Remember the good old days of the Roaring 1920s when murder and mayhem made newspaper headlines, unethical lawyers roamed courtrooms and “sob sister” journalists pulled readers’ heart strings with phony sentimentality.
These disreputable attributes will be on display in the Endicott Performing Arts Center’s production of the musical Chicago, which opens Thursday (April 11).
Also on display will be great songs, flashy dance numbers, a large 26-member cast and 1920s razzmatazz. “It’s a show everybody loves,” said EPAC’s Artistic Director Pat Foti, who is directing the production.
Based on a play of the same name by reporter and playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins, Chicago has justifiably earned its status as a Broadway classic. The legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb supplied the music and lyrics. The equally legendary Bob Fosse was the director and choreographer and co-wrote the book with Ebb.
The original 1975 production — featuring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach — ran for 936 performances. But that was only the beginning. A 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest running revival in Broadway history and also a record as the second-longest running show in Broadway history, behind The Phantom of the Opera
Simply put: Chicago is great fun, Foti said, noting EPAC successfully staged the musical once before about a decade ago.
The musical is a fictionalized version of an actual 1924 murder case in which two women were charged with killing their lovers. Watkins covered their trials for the Chicago Tribune, and her sensationalized stories about the attractive “jazz babies” achieved wide popularity.
The new EPAC production features Jean Graham, Alex VanTassel and Matt Gaska in the main roles. All have lengthy performing resumes in local and regional theater.
Graham and VanTassel play the two accused murderesses, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, whose cases create media frenzies. Gaska plays their charismatic, but shady attorney, Billy Flynn, who pulls out all the stops to defend them. “He’s a big sleaze, but he’s got great songs,” Foti said, with a laugh.
Chicago is strongly identified with Fosse’s choreography that featured jazz moves, jazz hands and meticulous movement. Emily Foti, who is choreographing the EPAC production, is using this style as her template.
“I love the music and also the dancing. And I really love the Fosse feel,” said Graham about her role as Roxie. But the production is physically demanding, she added, noting a great deal of effort is going into making the dance steps precise and synchronized.
Chicago is “definitely a show where the ensemble is a key part,” Graham said. And the EPAC production has “a wonderful cast of talented dancers,” she noted.
Musical director for the show is Paula Bacorn. She is being assisted by Nikki Indelicato. The actors will sing to a pre-recorded music track.
Pat Foti calls Chicago a satire of the media sensationalism that was prevalent in tabloid newspapers of the 1920s and survives in some outlets to this day. Audiences should expect a lot of razzle dazzle and “a lot of seductive women,” he said. It was the Jazz Age after all.
“People are going to walk away with a smile for sure,” Foti said.
IF YOU GO: The musical Chicagowill be performed April 11-14 at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Ave., Endicott. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. Reserved seating tickets at $25 ($22 for seniors and students) are available at the EPAC box office and at www.EndicottArts.com.
