Chicago Will Paint The Town Red With All That Jazz
The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) is bringing the magic, spectacle, exciting music, and show-stopping dancing of the Broadway stage back to Duluth in 2025. The four-show season includes “Chicago” (January 21); “Pretty Woman: the Musical” (February 16); “Mean Girls” (April 7); and “Riverdance: The New Generation” (May 17).
First up in the series, “Chicago” is ready to take the DECC stage by storm. The longest-running American musical in Broadway and West End history, this wildly popular hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and a Grammy, among many other awards.
For audiences looking for their first Broadway musical, those who have seen and loved the Academy Award-winning film and want to experience the show live on stage, or those who have seen the show before and want to dive back into the decadent world of the Chicago of the Roaring Twenties, this production promises to be a dazzling evening of theater.
“Chicago” tells the story of chorus girl Roxie Hart and vaudeville star Velma Kelly, each facing trial for murder. Desperate to avoid conviction, the two women compete for the services of slick lawyer Billy Flynn, who promises to make them media celebrities and win them acquittals. The musical is a timely satire on the justice system and the concept of the “celebrity criminal,” in the whirlwind of a media circus.
Broadway Tours Make a Duluth Stop
Dan Hartman, DECC Executive Director, was excited last year to do a “tryout” of bringing a Broadway show to the DECC with “Jesus Christ Superstar.” “We wanted to do a trial run to see what the reaction would be to bringing a Broadway show to the DECC. It was very successful, and people were very excited about the quality of the show.”
Working with the Roberts Group, a company that books a variety of shows for national tours, Hartman scheduled the 2025 four-show season. According to Hartman, the advanced sale tickets for this new season have been selling extremely well, with already close to a sellout.
“Our Symphony Hall is a wonderful venue for these shows with our 2,000+ seats,” Hartman explained. “We looked at shows that have worked for markets similar in size to our area that have been successful.”
“We are also very excited about how much these touring shows can mean to the local economy, with people not only going to the shows but also shopping, eating in restaurants, going to other attractions, and staying in hotels,” he stated.
Hartman added, “We are already looking ahead to next year when we are in the planning stages of bringing in another season of these quality Broadway shows.”
Meet Ellie Roddy as Roxie!
Playing one of the leads in the touring production of “Chicago” is actress Ellie Roddy. Originally from Orlando, Florida, she got her start in theater in an after-school program at age 11 and, bitten by the acting bug, she continued performing in high school.
“Right out of high school, I decided to take the leap and untraditionally not to go to college. I studied externally with different acting coaches, vocal coaches, and dance studios, being a sponge and learning as much as I could,” Roddy said.
She also worked at Universal and Disneyworld doing such shows as the Hogwarts School Choir and “Finding Nemo: The Musical,” as well as roles in several regional theaters.
Roddy explained, “The real-life experience was the best teacher I could have ever asked for, being mentored by peers, and learning something everywhere I went. I took an even bigger leap in 2023 and moved to New York City, to pursue the dream of being on tour and Broadway!”
“‘Chicago’ is my first national tour! It’s a dream come true! I’m really enjoying seeing all of the different theatres we play. Getting to step onto a stage where so many other incredible performers and shows have graced is nothing short of spectacular!”
Of her current role, she noted, “I had always dreamed of playing Roxie Hart, and saw the Broadway production for the first time back in 2015. It was one of those moments where I had only hoped I got to do the show in that version with that specific choreography and that setting.”
“I love the storytelling in Roxie. I also love getting to dance and sing ‘Me and My Baby,’ getting to be Billy’s ventriloquist dummy in ‘We Both Reached For the Gun,’ and getting to perform ‘Hot Honey Rag’ (with the original choreography by Bob Fosse).”
“So many incredible women and people have filled these shoes, and I only dreamed I’d get to be here one day,” Roddy said. “I feel that I have learned and grown so much being a part of the well-oiled machine that is the ‘Chicago’ family, and I find I still am learning something new every day as we continue performances with the show.”
See a Broadway Tour in Duluth!
A limited number of tickets are still available now as season tickets for all 2025 shows. Season ticket holders get the best seats and will own their seat locations for all shows, receive special access to season specials and special discounts, and may purchase advance and priority tickets to popular shows outside of their season package!
Individual tickets for “Chicago” are also for sale now.
Visit the DECC Ticket Office: 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802. Tickets are available by calling the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Ticket Office at (218) 727-4344 or in person Wednesday – Friday, 10am – 2pm.
For more information, visit www.DECC.org/BROADWAY
Next up: “Pretty Woman, the Musical” February 16
