Ruben Uribe
Gadsden County News Service
For the first major show of the 41st Theatre Season, a presentation of the popular musical Chicago! will open at the Quincy Music Theatre.
This long-running classic concerns itself with the nature of fame – and, murder – set against the backdrop of the Roaring 1920s in Chicago, the height of the American Jazz Age. It is an adaptation of the 1975 musical by Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb, and John Kander, with pronounced influences from the 1926 original play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and the 1996 minimalist interpretation directed by Walter Bobbie. This musical is based on a true story.
The plot follows vaudeville villains Roxie Hart (played by Amanda Holton) and Velma Kelly (played by Ashleigh Littlefield) on trial for their lives after a dash with crime, and details their subsequent experiences in jail and court. Chicago! also elaborates on the misadventures of husband Amos Hart (played by Hayden Littlefield), often described as a loyal, well-meaning oaf for his corrupt wife at his own expense, and the shadowy dealings of criminal lawyer Billy Flynn (played by Dakota Miller), who will do just about anything to get a ‘not guilty’ verdict. Additional major characters include Cook County jail boss Matron “Mama” Morton (played by Chelsea Ealum) and Mary Sunshine (played by Ty Stone), a “sob-sister” journalist whose intent with her articles is to paint the two dames in particularly sympathetic light to the wider general public. An ensemble of fifteen actors will join these six leads in bringing the play to fruition.
This will be the second time Chicago! will be performing at the Quincy Music Theatre in the 21st Century. It is directed and choreographed by Taylor Whittle, a veteran of the local Theatre scene. Steven Woodell, himself an experienced actor, will be working in multiple capacities of Assistant Director, Prop Designer, and Set Dresser. Sunshine Valdes will be the Stage Manager of this show. Scott Leaman will be directing the music production of Chicago! with a live 12-piece ensemble orchestra of brass, string, keyboards, and percussion. This classically-trained pit combo will be performing music emblematic of the budding music of the then Jazz Age. Quincy Music Theatre is the only such theatre in North Florida dedicated to a consistent live instrumentation for audience appreciation. A crew of thirty-one will be handling the technical logistics of bringing Chicago! to Quincy, Florida; this production team was frequently described by all as a “well-oiled machine.”
A number of the cast and crew lent their thoughts to their respective roles and the combined efforts that will make the opening of this magical theatrical meditation one for the playbills.
Hayden Littlefield has been a character actor on the stage since the age of four, beginning with The King and I. He has performed in well over thirty-five major plays over the course of his life since then. He describes his character, Amos Hart, as the only honest toiler in the midst of Chicago!’s media-spun drama.
“He’s a stereotypical pushover, and frankly he lets Roxie get away with whatever she wants. He’s the guy who takes all of the heat, who’ll do anything for the woman he loves – he unfailingly makes sure all of her misdeeds go unnoticed as smoothly as possible,” Littlefield said.
He further described Amos as the show’s moral center bouncing between opportunists and egomaniacs, all of whom have no redeemable qualities. “I find it easier to play Amos because he is so cut and dry,” he mentioned, just as easily as he loves theatre as an outlet for so many things, even though his ultimate passion is culinary. Hayden hopes one day to open a restaurant.
The occasion was particularly special for first-time director Taylor Whittle.
“I have fifty-fifty worked with this cast before, so I’ve been getting to manage new and old collaborators, all of whom trusting in me as a director,” Whittle said.
She has only choreographed actors before, and has significant experience in that field. Her connection to Chicago! stems from an early admiration of theatre.
“I originally saw Chicago in second Grade, starring my childhood dance teacher. I didn’t understand anything about it, except the dance parts which were entrancing because of Fosse’s distinct choreographic style, which I adored.”
This musical mirrors the vaudeville acts of the Jazz Age, and, if one were to study closely enough, find sly and frequent cues. However, Whittle remarked this interpretation of Chicago! is a merging of the original and the revival.
“We looked closely at the original Watkins script and saw that there were many plot threads that were simplified or altogether excluded in the 1990s revival for spectacle, it just wasn’t as bulky in the plot department. As well as with the minimalist all-black dresses. Please expect a more classic vaudeville interpretation in the dress department,” she said.
But at its core, Whittle said Chicago! still is what it is…a satirical comedy about the downfall of the American judicial system, the romanization of criminals, and the swaying of public perception through mass media.
Matron “Mama” Morton is played by QMT regular Chelsea Ealum, who describes the jail boss as having a “commanding presence.” Ealum studied Theatre intensively and was conferred a Bachelors on the subject in 2009 from the University of Florida. In this extremely demanding role, there is required a lot of vocal belting which Ealum says puts her learning to proper use. “She oversees the jail, and manages all of the gals there. The ‘Merry Murderesses.’ She is based on the timeless Sophie Tucker, famously known as the “Last of the Red Hot Mamas” for those well-versed in early risqué Jazz recordings. I think both Sophie Tucker and Mama Morton can be described as larger than life. Which is to say there is lots of innuendo.” Ealum said while there are many familiar faces she has worked with previously, and she is looking forward to collaborating with those who are new in showing this classic to the Big Bend region, again.
Dakota Miller, who plays Billy Flynn, lawyer extraordinaire said, “He’s a fast-talking lawyer, a scam artist, a con artist. None of what he does is appropriate by any means. And I get it, I get “padding the gratuity”, the performative aspect of what Billy Flynn does, because he is obliged to do it to achieve his goals for his clients.”
Having seen and loved the 2002 adaptation by Rob Marshall, Miller said he was eager to work with what he called an equally “stacked cast.” He has performed in music theatre since 2009, and has done at least over sixty-nine shows.
“Come see this show,” he said, “it’s good, it’s popular. I have 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 (850-875-9444), or by emailing qmtofficial@quincymusictheatre.com. Ticket Prices are $22.00 for Adults, $19 for Senior (62+) and Military; and $17.00 for Students of any age. Each ticket includes a $2.00 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.”
