Chicago the Musical Appreciation Thread- Page 135

[Melissa25]

Posted: 11/11/24 at 10:13pm

Happy Birthday Roman!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/11/24 at 11:35pm

Interesting u/s situation tonight. Mikalya Renfrow was on as Velma. Dylis back as Roxie and Max Clayton is back this week as Billy. Chelsea James covered Hunyak, Sharon Moore covered Liz and Mary Claire King split tracked tonight playing Kitty and covering Annie. Denny Pascall was on as Amos and Eddie Bennett is back for two weeks and covered Aaron. Jayke Workman is also back as the Mary Sunshine standby.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/16/24 at 8:08pm

Raymond Bokhour is out of Chicago until further notice. Red Concepcion was called back into the show last night and will cover the role for the next two weeks. With Joseph London on vacation, Denny Paschall was playing Amos since Monday. London played Amos all last weekend.

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/25/24 at 12:11pm

Chicago is the lone Broadway show performing on Thanksgiving. Some of the cast took to their IGs to vent and say they're scheduled to do 14 shows in ten days without a day off.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/25/24 at 5:11pm

They’re lucky to be employed. Like Mitzi Gaynor told future actor Tim Bagley when he was one of her dancers in the 1970s and he wasn’t feeling good and wanted a day off: “honey, we’re performers, we hunker thru but we don’t take a day off - the show still goes on.” 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 11/25/24 at 11:14pm

ACL2006 said: "Chicago is the lone Broadway show performing on Thanksgiving. Some of the cast took to their IGs to vent and say they're scheduled to do 14 shows in ten days without a day off."   That is frigging cruel!

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/28/24 at 2:50pm

Chicago did sellout their show tonight. A friend grabbed a SRO ticket after the parade as he's staying in NYC for the weekend. Not bad considering the show has only one (D-list) name in it.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/7/24 at 11:05am

What is happening at Chicago? Haley Swindal was called in yesterday to cover "Mama" for the weekend. Red Concepcion is still covering Amos. Thursday saw Sharon Moore somehow doing a split track of June and Annie. Rachel Schur was Mama on Thursday with Kristen Faith Oei as Velma. Chelsea James covered Hunyak that night.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/13/24 at 5:39am

Does anyone know who is the next Billy Flynn, after Sebastian Yatra exits?   By the way, has there been any video footage of him singing?  

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/13/24 at 8:16am

They're supposed to have "new" leads for all four roles come January. Red Concepcion is Amos through January 4 now. I believe Bianca Marroquin and Kimberly Marable exit on January 4 as well. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/13/24 at 10:10pm

Swings are working this week at CHICAGO.

Sharon Moore has been June all week. Celine Nightengale was on vacation Mon/Tue but has been Mama Thur/Fri.

Chelsea James has bounced around from Annie to Mona to Go-To-Hell Kitty all week.

Marty Lawson has covered Fred Casely all week as they prep their new Fred Casely, John Michael Fiumara.

David Bushman has also bounced around this week covering Aaron & Sergent Fogarty.

Matthew Winnegge was called in to cover Michael Scirrotto until further notice.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/15/24 at 5:56pm

John Michael Fiumara (the new Fred Casely)

[MezzA101]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 7:21pm

Erika Jayne to Return to Broadway as Roxie Hart in 'Chicago' (Exclusive)

https://people.com/erika-jayne-return-to-broadway-chicago-exclusive-8763398

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 7:22pm

MezzA101 said: "Erika Jayne to Return to Broadway as Roxie Hart in 'Chicago' (Exclusive)

https://people.com/erika-jayne-return-to-broadway-chicago-exclusive-8763398"

3 weeks only. still no word on who'll be Billy Flynn starting Monday.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 11:01pm

As it happens every year, the months of January and February are challenging months in terms of grosses.  I wonder if Pamela Anderson might consider another run as Roxie.  I recall that people seemed to like her as Roxie.  It's strange that there's no news about the next Billy.  What's up with that? 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 11:26pm

I wonder if Pamela Anderson might consider another run as Roxie.  I recall that people seemed to like her as Roxie.

You definitely live under one huge rock. Her career right now is going thru a major transformation and the spotlight on her and her new film is enormous. It’s very unlikely she’ll have the time to return to CHICAGO in the near future and at this point, any plans for any future project on Broadway will be in something new not as a replacement.  

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/19/24 at 5:32pm

Max von Essen is returning as Billy on Monday. Guess they couldn't get anyone else to start Christmas week.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 12/20/24 at 7:32am

Associated Press - How the Roxies are made: Behind the iconic role in Broadway’s mega hit ‘Chicago’

A bit of a fluff article, not a lot of new information, but a fun read. 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/20/24 at 1:46pm

I imagine Max Von Essen will have the most Billy Flynn performances in a calendar year.  Does he have the all time record of Most Billy Flynn performances of all time??

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 5:11pm

Caught the show again (37th time) last night, Dec. 27 and it was sold out. I got to see my favorite Roxie again, Bianca Marroquin, and she was phenomenal as usual. I was not looking forward to Kim Marable because I did not enjoy her Velma last time but my oh my I have to say she was electric last night--might I say she was the best Velma I've ever seen. I hope she can stay in the role (or at least keep coming back to it like Bianca).  Alas, I have always wanted to see an understudy for Roxie or Velma, but maybe next time. 

