“Chicago" at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse -- May 7 through July 5.
Wednesday, May 7, through Saturday, July 5
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
One of few musicals in history to win Tonys, a Grammy, and the Academy Award for Best Picture, the legendary Chicago makes its long-awaited debut at Rock island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse with its May 7 through July 5 run, this second-longest-running show in Broadway history a smash with both audiences and critics, the New York Times stating, "It has theatrical muscle, the characters are vivid, and its issues are ongoing in our public discourse."
Set in 1920s Chicago and based on real-life murders and trials, Chicago follows Roxie Hart, a wannabe vaudevillian star who murders her lover and is arrested, despite her attempts to convince her pushover husband, Amos, to lie for her. In the Cook County Jail, Roxie meets her hero, the famed double-murderess and nightclub performer Velma Kelly. When both acquire the same lawyer, the greedy and lustful superstar Billy Flynn, tensions come to a head as they vie for the spotlight-- though instead of onstage, they’re mugging for the flashbulb of the newspaper reporters. With catchy, sexy music and timeless lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a funny, intelligent, and utterly engaging book by Kander and Bob Fosse, Chicago is a dazzling and satirical look at fame, justice, and the media machine, as well as a musical spectacular that is as addictive as gossip rags and as unforgettable as any trial of the century.
The 1996 Broadway production of Chicago holds the record as the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. It is also the second longest-running show ever to run on Broadway, behind only The Phantom of the Opera. Chicago surpassed Cats in November of 2014, when it played its 7,486th performance, while the West End revival became the longest-running American musical in West End history. The ongoing 1996 revival of Chicago is the longest-running show currently on Broadway, and the musical has been staged in numerous productions around the world. The 2002 film adaptation of the musical also won the Academy Award for Best Picture along with five additional Oscars (including for co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones), while the 1996 revival scored six Tony Awards, including for choreographer Ann Reinking, who played Roxie (substituting for Gwen Verdon) during Chicago's original 1975 run.
Directing and choreographing Circa '21's Chicago is venue veteran Ashley Becher, whose recent musical productions for the dinner theatre have included The Addams Family, A Christmas Story: The Musical, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Area favorite Ron May acts as Chicago's music director, and additional members of Becher's creative team include: production manager Jeremy Littlejohn; stage manager and props designer Kendall McKasson; technical director Richard Baker; set designer and scenic artist Becky Meissen; costume designer Bradley Robert Jensen; lighting designer Heather Hauskins; sound designer Dylan Dutro; assistant stage manager and deck captain Emmett Boedeker; and executive producer Dennis Hitchcock.
Making her Circa '21 debut as Roxie Hart is Sarah Beth Ganey, with Velma Kelly portrayed by Elly Rebeka (Irving Berlin's White Christmas) and lawyer Billy Flynn by Bobby Becher (Jersey Boys). Other famed Chicago characters are played by Sarah Hayes (Matron “Momma” Morton), Nicholas Fuqua (Mary Sunshine), and Robert Sharkey (Amos Hart), while 10 talents complete the ensemble: Jordan Bee; Brynne Davidson; Kyle DeFauw; Gregory Holmes Jr.; Sophia Kilburg; Jeanette Palmer; JuJu Palmer; Chandler James Pettus; Kory Randles; and Chloe Schwab.
In addition to its 7:30 p.m. public previews on May 7 and 8, Chicago runs in Rock Island from May 9 through July 5, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 5:30 p.m.; and Wednesday afternoons at 1:15 p.m. All shows will be preceded by meals and pre-show entertainment by the theatre's performing wait staff of Circa '21 Bootleggers, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
