All That Jazz, All Those Stars: Brett England and Duncan Stewart Talk Celebrity Casting in Chicago

In its 29 years on Broadway, Chicago has never shied away from star power. What other company can count Lisa Rinna, Wendy Williams, Usher and Pamela Anderson as alumni? (And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!) From running backs to reality TV stars, Chicago has served as the premier star vehicle of the Great White Way. The Broadway Show correspondent Perry Sook sat down with Chicago's associate producer Brett England and casting director Duncan Stewart to talk about what happens when you integrate famous figures into a show about fame.

“The show is about that cult of celebrity. It's about press manipulation, it's theater variété. All of that is what the show is satirizing," England says about the nature of their casting process. "So you can get a little meta with who we cast.” He goes on to refer to an instance where Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix was cast as Roxie Hart in the wake of her own tabloid scandal. “Her personal life has just exploded for the world to see. And then we found out, oh, she went to school for musical theater. We have a legit training that we can tap into.” This kind of serendipity speaks to their ability to “rip from the headlines” while also sourcing out performers who “could have been in musical theater if another door had opened.”

“For every star that we say yes to, we probably say no to about 25 to 30 others," Stewart reveals. "People don't just walk into this revolving door of casting for Chicago. It's thought about. It's intentional.” This intentionality has proved itself to be fruitful. Two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon made her Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton, a savvy casting decision that caused ticket sales to skyrocket. Monsoon’s casting was both financially lucrative and artistically enriching. “Jinkx later said it was the first time that she came into a room and was asked to be seen not as a persona, but just as an actor. She found something in that and now she carries it into all these other roles.”

Chicago’s most recent casting development has come in the form of two-time Tony nominee Kate Baldwin as Roxie Hart and Tony winner Alex Newell as “Mama” Morton. As Chicago approaches its third decade on Broadway, the casting possibilities are endless. Is there anyone still on their bucket list? Says Stewart, “If Lady Gaga's listening to this, there's a role for her.” While Gaga could play any number of roles, there’s no denying that Roxie Hart was the original Fame Monster.

Watch the video below for the full interview.

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