By Dustin Curry
Theatre at Southeastern and the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Department of Music is in rehearsals for its next production, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Broadway hit “Chicago.” The musical plays February 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. in Southeastern’s historic Montgomery Auditorium. Tickets are $15 or $10 in advance with a valid SOSU student ID.
In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband Amos to take the rap…until he finds out he’s been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another “Merry Murderess” Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the “American Dream”: fame, fortune and acquittal.
The original Broadway production, staged by legendary film and theatre director and choreographer Bob Fosse, opened in 1975 starring Jerry Orbach, Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon. The show’s 1996 Broadway revival is still running in New York and holds the record for the longest-running musical revival on Broadway. The show was adapted into an acclaimed film in 2002 starring Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones and won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
“Our production of ‘Chicago’ is inspired by the vaudevillian tradition,” said assistant director Josh Harris. “It’s dark—with murder, greed, corruption—but set to entertaining and memorable tunes, making for a scintillating evening of Fosse.”
Dell McLain directs “Chicago”, assistant directed by Josh Harris, musical direction by Jeremy Blackwood, choreography by Riley Coker, and orchestra conduction by Dr. Jacob Wallace. The production stars Mindamora Rocha as Velma Kelly, Laura Renfro as Roxie Hart, Domanick Hubbard as Billy Flynn and Dustin Curry as Amos Hart. The cast also includes Cortney Baker, Sarah Carr, Alyssa Fawks, Sarah Felder, Rebecca Ford, Sarah Hodson, Brittany Lopez, Dustin McDougall, Cynthia Miller, Collin Mills, Ashlee Mink, Sara Nuncio, Kylie Page, Tanner Risner, Jennifer Rizzo, Patrick Southerland, Judson Wall and Caroline Wright.
Chicago” plays Montgomery Auditorium February 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.se.edu/theatre or call 580-745-2696.