Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, & Book by Bob Fosse and Maurine Dallas Watkins
Produced by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals
Directed By
John Grimmett
Cody Edgar
Assistant to the Directors
Nicoleta Savage
Choreographer
Devin Norwood
Assistant Choreographer
Evi Dewey
Music Direction
Roxan Silva
Stephen Jones
Lighting Design
Peyton Rucker
Sound Design
Nicholas Pham
Production Design
Edgar Alanis
Michael Savage
Wayne Gibson
Stephen Bennett
Costume Design
Amy Petersen
Amanda Hayes
Michelle Kloesel
Director’s Note
For many of the students you will see onstage tonight, this will be their first musical production with Ovation Theatre. It has been difficult to process that CHICAGO will be the first musical production on our stage in almost two years due to the pandemic. While producing a musical has always been a challenge, the added obstacles of “resuming life as normal” after a not-so-normal period of isolation, sickness, and – in some cases – profound familial loss have created certain wounds that have been difficult to heal. At the very least, the pandemic has left us with a scar that we will never be able to remove altogether, and it will remind us of this period of time every time we look at ourselves wholly.
CHICAGO has been one of those classic pieces of American theatre that forces the audience to reckon with ideas about fame, celebrity, crime, and acquittal. When looked at through a truthful lens, we can see both what is there and what we choose to see. In some ways, we are all like Roxie who will do whatever it takes for her moment in the spotlight. Unfortunately, for others of us, that means doing bad things to get what is wanted. Of course, CHICAGO would be far less interesting – and not at all difficult – if Roxie didn’t murder Fred Casely, if she and Amos left the city for a pastoral midwestern landscape in an example of an uncomplicated marriage, and if her path never crossed with Velma Kelly, Billy Flynn, Mama Morton, and Mary Sunshine. That may well be an episode of a Hallmark movie we’d see today on television that placates Americans into not delving wholly into the complications we face in society as it pertains for liberty and justice for all.
But that isn’t the story CHICAGO is trying to tell. Thank goodness.
We had a choice after the pandemic: we could go “back to normal” and choose something light-hearted, ditzy, unthinking -- or we could challenge our students to intelligently confront the questions that still linger 100 years after this story was set about collective American values. Our students, unsurprisingly, have risen to the occasion, and Mr. Edgar and I could not be prouder of their work. They have truly persevered to a new level.
So we, the audience, find ourselves back in the theatre again after many days of darkness -- in a new way and in a new world. I sincerely hope you enjoy the show tonight, and I am so excited to share this one with you. We should all remember, on the way to your cars tonight, that we have an awful lot of work to do in our world to become kinder, better people for each other – I pray our students be just the beginning of that story.
John Grimmett
Director, Ovation Theatre
Our students are some of the best and brightest in the state of Texas. Consider donating to our program today. Together, we can move the future of Ovation Theatre forward by helping our students reach new heights.
Musical Numbers
ACT I
ACT II
There will be a 15-minute intermission between acts. The total running time for this show is 2 hours.
