Now celebrating ten years of entertainment across the country, the record-breaking smash hit musical CHICAGO will come to the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts this January. Tony nominee Tom Wopat stars in the upcoming tour set to play the SJCPA for a limited engagement January 14 – 18, 2009. Mr. Wopat is currently starring in the role of Billy Flynn on Broadway. Tickets go on sale Thursday, November 6, 2008 and are available by telephone at 1.888.455.SHOW (7469), by visiting www.amtsj.org and directly at the American Musical Theatre of San Jose box office, 1717 Technology Drive, San Jose during box office hours Monday through Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm. CHICAGO is presented by American Musical Theatre of San Jose.
Murder. Greed. Corruption. Violence. Exploitation. Adultery. Treachery. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of
Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids.
Tony-nominated actor
Tom Wopat returns to the role of Billy Flynn after having played the part in both the Broadway and National Touring productions. Other Broadway credits include
A Catered Affair (Tom, Tony nomination) Glengarry Glen Ross (James Lingk), 42nd Street (Julian Marsh), Annie Get Your Gun (
Frank Butler, Tony nomination), Guys and Dolls, City of Angels, Carousel, I Love My Wife. Off-B'way: The Guys. Perhaps best known for his seven-season run on TV's "The Dukes of Hazzard" and seen on the CBS sitcom "Cybill," Mr. Wopat began performing in musicals at age 12. His NY debut was the Off-B'way musical A Bistro Car on the CNR, and he then starred in The Robber Bridegroom at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. Wopat has released successful albums with CBS, Capitol and Angel Records and has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe. He recently performed in a
Carnegie Hall tribute to
Harold Arlen and his CD of this tribute, Dissertation on the State of Bliss, is now available.
With a book by
Fred Ebb and
Bob Fosse, music by
John Kander and lyrics by
Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.
Directed by
Walter Bobbie and choreographed by
Ann Reinking, CHICAGO features set design by
John Lee Beatty, costume design by
William Ivey Long, lighting design by
Ken Billington and sound design by
Scott Lehrer. The production also features orchestrations by
Ralph Burns, supervising music direction by
Rob Fisher.
Produced by Barry and
Fran Weissler, CHICAGO has become a worldwide phenomenon. The London production of CHICAGO continues to hold the record as the longest running American Musical in West End history.
Other previous international engagements include productions in Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Dubai, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan. Return engagements of CHICAGO are slated for Korea, Denmark and Japan in 2008, and Australia and Holland in 2009.
CHICAGO is a production not to be missed. And all the reviewers agree. Time Magazine calls it "A Triumph," Newsweek raves "Smashing" and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by calling CHICAGO "Broadway's Most Electrifying Show." Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more information.
Now in its 74th year, AMTSJ's 2008/2009 Subscription Season includes the West Coast premiere of the spectacular family musical adventure TARZAN®, The Stage Musical, Based on the Disney Film, February 10-22, 2009 and the Tony Award®-winning, tap-dancing sensation 42nd Street, April 14-26, 2009. Subscribers are not only first in line for priority seating, but are able to purchase tickets to special add-on shows before the public such as a pair of Tony Award® winners: the sizzling Best Revival of a Musical, Chicago, January 14-18, 2009 and the hilarious and irreverent Best Musical
Avenue Q, March 4-8, 2009. To subscribe, please call the box office at 1.888.455.SHOW (Mon-Fri. 9am-5pm) or visit the website at
www.amtsj.org.
As of this release AMTSJ's 2008/2009 Season Sponsors include Applied Materials, Citti's Florist, official florist of AMTSJ; City of San Jose, Doubletree Hotel, Equity Office Management, Hallmark Construction, jetBlue Airways, the official airline of AMTSJ; Larkspur Landing, the official hotel of AMTSJ casts and crew; Moreno & Associates, Paolo's Restaurant, official restaurant of AMTSJ; San Jose Marriott, Star One Credit Union, Target, Theatre Publications, and Wells Fargo Bank.
AMTSJ is proud to be a national leader in Accessibility Services and welcomes the opportunity to entertain Accessibility patrons with sign language-interpreted, audio-described and open captioning performances. Contact D.J. Zwicker-Sobrepeña, Director of Education & Outreach, at 408.453.1533 or email education-outreach@amtsj.org for additional information and performance schedules.
For additional information contact: Michael French, Public Relations Manager, American Musical Theatre of San Jose, 1717 Technology Drive, San Jose, CA 95110, 408.453.1543, fax 408.453.7123, mfrench@amtsj.org,
www.amtsj.org
