Chicago and its cell block tango returns to Sydney
Prepare to be razzle-dazzled this June as Chicago returns to the Sydney stage following sell-out shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Ensemble member and Northbridge local Kristina McNamara was first wowed by Chicago in 2006 when she saw the production in New York, where it is the longest-running American show on Broadway.
Kristina, who grew up in Mosman and attended Loreto Kirribilli, initially considered a career in sports medicine, but Chicago changed something in her, and the performing arts beckoned.
She says her school was very academic and sporty, and she came from a family of doctors, engineers and teachers, but dance was always so intrinsic to her.
“Dancing was always something I loved,” Kristina tells North Shore Living (NL). “I had a premonition that at 40, I would look back and regret saying goodbye to this thing that I lost. Seeing Chicago and thinking, ‘Hang on, if I learn to sing, I can definitely do this,’ it dawned on me that I didn’t have to quit dancing.”
Now aged 34, she has a string of theatre accolades under her belt, including The Great Gatsby, American Psycho, West Side Story and The Rocky Horror Show. She performed in Chicago in 2019/2020 and says, ‘It’s like coming home’.
“It’s a dream show,” says Kristina. “Everyone wants to be in Chicago, so I feel fortunate to have been in it twice.”
With a small cast of 23, Kristina is learning seven roles in Chicago; she is what’s known as a ‘swing’ in theatre speak.
“A swing is someone that understudies lots of different roles,” Kristina explains. “As opposed to an understudy, who might learn one to three lead roles. I cover six ensembles and one principle.
“There are four swings in the show, and we’re all off-stage swings. This means that we are never on stage unless someone has gone off. We don’t have our own role; we learn other people’s.”
Working with a theatre icon such as Anthony Warlow, who plays lawyer Billy Flynn, has been an amazing experience for Kristina.
“He works incredibly hard,” she tells NL. “The first time the ensemble sat in a room with him we sang All I Care About, which is his first song in the show, and Razzle Dazzle, which is his last song. Just watching him singing so beautifully – I’ll just never forget that image.”
Kristina says the best thing about her job is that despite it being hard work, it doesn’t feel like work.
“I never dread a day or a moment,” she says. “It’s something that invigorates and focuses me, and it’s so aligned with who I am and my purpose. It’s such a natural extension; such a necessary way to spend my time.”
What of the touring and amount of time spent away from home?
“I think whilst it’s good to still stay connected to home, you also need to really let yourself fully be where you are,” she says. “So it’s a balancing act re-establishing your sense of home when you’re away from home. And that can take time.
“But once you realise you’re following your dream and this is what makes you happy, then you’re actually going to be better for everyone in the end anyway.”
Once Chicago wraps in Sydney, Kristina will look for the next opportunity which makes her ‘come alive, that makes me feel excited and inspired,’ she says. “Because if you’re going to make sacrifices and give your all to this job, for me, it has to be one that I love.”
Chicago opens on 9 June at the Capitol Theatre. For tickets visit ticketmaster.com.au
