Chicago: The Musical to open 41st season at Quincy Music Theatre

By Ruben Uribe Gadsden County News Service

Quincy Music Theatre will open its 41st season with Chicago: The Musical, the long-running classic set against the backdrop of the Roaring ’20s in Chicago at the height of the Jazz Age. The show, based on a true story, adapts the 1975 musical by Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb and John Kander, with influences from the 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and the 1996 minimalist revival directed by Walter Bobbie. The plot follows vaudeville performers turned criminals Roxie Hart (Amanda Holton) and Velma Kelly (Ashleigh Littlefield), who stand trial for their lives after a run-in with the law. Their story unfolds in jail and court, with colorful characters including Roxie’s husband, Amos Hart (Hayden Littlefield), a loyal but gullible man exploited by his wife; slick lawyer Billy Flynn (Dakota Miller), who will do anything to secure a not guilty verdict; jail matron “Mama” Morton (Chelsea Ealum); and reporter Mary Sunshine (Ty Stone), who paints the accused women in a sympathetic light. An ensemble of 15 actors supports the six leads. This marks the second time Chicago has been staged at Quincy Music Theatre in the 21st century. The production is directed and choreographed by Taylor Whittle, a veteran of the local theatre scene. Steven Woodell serves as assistant director, prop designer and set dresser, while Sunshine Valdes is stage manager. Musical direction is by Scott Leaman, who will lead a 12-piece orchestra performing live jazz-age–inspired music. A crew of 31 will handle technical operations. Cast members spoke about their roles and the production. Hayden Littlefield, who has acted since age 4 and appeared in more than 35 plays, called Amos Hart “the only honest toiler in the midst of Chicago’s media-spun drama.” “He’s a stereotypical pushover,” Littlefield said. “He takes all the heat and will do anything for the woman he loves.” He added that Amos serves as the show’s moral center among opportunists and egomaniacs. Outside of theatre, Littlefield said his ultimate passion is culinary arts, and he hopes to open a restaurant one day.\ For Whittle, this marks her first time directing a show. “I’ve worked with about half this cast before, so I’ve been balancing new and old collaborators, all of whom trust me as a director,” she said. Her connection to Chicago began in second grade, when she saw her dance teacher perform in the musical. “I didn’t understand the story at that age,” she said, “but I was entranced by Fosse’s distinct choreographic style.” Whittle said the production blends elements of the original Watkins script and the 1990s revival. “Expect a more classic vaudeville interpretation in the costumes,” she said. At its core, she added, Chicago remains “a satirical comedy about the downfall of the American judicial system, the romanticization of criminals and the swaying of public perception through mass media.” Chelsea Ealum, a QMT regular who plays Mama Morton, described her character as having a “commanding presence.” A 2009 University of Florida theatre graduate, Ealum said the role requires demanding vocal work. “She oversees the jail and the ‘Merry Murderesses.’ Mama Morton is based on Sophie Tucker, the ‘Last of the Red Hot Mamas,’ and is definitely larger than life,” she said. Dakota Miller, who plays Billy Flynn, called him “a fast-talking lawyer, a scam artist, a con artist. None of what he does is appropriate, but it’s all performative to achieve his goals.” Miller, who has appeared in more than 60 musicals since 2009, said he was eager to work with what he called a “stacked cast.” “Come see this show,” Miller said. “It’s good, it’s popular. I’ve never seen a show this popular done this well.”

Performances will take place at Quincy Music Theatre at 118 E. Washington Street, Quincy, Florida on the following dates:

Weekend 1

Friday, Oct 3, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct 4, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct 5, 2:30 p.m.

Weekend 2

Friday, Oct 10, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct 11, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct 12, 2:30 p.m.

Individual tickets for Chicago: The Musical can be purchased on the theatre website (www.quincymusictheatre.com), by calling or visiting the Box Office at 850-875-9444, or by emailing qmtofficial@quincymusictheatre.com. Ticket Prices are $22 for Adults, $19 for Senior (62+) and Military; and $17.00 for Students of any age. Each ticket includes a $2 processing fee. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Please call ahead for wheelchair seating and/or service animals. Parking will be available at street level on East Washington Street (in front of the theatre), in the grassy lot behind the theatre (on the corner of Franklin and Duval Streets), at Bell & Bates Hardware Store after 5 p.m. and all day Sunday, and in the unpaved lot behind the Quincy Garden Club. Please allow a few extra minutes for parking before the “curtain.”

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