Can 'Chicago' Make $20K?

The faint tinkle of a jazz piano drifted out of the Agassiz Theatre last Sunday as the cast and crew of “Chicago” prepared for opening night. Faced with only three-and-a-half weeks to rehearse—a remarkably short time to put together any show, let alone a musical with a large cast—both staff and performers have been forced to turn to innovative means of directing, choreographing, and perfecting their show before the first performance next Thursday.

Instead of the more typical process of working with the cast to determine the most effective staging for each scene, Director Chris N. Hanley ’07 and Assistant Director Jenny K. Taylor ’07 planned out the blocking for the entire show in January, before even a single actor had auditioned. Most of the choreography was also set in January, although choreographer Megan M. Powell ’08 says that some minor changes were made later in response to the specific talents and needs of the cast.

Besides its very brief rehearsal period, Hanley’s “Chicago” faces the daunting task of equaling the high-caliber performances of both the long-running Broadway production and the star-studded Rob Marshall film version that many potential audience members have seen. This task presented difficulties from the very beginning, when a Harvard production of “Chicago” was little more than a pipe dream. Instead of merely buying performance rights for the show, as is normal procedure for most existing musicals, Hanley actually spoke with the producers of the current Broadway run of “Chicago” about acquiring the rights to perform it.

Getting the rights to perform “Chicago” required a much larger fee than most shows. When combined with other expenses, the show racked up a debt of $5,798 by early February. Yet the ambitious Hanley plans not only to recoup that amount in ticket sales, but also to turn a profit—of over $20,000. If he and his team succeed, they will donate the profits to the Office for the Arts at Harvard as an endowment for House drama productions.

Part of the agreement prohibited the students from changing anything in the show’s script, including stage directions and notes on characters’ emotions and inflections. “It was pretty limiting,” says Publicity and Relations Head Stephanie R. Camaglia ’07. “We couldn’t cut out a single word.”

Despite contractual obligations, Hanley, Taylor, and the show’s four choreographers have found numerous ways to innovate and revitalize the well-known show. Camaglia explained that during the casting process, the staff specifically looked for performers who could “put a new spin on” the characters through choices in interpretation. Additionally, the set will be a far cry from the opulent stage sets of the movie version. Stage Manager Tara L. Moross ’09 describes the set as minimalist, accompanied by simple yet effective lighting effects like silhouetting characters behind screens. “Chris wants a real vaudeville stage-show feel to it,” says Camaglia.

Besides widespread familiarity with the movie version of “Chicago,” both the original Broadway production and its recent revival are known among dancers and musical theater enthusiasts as some of legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse’s finest work. “Chicago” is almost always synonymous with “the Fosse style,” a meticulous dance and performance technique that many in the field say takes at least a decade to master. Powell and her fellow choreographers Christine M. Fitzgerald ’07, Micaela B. “Mimi” Owusu ’07, and Nicola E. Ulibarri ’08 approached the challenge of following in Fosse’s footsteps with respect and an eye for innovation.

“We tried to reach a balance,” says Powell. “We worked in the style of Bob Fosse with some more modern elements added. We’d say it’s a modernized Fosse style.”

All staff members emphasize the extreme talent and dedication of cast members. Besides learning the show material quickly, many cast members rehearsed on their own wherever they could find space. The impromptu run-throughs of the show’s musical numbers led by chorus member Silas P. Howland ’08 in the hallway of his Cabot House entryway have become study break entertainment for his neighbors, who often poke their heads out of their rooms to watch a bit of “All That Jazz.”

“I knew there were talented people at Harvard, but I had no idea how talented, and how many, there were until working on this show,” says Camaglia. “It kind of puts you in awe to watch it.”

—Staff writer Marin J. D. Orlosky can be reached at orlosky@fas.harvard.edu.