Sophie Carmen-Jones has been cast as Velma Kelly in the national tour of Chicago
Full casting has been announced for the international award-winning musical Chicago, which opens a national tour at the New Theatre Oxford on Friday 12 February 2016. Joining the previously announced John Partridge as Billy Flynn, Hayley Tamaddon as Roxie Hart and Sam Bailey as Mama Morton will be Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Neil Ditt as Amos Hart and A.D. Richardson as Mary Sunshine.
The rest of the company includes: Daniele Arbisi, Nicola Coates, Frances Dee, Adam Denman, Francis Foreman, Waylon Jacobs, Justin-Lee Jones, Dann Kharsa, Chelsea Labadini, Ellie Mitchell, Peter Nash, Helen Siveter, Kerry Spark, Lindsey Tierney and Emily Warner.
John Partridge is currently a housemate in this year’s Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5. He is probably best known for playing the role of Christian Clarke in EastEnders. His many musical theatre credits include Rum Tum Tugger in Cats in the West End, on tour and in the official film of the show, John in Miss Saigon on the first UK national tour and most recently Zach in A Chorus Line at the London Palladium. Partridge was also a judge on BBC1’s Over the Rainbow, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search to find a Dorothy for the musical The Wizard of Oz.
Hayley Tamaddon has just finished playing Andrea Beckett in Coronation Street. She also played Del Dingle in Emmerdale. Her numerous theatre credits include The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and Janet in The Rocky Horror Show. Tamaddon also won the fifth series of ITV1’s Dancing on Ice.
Sam Bailey worked as a prison officer at HM Prison Gartree for three years until 2013. At the end of that year she won the tenth series of The X Factor, receiving more than a million votes over the course of the final weekend. Following her win, her debut single ‘Skyscraper’ was released and achieved the Christmas No. 1. This was followed in 2014 with her debut album, The Power of Love, reaching No. 1 in the album charts.
Hayley Tamaddon, John Partridge and Sam Bailey will lead the cast of Chicago. Picture: Dewynters
Sophie Carmen-Jones’ many West End credits including Jersey Boys, Wicked and We Will Rock You. She will also appear in the forthcoming Disney film Beauty and the Beast.
Neil Ditt has appeared in many West End productions including Mary Poppins and Betty Blue Eyes. His other theatre credits include creating the role of George Mole in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ – The Musical at Leicester Curve and High Society and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
A.D. Richardson’s many theatre credits include the international tour of The Pirates of Penzance, the UK tour of HMS Pinafore, the RSC’s Cyrano De Bergerac and Scrooge The Musical at the New Theatre Oxford.
Chicago, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. A highly anticipated Broadway revival transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in London on 18 November 1997 to rave reviews and ran for 15 highly successful years in the West End. The musical claimed the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production and the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for Best Musical. Chicago is currently playing in New York where it holds the record as the longest-running musical revival and also the second longest-running musical in Broadway history.
Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke. Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher. Chicago is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.
The 2016 UK national tour of Chicago will be produced by David Ian and Michael Watt in association with the Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler. The tour is currently expected to run until July 2016 with confirmed venues including Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre, Manchester Opera House, the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin and the Edinburgh Playhouse. Other dates will be added.
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FRIDAY 12 – SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2016
NEW THEATRE OXFORD
MONDAY 22 – SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY
NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
MONDAY 29 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 5 MARCH 2016
DARTFORD ORCHARD THEATRE
MONDAY 7 – SATURDAY 12 MARCH 2016
SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER THEATRE
MONDAY 14 – SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016
MILTON KEYNES THEATRE
(Sam Bailey will not be performing on 19 March)
MONDAY 21 MARCH – SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016
MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE
(Sam Bailey will not be performing on 25 and 26 March)
MONDAY 4 – SATURDAY 9 APRIL 2016
BRADFORD ALHAMBRA
MONDAY 11 – SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2016
EASTBOURNE CONGRESS THEATRE
MONDAY 25 – SATURDAY 30 APRIL 2016
PRINCESS THEATRE TORQUAY
MONDAY 2 – SATURDAY 7 MAY 2016
HALL FOR CORNWALL TRURO
WEDNESDAY 11 – SATURDAY 21 MAY 2016
BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE DUBLIN
MONDAY 23 – SATURDAY 28 MAY 2016
ROYAL & DERNGATE NORTHAMPTON
(Sam Bailey will not be performing on 25, 27 and 28 May)
MONDAY 30 MAY – SATURDAY 4 JUNE 2016
HAWTH THEATRE CRAWLEY
MONDAY 13 – SATURDAY 18 JUNE 2016
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
MONDAY 20 – SATURDAY 25 JUNE 2016
WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE
(Sam Bailey will not be performing on 25 June)
MONDAY 27 JUNE – SATURDAY 2 JULY 2016
SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION
MONDAY 4 – SATURDAY 9 JULY 2016
BRISTOL HIPPODROME
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