'Chicago' puts Oak Park musician center stage
Professional musician Linda Van Dyke of Oak Park spends a lot of her performing career in the pits - theater orchestra pits, that is - for Broadway musicals in and around Chicago.
But one musical that famously puts its musicians center stage is the 1996 revival of “Chicago,” still the longest-running American show in Broadway history. So Van Dyke and her colleagues get another chance to be heard and seen when the 1920s killer chorines of “Chicago” tour back to the Windy City for an eight-performance run starting Tuesday at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
“I love being part of it,” said Van Dyke, who says this will be her fifth time playing “Chicago.” “It's really fun to be onstage and part of the action throughout the entire show.”
Many tours typically travel with their own conductor or accompanist (“Chicago” also features a traveling percussionist). So the rest of the orchestra is hired locally from the membership of the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
Van Dyke loves the fact that designer John Lee Beatty's gold-framed “Chicago” bandstand set allows for former “Seinfeld” TV star John O'Hurley to pop up right next to her at one point in the show (O'Hurley is back again playing the money-loving lawyer Billy Flynn). She also says other musicians try not be thrown by the moment when a scantily-clad female dancer slides down the bandstand.
“We get to watch the show, though you have to be careful not to be so distracted by enjoying what's being performed in front of you that you forget to play something,” Van Dyke said.
Another onstage drawback for Van Dyke is having less room than she would normally have in the pit - especially since she has to alternate quickly between playing the soprano saxophone, the tenor saxophone, the baritone saxophone and the bass clarinet.
But having the band onstage can be a plus for the actors, too. That's the case for Detroit native Roz Ryan, who has traveled around the world playing Matron “Mama” Morton (she also has the distinction of playing more performances of “Chicago” than any other leading actress in the production's 20-year Broadway run).
“My being a nightclub singer, I'm accustomed to having my musicians behind me,” said Ryan, who gets to bring down the house singing the signature numbers “When You're Good to Mama” and “Class.” “So having them onstage with us is a godsend for me.”
Ryan also enjoys playing “Chicago” in the Windy City for obvious moniker reasons.
“It's a whole different energy coming to Chicago with 'Chicago' because the people tend to claim it as their own,” Ryan said. “When you mention references like Cook County Jail and certain things that are in Chicago, it makes it very familiar.”
“All the musicians just love to play this show. It's well-written and it's great music,” said Van Dyke, highlighting John Kander and Fred Ebb's famous score with songs like “All That Jazz” and “Razzle Dazzle.” “I'm always excited when I hear the show is coming back to town.”
“Chicago”
Location: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, May 10-13; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 14; 2 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday, May 11 and 15
Tickets: $27-$92