Winner of six 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, Chicago has everything that makes Broadway greats a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.
Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes she reported on. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the “celebrity criminal.”
Whether you’ve seen it before and want to recapture the magic or you’ve been thrilled by the Academy Award-winning film, Chicago always delivers. Don’t miss the experience of this show live on stage at the Ivoryton Playhouse.
Based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins
Script adaptation by David Thompson
Executive Producers: Michael A. Dattilo and Frank Perrotti
Chicago is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
Generously sponsored by:
Jose Amor (Male Ensemble) is a performer hailing from NYC. Some of his favorite projects include the Off Broadway production of Nicholas Nickley The Musical (Theater For The New City), West Side Story Tribute (The Palace), Rumble In The Jungle (Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas) and Target Kaleidoscopic Fashion Show (The Standard Hotel). Regional Theatre: Chicago, Evita and Wizard Of Oz. Love to family and friends.
Sarah Mae Banning (Female Ensemble) is thrilled to be returning to her New England roots for the summer while making her Ivoryton Playhouse debut! She received her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the Hartt School. Off Broadway/ National Tour credits include Mrs. Pinkerton in Pinkalicious (Vital Theatre). Regional credits: Ariel in The Little Mermaid (Summer Theatre of New Canaan), Amber in Hairspray, Miss Flannery/ Pearl Lady in Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Producers, The Drowsy Chaperone, West Side Story, Rent (Mac-Haydn Theatre), The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes by Kooman & Dimond (Goodspeed Opera House). Educational credits: Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Smile, Barnum. sarahmaebanning.com
Grant Benedict (
Male Ensemble) is delighted to be returning to Ivoryton Playhouse for Chicago and RENT! Grant was last seen singing about dames in Ivoryton’s production of South Pacific. Regional: A Christmas Carol (Hartford Stage); We Foxes (Goodspeed Musicals); South Pacific (Ivoryton Playhouse); Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz (Palace Theatre, NH); Hairspray (Sharon Playhouse). Concerts: HSO & Goodspeed Celebrate The Best of Broadway (The Bushnell); Women Composers in Music Theatre. Grant is a recent graduate of The Hartt School where he received his BFA in Music Theatre. As always, thanks to my family, friends, and coffee for their unwavering support! www.grantbenedict.com
Daniela Delahuerta (Female Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her Ivoryton Playhouse debut and to be doing Chicago The Musical again! Recent credits include Chicago: The Musical at Phoenix Theatre, Memphis: The Musical at Phoenix Theatre, The King and I at Arizona Broadway Theatre, and Jesus Christ Superstar at Desert Stages. Daniela is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City with a focus in Musical Theatre. She owns her own music studio in Manhattan called Manhattan Studio of Music where she teaches private singing lessons along side her husband, Steven Delahuerta, who teaches private piano lessons. “I am so happy to be married to you, Steven! Thank you for always being there for me. And thank you, Mami, Papi, and Little One for always believing in me!” www.DanielaDelahuerta.com
Taavon Gamble* (Male Ensemble) is thrilled to return to Ivoryton Playhouse after appearing in Memphis last season! Tour: Seussical. Regional: Oklahoma!, Trinity Repertory Company; Richie, A Chorus Line, New Bedford Festival Theatre; Maximillian, Candide, Quantum Theatre; Naphtali, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Pittsburgh Music Theatre; Andy Lee, 42nd Street, SSMT; Theatre By The Sea, Ocean State Theatre Company, West Virginia Public Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. Workshops/Readings: Caesar, My Heart Is The Drum, Village Theatre; In Transit. Taavon is a graduate of Point Park University. ATB Talent. Many thanks to Jacqui and Todd! http://taavongamble.com
Stacey Harris* (Velma Kelly) has appeared on Broadway in Bells Are Ringing, in the National Tours of Cinderella, Show Boat, and Dreamgirls, and off Broadway in The Megile Of Itzik Manger (Esther), The Golden Land (Fannie), and Lone Star Love (Consuela, Mrs. Ford u/s). Favorite regional roles include Sally Bowles in Cabaret (Mason Street Warehouse), Lola in Damn Yankees (Arrow Rock Lyceum), Roxie in Chicago (Riverside Theatre), Jane in ‘S Wonderful (Westchester Broadway), Irene in Crazy For You (Riverside Theatre), Anita in West Side Story (Flat Rock & Reagle Players), Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie (Village Theatre), Edythe in My One and Only (Candlelight Playhouse), Elaine in Last of The Red Hot Lovers (New Harmony), Lala in The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Flat Rock), and Anna in Syncopation. (Capital Rep & Merrimack Rep). A graduate of Northwestern University, Stacey is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. www.stacey-harris.com