Cast
ROXIE HART
Valeria Jimenez
VELMA KELLY
Arianna Damian
AMOS HART
Andrew Bennett
MAMA MORTON
Cameron Marshall
BILLY FLYNN
Zaccai Campos
MARY SUNSHINE
Jessica Reed
LIZ
Arielle Sanchez
ANNIE
Mikayla Hoffman
JUNE
Gianna Eaton
HUNYAK
Drew Allen
MONA
Katrina Samuelson
KITTY
Ashley McKay
FRED CASELY/HARRY
Gideon Lancaster
OFFICER FOGARTY
Austin Wright
JUDGE
Sora Srivastava
HARRISON
Isabel Fabrega
CLERK
Christina Payne
REPORTERS
Milo Christner, Taylor Cavazos, Abigail Gibson
ENSEMBLE
Sarah Abraham, Carissa Campos,
Hannah Forney, Nora Hayes,
Sophia Hoffler, Amanda Hopfe,
Rafael Jimenez, Maxwill Kloesel,
Sydney Larmond, Andrea Macioch,
Cate Mercado, Olivia Moeller,
Khadi Nguyen, Isabella Novogradac,
Halle Peterson, Sarah Reed,
Olivia Rodriguez, Rianna Roy,
Amber Schaefer, Isabella Soares,
Becca Sommer, Julia Spence,
Emmy Spradling, Phoenix Walwyn
Crew
Stage Managers
Paige Miller
Nicholas Pham
Assistant Stage Managers
Peyton Rucker
Lauren Furr
Lighting
Crew Head: Peyton Rucker
Matthew Petersen
Jackson Holden
Spotlight
Crew Head: Dunya Bhuiyan
Marissa Jackson
Sydney Neilon
Sofie Rogers
Fly
Crew Head: Kyle Bennett
James Frazier
Michael Soares
Ray Poggemoeller
Sound
Crew Head: Nicholas Pham
Hadiya Henderson
Props
Crew Head: Alyssa Salazar
Kristen Witte
Abby Strachota
Costumes, Hair, and Makeup
Crew Head: Kimaya Savargaonkar
Savannah Snell
Kyra Loyd
Luke Holden
Elizabeth Eapen
Running Crew
Crew Heads: Paige Miller and Lauren Furr
Marley Dobson
Carly Fricke
Nia McFarlane
Kaia Rogers
Natalie Yeatts
Be sure to join us for our spring musical production of “The Sound of Music.”
Company
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Orchestra
The following musicians were contracted by BL Music.
Conductor/Piano: Stephen W. Jones
Woodwinds: Graham Tobin
Trumpet 1: Robby Yarber
Trumpet 2: Colin Seig
Trombone 1: Brian Logan
Trombone 2: Josh Chen*
Tuba/Bass: Ali Jackson
Violin: Tori Vourganas
Banjo: Andrew Dugas
Percussion/Drums: Luke Hubley
*Dawson High School Student
Special Thanks
Carla Breaux
Dawson Diamonds
Dawson Eagle Band
Dawson Ovation Booster Club
Encore Choir
Pearland ISD Business Office
Tonya Schepis
Katy Tagliabue
Teri Zuteck
Pearland ISD Administration
Dr. John Kelly, Superintendent
David Moody, Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Nyla Watson, Chief Academic Officer
Jorgannie Carter, Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Brenda Waters, Senior Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education
Larry Berger, Assistant Superintendent for Support Services
Dr. Lisa Nixon, Assistant Superintendent for Special Programs
Dr. Sundie Dahlkamp, Executive Director for Human Resource Services
Dr. LaKesha Henson-Vaughn, Executive Director of Intermediate Schools
Kim Hocott, Executive Director of Communications
Kelly Holt, Executive Director of High Schools
Jon-Paul Estes, Chief Technology Officer
Tom Bell, Director of Fine Arts
Victor Raygoza, Fine Arts Coordinator for Theatre
Stacy Rabago, Administrative Assistant
Board of Trustees
Sean Murphy, President
Jeff Barry, Vice President
Rebecca Decker, Secretary
Toni Carter
Dr. Kristoffer Schoeffler
Crystal Carbone
Lance Botkin
Dawson High School Administration
Erin Hamann, Principal
Carla Breaux, Secretary to the Principal
Jason Karim, Associate Principal
Shelly Black, Assistant Principal
Brandon Childers, Assistant Principal
John Hinton, Assistant Principal
Autumn Maddox, Assistant Principal
Rodney McFarland, Assistant Principal
Gerri Roberts, Assistant Principal
Kori Spruce, Head Counselor
Christopher Daniel
Bob Paluszak
Dr. Prestal Malloy
Brittanee Morris
Jessica Sellers
Dr. Shara Schlitzberger