Potential Spoilers - Mary Sunshine in CHICAGO

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 2:37pm

I was just wondering about the character of Mary Sunshine in Chicago...traditionally she is played by a man, but I remember seeing on the official site that she was played by a woman in one international production (or perhaps it was some tour?). I forgot where I read this, but how do they work that out on stage since the big joke at the end where Mary Sunshine reveals herself as a man...they just eliminate that whole part?

[morosco]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 3:00pm

I once heard that in some productions if the actor playing Mary Sunshine were out sick, the actress playing Matron Mama Morton would play both roles. In the court scene, the big shock would be the fact that Mary Sunshine is actually Mama Morton in disquise. A much better solution I think since it's incredibly difficult to find a male talented enough to pull off a surprise.

[Flight0017]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 4:07pm

In the 2002 production of Chicago in Oslo, Norway, Mary Sunshine was played by a woman. The actress playing her had "beard stubs" all over the face, making the character of Mary Sunshine come off as rather bizarre... For the big revelation in the second act, they did the same thing as in other productions, only I don't think the audience understood anything.

There was only one good thing about the production: Arlene Wilkes as Velma Kelly (see the attached picture)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 4:36pm

I don't get that. Did they do that in the movie?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 4:37pm

No, in the movie the amazing Christine Baranski played the role as a woman as to not giveaway the ending of the musical.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 4:46pm

Not to mention the "revelation" of Mary's Sunshine is a purely theatrical device that would not have translated to film at all.