Caroline Lellouche (Female Ensemble) is so excited to make her Ivoryton Playhouse debut in Chicago! Caroline is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory, where she received a BFA in Musical Theatre. Conservatory credits include Gussie in Merrily We Roll Along and Ellen in Miss Saigon. Professional credits include Annleigh in We Are The Tigers (Musical Theatre Factory, NYC) Female Swing in The Donkey Show (American Repertory Theatre), and Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray (Summer Theatre of New Canaan). Endless thanks to her family and friends for their constant love and support! CarolineLellouche.com
Danny McHugh (Male Ensemble) is excited to be making his Ivoryton debut in Chicago! A native of Minneapolis, MN, he now calls NYC home. Favorite credits include: Rock of Ages National Tour (Drew), Singin in the Rain (Don Lockwood), the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and original cast for Stephen Schwartz’s Magic to Do. Love to family, friends, and Jess!
Lyn Philistine* (Roxie Hart)Lyn received a Connecticut Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical as The Soubrette in Sugar Babies, and is thrilled to be making her Ivoryton Playhouse debut! Broadway/Tours: Monty Python’s Spamalot (Lady of the Lake) Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters, Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt, Disney’s On the Record, A Christmas Story. Other New York credits include playing Rosina in A Bronx Tale directed by Robert De Niro and Jerry Zaks, Oliver! (Nancy), Golf: The Musical, and the original casts of Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden and Bunty Berman Presents directed by Scott Elliot. She created the role of Cleopatra Turnmeova in The Suicide: A Musical Comedy directed by John Rando, and was recently a Soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra in Bernstein’s Mass conducted by Yannick Neget-Seguin. Regional credits include: Walnut Street Theatre’s A Christmas Story (Mother) Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Maria Elena), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, (Woman #1), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti), A Chorus Line (Cassie), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdelene). BFA from CCM.All my love to Christopher and our little Dylan…
Jason Daniel Rath (Male Ensemble) is thrilled to be working at the Ivoryton Playhouse. He is a recent graduate of Wagner College with a BA in Theatre Performance with a minor in Dance. His previous credits include: A Chorus Line (Mike), CATS (Rum Tum Tugger), Iolanthe (Willis), and Chicago (Foggarty). For more information on Jason visit: www.jason-rath.com
Nick Raynor (Male Ensemble) is thrilled to make his Ivoryton Playhouse debut! He is a Mason Gross graduate with a B.M. in voice performance and minor in dance. National Touring credits include: A Chorus Line (Mark), Guys and Dolls (Scranton Slim, Nicely u/s), The Producers (Ensemble, Carmen Ghia*/Lead Tenor u/s). Favorite Regional credits: Pippin (Leading Player), HAIR (Claude), Tommy (Tommy u/s, Dance Captain, Lad 1). You may also spot Nick on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on E1S2! Huge thank you to his family/friends for their love and tremendous support! Make sure to say Hello through www.nickraynor.com!
Carolina Santos Read* Born in London to Brazilian parents and raised in Madrid and Connecticut, Carolina graduated with a BFA in dance and BA in Political Science from Fordham University with the Alvin Ailey School and has performed with the Eastern CT Ballet, Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theater and Ballet Hispanico’s ensemble in New York. She was in the musicals South Pacific (assoc choreographer, dance captain, ensemble), Evita (tango dancer/dance captain), The Producers (ensemble), Home for the Holidays (Sarah) and Giffords Circus Yasmine! A Musical 2010 UK tour (dancer/asst. choreographer). She has performed in Canto Flamenco choreographed by Melinda Marquez as part of Southern CT State University’s 60 Days of Nonviolence Festival and a solo Flamenco Nuevo in the 2012 Provincetown Dance Festival. TV/Film credits include “Friends With Kids” (Chicago dancer), “The Reflection,” “Beautiful Girls” (Denise, Choreographer: Cannes Film Festival 2012), Law & Order SVU, Gossip Girl, and ABC Pilot Pan Am. She recently performed Off Broadway in La Revolucion and Moctezuma and in 50 Shades! The Musical Parody. Carolina has commercial, music video, and modeling experience. For more please visit www.CarolinaSantosRead.com.
