Broadway: Happy 28th To CHICAGO The Musical

Sending all my best to the Broadway cast and crew of CHICAGO the Musical as the Tony Award-winning production celebrates its 28th year on the Great White Way today! As I’ve shared on The Randy Report before, CHICAGO became a huge part of my career as I joined the show early on in its Broadway revival incarnation. A journey I never imagined until it happened: CHICAGO became my ‘happy accident’ in 1998. I had finished working on Broadway and the road with Hello, Dolly! and had no idea what was next when the casting folks for CHICAGO held an audition in Los Angeles, and I went on a lark. Six months later, I was asked to join the national touring company during its sit-down in LA as a temporary replacement for two weeks. That extended to another two weeks, and another two weeks, and the next thing I knew it was three months later and I was still wearing black.

After several months with the “Velma” company, the NY office asked me to head to Detroit to join the “Roxie” company. The day I touched down in Detroit, I got the call to join the Broadway company. I happened to join the company at the Shubert Theater during the show’s 2nd anniversary. It was the first time the production was being reviewed since opening, so rehearsals were called and I had the chance to work one-on-one with our award winning creative team, director Walter Bobbie and choreographer Ann Reinking.

I won’t go on and on, but CHICAGO was truly the gift that keeps giving. I’d finish a contract with the show, head home to hubby Michael, and a month or so later, they’d call asking if I could fill in here, do the “new” national company, or be a part of the Lisbon company in Portugal. And then, in 2013, just as I was turning 50, CHICAGO called again – this time to do the show at the legendary Hollywood Bowl.

It was quite the heady time, believe me. But more than anything, it was working with the best of the best that made the experience so rich. From Tony Award winners Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen and Karen Ziemba, Tony nominees Charlotte d’Amboise and Marcia Lewis, to Broadway veterans Brent Barrett, Brenda Braxton, Mamie Duncan Gibbs, David Sabella, Caitlin Carter, Greg Mitchell, Stephanie Pope, Roz Ryan, Sharon Moore, and so many, many more… It was a dream to swim in the deep end.

I won’t go on, but I’ll close this with my deep, deep, heartfelt thanks to the one and only Ann Reinking, who picked me to go on the amazing journey that was/is CHICAGO. I am forever grateful for the chance to dance for you.