. It's incredible that very few ladies are available at any period of time to play Velma. The show is putting an effort to cast new players. Gary Cooper is a new Billy Flynn u/s. I'm not sure if he's had an opportunity to play the role. I've heard wonderful things (online) about Desi Oakley. Ryan Silverman is the current Billy Flynn (whose current contract runs till July 14). Now, there are plenty of potential Billy Flynns out there.
I do hope we have a new Velma for the summer, oftentimes those end dates get pushed back - oftentimes with AFW. Hoping to head back to the show mid-July to check-in with so many new faces.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
joined:11/25/18
joined:
11/25/18
Littleshopofcarrie said: "Saw the show last Friday. Yikes, what a mess! Most of the cast looked bored as hell, starting with Amra Faye Wright, who makes itmore than obvious she's been doing the show for almost 20 years.Desi Oakley has little to no stage presence, and while her vocals her fine, I kept forgetting her character existed. The Billy, Mama, and Amos were great but couldn't save the show. They need to clean out most of the cast and just close this already."
Chicago could benefit from overhauling the cast and bringing in new faces. I saw the show 10 years ago with AFW as Velma. The ensemble was visibly bored and phoning it in. I was relieved when it was finally over. It’s sad that this is still is still the case.
joined:12/8/15
joined:
12/8/15
Did anyone see Yonekura last night?
I'd love to catch her. I've lived in Japan on and off so I'm familiar with her work and this might be the excuse that will finally get me to see this production.
Anyone have any idea what the rush situation might be like? Any chance they'll sell SRO even if they aren't "sold out"? The stage door looked pretty crowded.
Dylis Croman will be Roxie Hart at the Ambassador Theatre from July 29th --- August 18th. She is FAbulous!
Desi Oakley returns as Roxie on July15th.
Ryoko Yonekura is the current Roxie until July 14th.






joined:5/5/04
joined:
5/5/04
Posted: 6/4/19 at 7:03pm
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008