Chicago Theatre Workshop Announces WICKED CITY Cast and Creative Team

Chicago Theatre Workshop's inaugural season will open with the Chicago premiere of Wicked City by Chad Beguelin (book and lyrics) and music by Matthew Sklar (music), the Tony-Award nominated writers of Elfand The Wedding Singer.

In Wicked City - an original musical comedy sendup of film noir classics like The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity, detective Eddie Cain - a gumshoe of the 1940's in the mold of Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade - deals with both his domineering buT Loving mother Mira and with Jo Van Cleave, the smoldering temptress with a secret who comes between them. The sexy and madcap capers are set to Sklar's gorgeous swing jazz score.

Chicago Theatre Workshop Artistic Director Tom Mullen announced today that Wicked City will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Pazdernik, who earned raves for the same duties on last winter's critical and audience favorite High Fidelity: The Musical with Refuge Theatre Project. Pazdernik's other credits include directing Porchlight's Anyone Can Whistle and Miracle on 34th Streetand Jedlicka Performing Arts Center's A Streetcar Named Desire. He also choreographed Bailiwick Chicago's Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson. Dustin L. Struhall will be musical director. Nick Sula is creating original orchestrations and vocal arrangements of Sklar's score.

Pazdernik's cast will Include Javier Ferreira as Eddie Cain, Dana Tretta* as his mother Mira and Lauren Roesner as femme fatale Jo Van Cleeve. Appearing in other key roles will be Jeff Award nominee Rashada Dawan* as Madame Theresa and Jason Richards in multiple roles. The ensemble will Include Elya Faye Bottiger, Whitney Dottery and Kim Green.