ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking for some extra razzle-dazzle will soon have just that chance if they make their way to Wichita.
The American Theatre Guild will be presenting the Tony Award-winning musical "Chicago" at Century II Performing Arts Center in Wichita. Performances will be Friday, Dec. 20 (7:30 p.m.), Saturday, Dec. 21 (2 and 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 22 (1 p.m). The show follows the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer, Billy Flynn, to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines.
“I'm beyond excited to be visiting Wichita, there are actually a couple of our cast members who have either performed there before or are originally from there, which is amazing,” cast member Connor Sullivan, who portrays Billy Flynn, said. “And it'll be my first time there, so that adds to everything. It's always really exciting to experience and explore new towns and cities and new places, and I'll need to ask my fellow cast members some tips on what to do for the short time we'll be there.”
Sullivan said his journey to being part of the show actually began a few years ago.
“I auditioned for the 'Chicago' tour in New York City, and my first audition was back in 2020, which included some callbacks. I didn't end up booking the show at that time and did a few other shows in the meantime,” Sullivan said. “I went back and auditioned again in the summer of 2023 and went through the callback process in New York City again and was lucky enough to book the tour then as Billy Flynn, and I've been touring with the show since then.I love the music, which is classic Kander and Ebb jazz, and we've got a great orchestra we travel with that's really talented. I also really love the story, and I love my character because he's really interesting and is very charming and unscrupulous at the same time. It's really interesting trying to find ways to relate to his character and find more of his positive qualities.”
As Sullivan tells it, however, his journey in the musical theatre world actually began much earlier.
“I started doing musicals when I was in middle school. My sister was really interested in musicals and wanted to audition for 'Oklahoma' at that point but wanted a familiar face with her in the cast, so I read lines with her and ended up doing that show,” Sullivan said. “That was the beginning of my interest in the acting side of everything, and that was actually the first thing I latched onto, because the singing came a little while later. I loved acting and the sense of community as we were all creating a story, and I just kept doing it off and on. I got more serious about it all when I got into high school and ended up going to college and getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre, and I've done it professionally since then. I started out not being super interested and now I'm in the cast of one of the longest-running shows in history, which I think is pretty amazing, and I've really enjoyed working with everyone.”
With the show being in Wichita for only a weekend, Sullivan said he hopes a lot of people are able to make their way to the show.
“'Chicago' truly has something for everyone. If you like great live jazz music, you'll get that. If you're a fan of Bob Fosse-style choreography and dance, you'll DEFINITELY get that,” Sullivan said. “If you're looking for a show that's quick-witted and funny and interesting and intriguing, you'll get that. I really feel like 'Chicago' is a musical for everyone, and that's what I tell everyone when I try to convince them to come to the show. All of that is among the many reasons I enjoy about being part of the show, and I stay interested because there's so much fun and complexity to the story and the characters, and there's just a lot that's great about it.”
Along with the Wichita stop, Sullivan said he is also excited for the rest of the show’s tour.
“I know we'll be stopping in Nashville at some point, and we'll also be going to New Orleans, Miami, Dayton, Ohio, Knoxville, Tenn., and Milwaukee, Wisc., among many others,” Sullivan said. “I'm excited about the Milwaukee stop because I actually grew up in Wisconsin, so it'll be almost kind of a homecoming for me. I'm really excited for the rest of the tour, and I especially can't wait to go to New Orleans because there's just so much history and culture there. We'll also have some international stops in Mexico and Canada, which will also be really neat to me.”
Overall, Sullivan said, he and the cast are excited to be making their way to Kansas.
“I really love this cast, everyone is amazingly talented from the leads to the ensemble and everywhere in between. The creative team is also amazing, we've got Daniel Hyslop as our director and he's worked with the Broadway production for a couple decades now,” Sullivan said. “We've also got Gregory Butler as the show's choreographer and he's also been around the Broadway production for several years. Robert Billig is our music supervisor and has done so, so much in the musical theatre world and has a miles-long list of credits to his name. Our entire creative team is just amazing and I feel so blessed to be able to work with them on this tour. We're really excited to make our way to Wichita, and since we're only there for that weekend, we hope to see as many people there as possible. It's going to be really exciting and really fun, and we can't wait.”
