Chicago will return to a Perth stage when local company Drew Anthony Creative stage a bold new production of the popular musical this September.
The production will stage 21 performances at Northbridge’s Royale Theatre, which is located on the top floor of the Planet Royale venue on Lake Street.
Drew Anthony, who will produce a direct the upcoming production shared his excitement about staging the award winning musical.
“I am excited to announce that I will be presenting 28 performances of Chicago – a Musical Vaudeville throughout September 2022 at The Royale Theatre – Perth’s very cool new theatre located on the top floor of the Planet Royale entertainment complex in Northbridge.
“This reimagined production will be designed especially for the unique and intimate 184 seat theatre space and will feature a cast of first-class theatre performers. I can’t wait to share this production with Perth audiences in this awesome new theatre.” Drew Anthony said.
The show is the company’s second production for 2022, having staged Grease earlier this year. Anthony shared that he has plans to stage three more musicals in 2023.
Anthony has an impressive resume as a performer, choreographer and director. Early in his career he performed with the Queensland Ballet ands the Australian Youth Ballet before going on to work on a range of shows including Hot Shoe Shuffle, Cats, and Me and My Girl.
As a resident chorographer he’s worked on national tours of Singin’ in the Rain, 42nd Street, Hairspray, Jolson, and many more. He’s also worked with Rachel Beck, Olivia Newton-John, Carlotta and many other famous names.
It’s been more than a decade since Perth audiences last got a chance to see the popular Broadway musical. The Kander and Ebb musical made it’s debut in 1975 and directed and choregraphed by the Legendary Bob Fosse.
The satirical show is based on real life murder cases from the 1920’s and the concept of a celebrity criminal. It previously inspired a 1920’s play of the same name, and was also the inspiration for the 1942 Ginger Rodgers film Roxie Hart.
While Fosse’s original Broadway production ran for two years in the late 1970’s, a revived version of the show that debuted in 1996 enjoys one of the longest runs of in Broadway history. It’s still going strong and has now played over 10,000 performances.
The show is famous for the wide variety of actors who have played the title roles. The original production starred Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach. Anne Reinking, Bebe Neuwith and Joel Grey starred in the Broadway revival.
Over the years Liza Minelli, Mel B, Christie Brinkley, Melanie Griffith, Bonnie Langford, Nana Visitor, Tina Arena, Ute Lemper, Caroline O’Connor, Brooke Shields and Alison Moyet are just a few of the hundreds of well known names who’ve appeared in the show.
Chicago was adapted for the screen in 2002 with Renne Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John. Reilly, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu and Dominic West among the cast.
For the upcoming Perth production Lucy Williamson will play Velma Kelly. The West End musical thetare star who is now based in Perth recently delivered impressive performance as Judy Garland in The Boy From Oz. Elethea Sartorelli will play Roxie Hart, and well known Perth actor Brendan Hansen will take on the role of Billy Flynn.
Vincent Hooper will play Amons Hart, and Greg Jarema, who delivered a great performance in Legally Blonde, will play Mary Sunshine. WHile the role of Mama Morton will has gone to Rachel Monamy.
Filling out the cast in a host of talented local performers including Benson Jack Anthony, John Berry, Natasha Covem, Tiffany De Luca, Lauren Ferreira, Cameron Gibson, Emma Haines, G Madison IV, Adam Perryman, Ciara Taylor and Ruby Voss.
Tickets to the upcoming season are on sale now.
OIP Staff
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