'Chicago' the musical is heading back to Joburg, and four-time star Samantha Peo said that the new production is a sexy and delicious rush.
The uber sensual musical Chicago is coming back to Johannesburg next month, and it promises to be as delicious as ever.
After a sold-out run in Cape Town, the musical opens at Montecasino’s Teatro from 3 October and runs until 16 November.
And even if you have seen the show before, runners say that it returns with the full glitz of Broadway but stripped of any excess, delivering a version that is both familiar and very fresh.
Stage doyenne Samantha Peo returns as Velma Kelly, and she said that it’s been a magical reprise.
“The script is the same, the music is the same, and the choreography is pretty much the same, but the magic lies in how we are directed as individuals,” she said.
“They encourage us to bring our own personalities into the roles, and that makes every season completely new. Even for me, and this is the fourth time I am performing in Chicago, albeit as different characters, it feels like a first.”
It’s a fresh, stripped-back show
The production team, she said, had gone back to the very beginnings of Bob Fosse’s original vision.
“They wanted to go back to where it started. We have stripped away all the fluff and returned to meaningful storytelling. It has been illuminating for me and deeply exciting. There is something incredibly powerful about this cast; we just seem to click.”
The show is bold in its minimalism.
“There are no set changes, no big pieces being wheeled in or out. Everything comes down to the performers and their performances.
That is what makes it so challenging and so rewarding. It is raw storytelling and choreography, and yet it still creates such an impact.”
It’s a 23-member South African cast and joining Peo on stage are Kiruna-Lind Devar as Roxie Hart, Tankiso Mamabolo as Mama Morton, Jonathan Roxmouth as Billy Flynn and Dean de Klerk as Amos Hart.
“I would always drop anything to do this show,” she said.
“It is my favourite musical. The script, the music, the choreography, everything about it is just exceptional. For anyone who has seen it before, this version will feel new, and for anyone who has never seen it, they are going to be surprised. Chicago is unlike anything else.”
Everything changed for Peo
Peo’s return to the bright lights follows several years away from the stage.
“I came back from the international tour of Chicago in January 2020, and then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. My whole way of earning a living changed. I was introduced to NGO work, bringing expressive arts to marginalised schools and young people who had not been exposed to the arts before. It was very fulfilling and exhausting. For about three or four years, I was working full-time in that space.”
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The NGO chapter of her life ended when her contracts lost funding, all at the same time. Then came a call to perform in The Addams Family in Cape Town.
“It felt divinely orchestrated. Playing Morticia had been on my bucket list, especially after the Wednesday series came out.
“While I was performing in The Addams Family, I auditioned for Chicago and got the role. I am so grateful because I never thought I would get the chance to play Velma again.”
Theatre is still recovering
She said live theatre in South Africa is still recovering after the pandemic.
“Producers must be careful about what they put on because they must fill seats. You can take a chance on a new show, but if it does not work, you have to go back to something tried and tested. There are new production companies and new shows coming through, and there is a rebirth of creativity, but we are not out of the woods yet.”
But the fact that bold productions like Chicago are enjoying successful runs is encouraging, and Peo believes that South African theatre will remain sustainable and, for that matter, grow from strength to strength.
Now, her crosshairs are firmly set on becoming Velma Kelly every night.
“It is thrilling to be part of something that still captivates audiences all over the world. This show has been performed in over 500 cities and seen by more than 34 million people. It keeps going because it is simply that good.”
