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UW-River Falls Theatre to Present 'CHICAGO The Musical'

October 11, 2103--Murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery – all in River Falls, Wisconsin? It can only mean one thing:  CHICAGO The Musical is coming to the University Theatre at UW-River Falls beginning Oct. 24.   

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side 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 to transform her odious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids.   

Directed by UWRF theatre Professor James Zimmerman and choreographed by Dance Instructor Mari Kline, CHICAGO features a cast of 28 and an onstage orchestra of 14, under the direction of UWRF music Professor J. Michael Roy.    

The cast of UWRF students, featuring Claudia Vasquez-Velez of Hudson (Velma Kelly), Kendra Yarke of Cedar, Minn., (Roxie Hart), and Taylor Evans of Hanover, Minn., (Billy Flynn), has been rehearsing since early September, preparing to enact the story, iconic music, and dance numbers from the show, including the popular Cell Block Tango and opening number, All That Jazz.    

With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival. The Broadway revival holds the records for longest-running musical revival and longest-running American musical in Broadway history.  It is also the third longest-running show in Broadway history, having played more than 6,700 performances. But the UWRF production will be in town for six nights only.   

CHICAGO The Musical will play in the UWRF Blanche Davis Theatre, in the Kleinpell Fine Arts building Oct. 24-26, and Oct. 31-Nov. 2.  All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $17/adult, $13/senior, $8/student. Tickets may be purchased or reserved through the University Theatre Box Office in the Kleinpell Fine Arts building or by phone at 715-425-3114.

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