Ian Shain (Amos) is overjoyed to making his Ivoryton Playhouse debut with Chicago! Originally from Boston, Ian is a recent graduate of NYU/Tisch, holding a BFA in Drama (Musical Theatre) from the New Studio on Broadway. Previous credits include: The Apple Tree (Adam/King Arik) at NYU/New Studio; Company (Robert) at NYU/Tisch New Theatre; The Sound Of Music (Rolf) at the New London Barn Playhouse; and Les Miserables (Combeferre) at The Sharon Playhouse. Thank you to Jacqui and Todd for this
wonderful opportunity. Much love to my family and friends for their unwavering support.
Z. Spiegel (Mary Sunshine) is delighted to spread “a little bit of good” to everyone at Ivoryton Playhouse! Off-Broadway: The Golden Bride (National Yiddish Theatre). Favorite regional credits: Chicago (Potsdam Music Theatre) directed by Donna Drake, Les Misérables (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Beauty and the Beast (Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts, 2014 B’way World Award Winner), Junior Claus (Little Theatre on the Square), Pirates of Penzance (Bristol Riverside Theatre). B.A. Muhlenberg College. Many thanks to Jacqui and Todd. This one’s for my NYC community, who tells me I can do it everyday. Lots of love to Mom, Dad, Mel, & Steph for their constant unconditional love and support.
Christopher Sutton* (Billy Flynn) A three-time Barrymore Award Nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actor as Mickey in Blood Brothers and Don in Singin’ in the Rain Christopher received the Barrymore Award for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and is a recipient of the Louis B. Sudler National Prize in the Arts. He played the role of Prince Herbert/Not Dead Fred in Monty Python’s Spamalot for over 1,200 performances under the direction of Mike Nichols, and created the title role in Flight of the Lawnchair Man at Goodspeed Opera House and NYMF (Outstanding Actor Award) under the direction of Lynne Taylor-Corbett. Other New York credits include The Harlem Shakespeare Festival’s Antony and Cleopatra (Marcus Antonius), Henry VI (Richard Plantagenet), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and the original casts of ValueVille, Hell Is For Real, Four Messages, Joni Loves Mitchell, Golf: The Musical, Lola-Lola, Lissabon, The Perfect 36, and The It Girl. Regional credits include: Walnut Street Theatre’s A Christmas Story (The Old Man) Memphis (Huey), Me and My Girl (Bill), Carousel (Billy), Of Mice and Men (George), Desire Under the Elms (Eben), Odet’s Golden Boy (Joe), The Sea Gull (Treplyev), Twelfth Night (Feste),As You Like It (Orlando). www.ChristopherSutton.net. All my love and thanx to Lynnie, our son Dylan, and of course, Jacqui!
Sheniqua Denise Trotman* (Mama Morton) is happy to be returning to play at the Ivoryton Playhouse. Sheniqua received the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut playing Effie in Dreamgirls in 2014. Past credits include: Aint Misbehavin, Smokey Joe’s Café, The Life and Once on This Island. For the past two years, Sheniqua has toured with Diana Ross and her daughter, Rhonda Ross.
Lauren Watkins (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her Ivoryton debut with Chicago. Recent credits include Cats at Casa Mañana and Pentangle Arts, My Fair Lady at the Mac-Haydn Theatre, The Sound of Music at the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and as a featured performer on Disney Cruise Line. Love to Mom, Dad, Stevie, Connor, and Suki!
