Live Theatre Returns to Stratford's Festival Theatre Today With CHICAGO
This spectacular, all new production is directed and choreographed by Donna Feore.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 12, 2022
Today the Stratford Festival is welcoming audiences back to its iconic Festival Theatre with the first performance of the great Kander and Ebb musical Chicago.
This spectacular, all new production is directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, with Music Director Franklin Brasz, Set Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Costume Designer Dana Osborne, Lighting Designer Michael Walton and Sound Designer Peter McBoyle.
"For our Festival's unique thrust stage I have been given the rare opportunity to completely reimagine the production," says Feore. "Chicago is a big dance show, and dance is not locked in time. We build on the foundations of masters past. Inspired by the music and the remarkable story, I am taking full advantage of the massive talents of the exceptional dancers, actors, singers and musicians of our Stratford company to create a new Chicago for us, for now."
Set in the Roaring Twenties, Chicago tells the story of an aspiring chorus girl and a fading vaudeville star as they each face trial for murder and compete for the services of a shady lawyer.
With all-new knock-'em-dead dance numbers, this landmark production of Chicago - the first major new production outside of New York and London in more than 30 years - features Dan Chameroy as Billy Flynn, Chelsea Preston as Roxie Hart, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Velma Kelly, Sandra Caldwell as Mama Morton and Steve Ross as Amos Hart, with Robert Markus, Eric Abel, Devin Alexander, Gabriel Antonacci, Robert Ball, Devon Michael Brown, Celeste Catena, Amanda De Freitas, Tiffany Deriveau, Henry Firmston, Bonnie Jordan, Lakota Knuckle, Heather Kosik, Bethany Kovarik, Amanda Lundgren, Gracie Mack, Jordan Mah, Chad McFadden, Kyla Musselman, Stephen Patterson, Philip Seguin, Jason Sermonia, Julius Sermonia and Breanna Willis.
The production was to begin on April 6, but as a result of the current Covid surge province-wide, positive cases occurred in the cast, leading to the cancellation of three preview performances.
To keep cancellations to an absolute minimum, the Festival has more actors serving as understudies, with most covering more than one role for additional flexibility. As we pass through this unprecedented Omicron wave, we are confident that cancellations will be rare.
Chicago has its gala opening night on June 3 and runs until October 30 in the Festival Theatre. Tickets are available at stratfordfestival.ca or by calling 1.800.567.1600.
Production Co-Sponsor is RBC. Production support is generously provided by Robert & Mary Ann Gorlin, by Sylvia Soyka, and by Riki Turofsky & Charles Petersen.
This production is dedicated to the memory of former company member Victor A. Young.
The 2022 season also features Hamlet, The Miser, Little Women, Richard III, All's Well That Ends Well, Death and the King's Horseman, Every Little Nookie, Hamlet-911 and 1939. For more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS:
Chicago
Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins
Script adaptation by David Thompson
THE CAST
In order of appearance
Velma Kelly
Jennifer Rider-Shaw
Roxie Hart
Fred Casely
Chad McFadden
Amos Hart
Sergeant Fogarty/Harrison
Liz
Bethany Kovarik
Annie
Amanda Lundgren
June
Heather Kosik
Hunyak
Bonnie Jordan
Mona
Celeste Catena
Matron Mama Morton
Billy Flynn
Mary Sunshine
R. Markus
Go-To-Hell Kitty
Amanda De Freitas
Harry
Devon Michael Brown
Trumpet Player
Philip Seguin
Aaron
Judge
Bailiff
Henry Firmston
Court Clerk
Jordan Mah
Juror
POLICEMEN, GANGSTERS, WAITERS, REPORTERS, CELL BLOCK DANCERS, BILLY DANCERS, RAZZLE DAZZLE DANCERS
Eric Abel, Gabriel Antonacci, Robert Ball, Devon Michael Brown, Celeste Catena, Amanda De Freitas, Henry Firmston, Bonnie Jordan, Heather Kosik, Bethany Kovarik, Amanda Lundgren, Gracie Mack, Jordan Mah, Chad McFadden, Stephen Patterson, Jason Sermonia, Julius Sermonia
SWINGS
Devin Alexander
Lakota Knuckle
Kyla Musselman
Breanna Willis
UNDERSTUDIES
E. Abel Mary Sunshine
Gabriel Antonacci Billy Flynn
Tiffany Deriveau Matron Mama Morton
Bonnie Jordan Velma Kelly
Heather Kosik Roxie Hart
Stephen Patterson Amos Hart
ARTISTIC CREDITS
Director Donna Feore
Choreographer Donna Feore
Music Director Franklin Brasz
Set Designer Michael Gianfrancesco
Costume Designer Dana Osborne
Lighting Designer Michael Walton
Sound Designer Peter McBoyle
Supervising Fight Director Geoff Scovell
Producer David Auster
Casting Director Beth Russell
Creative Planning Director Jason Miller
Associate Director Stephan Dickson
Associate Choreographer Stephan Dickson
Assistant Choreographer Jason Sermonia
Assistant Set and Costume Designers Joshua Quinlan, Mary-Jo Carter Dodd
Assistant Lighting Designers Alia Stephen, Sruthi Suresan, Imogen Wilson
Assistant Sound Designer Adam Campbell
Dance Captain Julius Sermonia
Fight Captain Gabriel Antonacci
Aerial Consultant Nicole Smith, Cirquesmith
Cultural Consultant Justin Miller
Stage Manager Cynthia Toushan
Assistant Stage Managers Krista Blackwood, Tiffany Fraser
Apprentice Stage Manager Caitlin Mears
Production Assistant Ciaran Brenneman
Production Stage Manager Elizabeth McDermott
Technical Director Robbin Cheesman
Photo credit: David Hou
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