The audience was----interesting. During the show, you would have thought it was a special performance or there was some kind of beloved celeb in the show. During the entre-acte, it's normal to see people clap, but last night people were full on dancing in their seats. it was nice to see. And many stayed til the end of the orchestra's music as well. When Velma and Roxie were given their flowers, as soon as the applause started to die down and Velma started her lines, the applause would roar back and back and back. But then on the way out, all I hear is "it was ok. It wasnt like the movie at all. It just wasn't that good etc)  

I have to say though that two of the male ensembles did not have a good night last time. I could see it in their faces that they were not in the moment during All That Jazz. Another moment that stood out was the end of "Reached for the Gun" during Flynn's long note, the ensemble guys are bent over with the girls on their backs, and while everybody else was looking at the audience, winking, goofing, etc, these two had their eyes tightly shut and looked like they wouldn't last one more second with this girl on their back. I did enjoy when one of the ensemble slapped another guy (forget who) on the butt during All that Jazz and clearly threw him off his mark, and the two of them kept whispering about it for a bit. 

The girls next to me.  Smh.  Smh. I was 3rd row aisle front orchestra, and they came in about 15 minutes before showtime. Then one made me get up so she can use the restroom. Then the other. I always appreciate when groups get up at the same time. Then one came back with FOUR drinks. Sat down. THEN went to the restroom. Then they both came back at different times. So if you're counting, I've now gotten up for them SEVEN times and the show had not even started yet. And the second girl came back with two more drinks!  That's 432 dollars on alcohol!  I mean, to each his own, but dang lol. At intermission--- you guessed it!  Only one had to use the restroom. Then the other. Then they came back separately.  The one decided they needed more 72 dollar drinks. So I got up for them a total of 13 times over the course of the show. And that's not even the worst of it. Me and My Baby is my favorite number in the show.  Wanna guess when the second one decided to come back?  Yup.  Then the row in front of me, all stands up and completely blocks my view while one person squeezes in. Then somebody in the next row. I missed almost the entire number. I was going to talk to the House Manager about an entrance pause at the top of Act 2, but I figured that's a producer decision and Barry and Fran don't seem like the type who want to discourage people from buying drinks. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 5:18pm

Bianca and Kimberly Marable are leaving on Jan. 19. No word on the new Velma. Red Concepcion is out as Amos on Jan. 4. Max von Essen just returned as Billy but is apparently just there for a limited time.

Some of these ensemble members have been there for 10-15 years. Time to move on already.

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 12:06am

Phantom4ever said: "Caught the show again (37th time) last night, Dec. 27 and it was sold out. I got to see my favorite Roxie again, Bianca Marroquin, and she was phenomenal as usual. I was not looking forward to Kim Marable because I did not enjoy her Velma last time but my oh my I have to say she was electric last night--might I say she was the best Velma I've ever seen. I hope she can stay in the role (or at least keep coming back to it like Bianca). Alas, I have always wanted to see an understudy for Roxie or Velma, but maybe next time.

The audience was----interesting. During the show, you would have thought it was a special performance or there was some kind of beloved celeb in the show. During the entre-acte, it's normal to see people clap, but last night people were full on dancing in their seats. it was nice to see. And many stayed til the end of the orchestra's music as well. When Velma and Roxie were given their flowers, as soon as the applause started to die down and Velma started her lines, the applause would roar back and back and back. But then on the way out, all I hear is "it was ok. It wasnt like the movie at all. It just wasn't that good etc)

I have to say though that two of the male ensembles did not have a good night last time. I could see it in their faces that they were not in the moment during All That Jazz. Another moment that stood out was the end of "Reached for the Gun" during Flynn's long note, the ensemble guys are bent over with the girls on their backs, and while everybody else was looking at the audience, winking, goofing, etc, these two had their eyes tightly shut and looked like they wouldn't last one more second with this girl on their back. I did enjoy when one of the ensemble slapped another guy (forget who) on the butt during All that Jazz and clearly threw him off his mark, and the two of them kept whispering about it for a bit.

The girls next to me. Smh. Smh. I was 3rd row aisle front orchestra, and they came in about 15 minutes before showtime. Then one made me get up so she can use the restroom. Then the other. I always appreciate when groups get up at the same time. Then one came back with FOUR drinks. Sat down. THEN went to the restroom. Then they both came back at different times. So if you're counting, I've now gotten up for them SEVEN times and the show had not even started yet. And the second girl came back with two more drinks! That's 432 dollars on alcohol! I mean, to each his own, but dang lol. At intermission--- you guessed it! Only one had to use the restroom. Then the other. Then they came back separately. The one decided they needed more 72 dollar drinks. So I got up for them a total of 13 times over the course of the show. And that's not even the worst of it. Me and My Baby is my favorite number in the show. Wanna guess when the second one decided to come back? Yup. Then the row in front of me, all stands up and completely blocks my view while one person squeezes in. Then somebody in the next row. I missed almost the entire number. I was going to talk to the House Manager about an entrance pause at the top of Act 2, but I figured that's a producer decision and Barry and Fran don't seem like the type who want to discourage people from buying drinks."

Next time stick your foot out so she trips .  I’m tired of just taking rude behavior.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 10:44pm

I was taking a look at the Chicago the Musical website and came upon this new cast member by the name of Tia Altinay (covering the role of Mona).  She began with the show on November 11th.  I also noticed that Drew Nellessen is now listed as an understudy for the role of Amos Hart.  

Updated On: 12/29/24 at 10:44 PM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/30/24 at 9:13pm

Kimberly Marable will continue as Velma Kelly until February 9, 2025.  

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 1/1/25 at 7:15am

https://www.broadway.com/photos/gallery/1242/backstage-at-chicago-2024/132159/   Some backstage photos with the cast of Chicago (courtesy of Broadway.com).