WILLMAR -- "Chicago," a musical based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, opens tonight at The Barn Theatre in downtown Willmar.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. today through Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Additional performances will be staged Feb. 23-26 and March 2-5. All Sunday performances begin at 2:30 pm.
The play "Chicago" was Watkins' retelling of two very public murder trials that occurred in Chicago in 1924. Watkins had been a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and later wrote the play based on her coverage.
Gwen Verdon read the play and asked her ex-husband Bob Fosse about the possibility of creating a musical based on it. He approached Watkins for permission to adapt her play but was consistently refused. He obtained the rights from her estate following her death in 1969, leading to the development of the musical "Chicago."
Nicki Dyson plays Velma Kelly, a vaudeville artiste with Connie Youngren playing Roxie Hart, a nightclub chorine.
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Tim Ostby is Amos Hart, her mechanical husband, and Jon Wood plays the hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn.
Matron Mama Morton, countess of the clink, is played by Lisa Dusek. Jill Benson is Mary Sunshine, a glowing reporter, Matt Gillen is Fred Casely, a fading bed man, while Jason Gonzalez is the Master of Ceremonies, a mouthpiece.
The six merry murderesses are played by Bethany Bauer, Kayla Bothum, Kathryn Bontjes, Amber Young, Nicki Dyson and Marla Kalin.
Other members of the cast include Dan Eggen, Jon Horning, Brianne Fernholz, Steve Gothen, Craig Holter, Mark Holton, Larry Lundgren, Anthony Reynolds, Tess Anderson, Katie Fernandez, Melanie Hansen, Raine Minke and Cassandra Vesa.
The play is being directed by Geoff Bennett, with choreography by Colleen Peterson.
The band is directed by Dennis Benson. Band members include Dean Gylten, Terry Brau, Mike Morris, Paul Baumgarten, Tim Pieh, Viv Watson, Bruce Marcus, Carl Holm, Amy Kelliher, Jack Hanney and Jay Skrukrud.
The set design, lighting design and costume design are by Christopher McAnnich, props mistress is Robin Spencer, sound design and operator is Phil Nelson, and stage managers are Angie Benson and Drew Benson, with assistant stage manager Sara Jacobson.
For ticket availability contact The Barn Theatre box office at 235-9500. The Barn Theatre is at 321 S.W. Fourth St. in downtown Willmar.
