“Chicago,” the longest-running Broadway musical, comes to Schenectady courtesy of Union’s Mountebanks club.
The show is being staged at Old Chapel through Saturday, April 9, with performances Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m.
A universal tale of fame, fortune, corruption, greed and all that jazz, the 1920s-era musical follows two rival vaudevillian murderesses. Chorus girl Roxie winds up in prison for the murder of her lover, while her idol, nightclub sensation Velma, is serving time for killing her husband. Both women are set to be defended by Chicago’s slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn.
"Four years ago, Mountebanks started producing one musical a year, completely acted, directed, and produced by students,” says Arielle Singer ’18, vice president of the drama club, the nation’s oldest student performing group. “It’s a phenomenal undertaking, and we think audiences will be pleased at what they see – lot of great singing, dancing and energy.”
The show is directed by Jessica Rosenthal ’18 with assistance from Singer, who also serves as stage manager and costume designer. Giorgia Comeau ’16 is the choreographer, and James Boggs ’18 is technical director.
Comeau, who has experiencing choreographing for musicals and individual dance pieces, says she particularly enjoys the challenge of creating dance for musicals. “They’re a unique genre because the story line and music already have been created. These must coincide with the movements you give to the characters, and you have to keep in mind that the characters will be singing for some if not all of that musical number.”
The full cast of “Chicago” includes 16 students.
Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Contact comeaug@union.edu with questions.