Chicago: "Is everybody here….is everybody ready?"

Dates: May 3-8, 2005, Andrew Jackson Hall
Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville Times:

7:30 p.m. Tuesday
7:30 p.m. Wednesday
7:30 p.m. Thursday
8:00 p.m. Friday
2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday
2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Tickets: $19-68, available at www.tpac.org, TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills), all Ticketmaster outlets; or by calling Ticketmaster, 615/255-ARTS (2787) Web sites: www.tpac.org
www.ticketmaster.com
www.chicagothemusical.com

CHICAGO continues to “razzle- dazzle” audiences since it opened to rave reviews at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. The Washington Post called it “Stylish and Bold! What you see is what you so gloriously get.” WRC TV entertainment reporter, Arch Campbell said, “CHICAGO is one of this year’s great delights! The cast blows the roof off the joint!” “A killer production,” said Rohan Preston of the Star Tribune and Leslie Katz of the San Francisco Examiner proclaims CHICAGO is “smart, sassy and riveting!”

“We’re pleased to bring such a Broadway favorite back to TPAC, especially following the success of the Academy Award-winning film version of CHICAGO,” said Brent Hyams, TPAC’s director of marketing. “With a very talented and sexy international cast and the dynamic Bob Fosse-style choreography, this exhilarating show is a great addition to our regular Broadway season.”

Produced by Tony Award winners, Barry and Fran Weissler and under the Tony Award-winning direction of Walter Bobbie and spotlighting the Tony Award-winning choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of the legendary Bob Fosse, CHICAGO features the “razzle-dazzle” music and lyrics of master Broadway multi-award-winning composers John Kander and Fred Ebb, with book by Mr. Ebb and the late Bob Fosse.

Bianca Marroquin and Terra C. MacLeod will play the leading roles of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. Gregory Harrison will step into the shoes of master attorney Billy Flynn. Carol Woods will be Matron Mama Morton, Kevin Carolan will be Amos Hart and R. Bean will grace the stage as Mary Sunshine. The company will include Eddie Bennett, Nicole Bridgewater, David Bushman, Melissa Fagan, Ivy Fox, David Kent, Erich McMillan-McCall, Wilson Mendieta, Angel Reda, Dante Sciarra, Steven Sofia, Jasond Thomas, Debra Walton, Tonya Wathen and Matt Zarley.

Bianca Marroquin starred in the successful Mexico City production of CHICAGO as Roxie Hart and then went on to make her Broadway debut in the role. Terra C. MacLeod comes to the National Tour after making her Broadway debut in the role of Velma Kelly, a role she also originated in the French production of CHICAGO in Montreal and Paris.

Gregory Harrison is best known for his role (seven seasons) in “Trapper John, MD” along with his many television films including “For Ladies Only” and his starring roles on Broadway in Kander & Ebb’s “Steel Pier” and the revival of “Follies.”

Carol Woods returns to reprise her role as “Mama Morton” which she performed in the First National Tour of CHICAGO. Carol’s impressive list of Broadway credits include The Full Monty, Follies, Smokey Joe’s Café, Stepping Out, The Goodbye Girl, Big River, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas among others. Carol is known to audiences around the world for her stage, film, television, concert and nightclub performances.

CHICAGO, winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and a Grammy Award for its cast recording, has the distinction of being Broadway’s longest running revival, still SRO in its 8th year at the Ambassador Theatre in New York. It’s the story of two real life murderesses and a lawyer who turns them into media celebrities is a page right out of today’s newspapers.

The immense worldwide success of CHICAGO spawned the Academy Award-winning film version. But, seeing it live is an experience you will never forget. The jazz, the style, the music, and the dancing all add up to an experience that will exhilarate. CHICAGO is a production not to be missed. And all the reviewers agree. Time Magazine calls it “A Triumph,” Newsweek raves “Smashing” and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by calling CHICAGO “Broadway’s Most Electrifying Show.”

Tickets for CHICAGO are scaled from $19-68, depending upon performance times and seat locations. For tickets, visit the TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills), online at www.tpac.org, or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchasead by calling Ticketmaster at 615/255-ARTS (2787). For information on offers for groups of 20 or more, call TPAC Group Sales at 615/782-4060.

CHICAGO is recommended for mature audiences.

The HCA/TriStar Broadway in Nashville at TPAC Series is sponsored by American Airlines, Cadillac, Coca-Cola and The Hermitage Hotel. Show sponsors for CHICAGO are WJXA Mix 92.9, WSMV Channel 4 News and The Tennessean.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing and supporting the presentation of the performing arts to the citizens of Tennessee. Its four stages are home to Broadway in Nashville at TPAC, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, The Nashville Symphony, Tennessee Repertory Theatre and a variety of special engagements. TPAC administers one of the largest and most comprehensive arts-in-education programs in the United States, offering learning opportunities for children and adults. The organization has served more than 1.3 million students from pre-school to high school over the past two decades. For more information, visit the web site www.tpac.org.

GIVE THEM THE OLD RAZZLE DAZZLE…
RAZZLE DAZZLE THEM