Sarah Mozelle Waxman (Female Ensemble) is a 24 year old Californian now living in New York City. She has been performing since the age of 6 and always dreamed of pursuing the arts. She is very excited to be joining the team at Ivoryton for the summer for Chicago! Previous credits include; The Rocky Horror Show Live! (Columbia), A Chorus Line (Cassie); Jekyll and Hyde (Lucy Harris); Ragtime (Sob Sister); Fame (Miss Bell); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie Dillmount); Into the Woods (Cinderella); SarahMozelleWaxman.com.
Directed by: Todd Underwood
Choreographer: Todd Underwood
Musical Director: Paul Feyer
Stage Manager: William Vann Carlton*
Assistant Stage Manager: Randy Lawson*
Scenic Designer: Martin Scott Marchitto
Lighting Designer: Marcus Abbott
Sound Designer: Tate Burmeister
Costume and Wig Designer: Elizabeth Cipollina
Executive Producers: Michael A. Dattilo and Frank Perrotti
* member of Actors Equity
Join us for an opening night reception with the cast following the performance on Friday, July 1st. Light refreshments will be served.
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Chicago Benefit at Ivoryton Playhouse
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 6 p.m.
On Wednesday, June 29, MCCHH will present an evening of entertainment featuring the premier of the Ivoryton Playhouse production of Chicago. Winner of Six 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, Chicago has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen. Be the first to see this amazing production at the Ivoryton Playhouse.
• 6 p.m.: Hors d’oeuvres, wine and desserts in the Playhouse patio tent
• 7:30 p.m.: Curtain time
• Intermission: Cordial tasting and chocolates on the patio
Tickets are $75 each for general seating or $100 for priority seating with your name listed in the program. For tickets visit: http://anendinten.org/ivoryton.html
All proceeds benefit the efforts of the Middlesex Coalition on Housing & Homelessness to prevent and end homelessness.
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Check back here for photos and video clips!
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Music and dancing and all that jazz! CHICAGO At the Ivoryton Playhouse
Ivoryton –Things are beginning to steam up in Ivoryton as we get ready to open CHICAGO – June 29th – July 24th. (Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse – Music by John Kander – Lyrics by Fred Ebb). Winner of six 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, CHICAGO has everything that makes theatre great; a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another and the most energetic dancing you’ve ever seen!
Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins based on actual criminals and crimes. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the “celebrity criminal.” – as timely today as it was when it first opened on Broadway in 1975.
CHICAGO was revived on Broadway in 1996 and holds the record as the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and is the second longest-running show in Broadway history, behind “The Phantom of the Opera”. The London revival ran for nearly 15 years, becoming the longest-running American musical in West End history.
Christopher Sutton* returns to Ivoryton in the role of Billy Flynn and will be accompanied by his wife, Lynn Philistine* in the role of Roxie Hart. CCC award winning actress, Sheniqua Trotman*, also returns to Ivoryton – this time in the role of Mama Morton. She was last seen here as Effie in DREAMGIRLS. Stacey Harris* will be playing Velma Kelly; Z. Spiegel is Mary Sunshine and Ian Shain is Amos Hart.
The production is directed and choreographed by Todd Underwood and musical directed by Paul Feyer, with set design by Martin Marchitto, lighting design by Marcus Abbott and costume design by Elizabeth Cipollina. Executive Producers are Michael A. Dattilo and Frank Perrotti.
Whether you’ve seen it before and want to recapture the magic or you’ve been thrilled by the Academy Award-winning film, CHICAGO always delivers. Don’t miss the experience of this show live on stage at the Ivoryton Playhouse.
CHICAGO opens at the Ivoryton Playhouse on June 29th and runs through July 24th, 2016. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm.
Tickets are $50 for adults; $45 for seniors; $22 for students and $17 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org
(Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.
*denotes member of Actors Equity
Members of the press are welcome at any performance. Please call ahead for tickets.
Generously sponsored by First Niagara Foundation; Guilford Savings Bank, Middle Oak and The Shops at Saybrook Country Barn
Photos by Anne Hudson
Looking for something to do? Ivoryton Playhouse has been voted best place to see live theatre by readers of The Shoreline Times for three years in a row. Come to Essex and visit our historic, professional theatre – a Connecticut treasure!