Star of Revival’s First Cast Returns to Broadway’s Chicago

By Andrew Gans
19 Mar 2003

D. Sabella, who starred as Mary Sunshine in the original cast of the Tony winning Chicago revival, will return to the company March 24.

Sabella will continue in the role through May 18 at the Ambassador Theatre, where the Kander and Ebb musical now resides. Sabella will replace M. Agnes, who currently plays the role of the exuberant news reporter. Others in the Broadway company currently include Chicago veteran Belle Calaway as Roxie Hart, Smokey Joe’s Cafe Tony nominee Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly, Clarke Peters as Billy Flynn, B. J. Crosby as Matron “Mama” Morton and P. J. Benjamin as Amos Hart.

D. Sabella is the winner of the 1995 Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. He has appeared numerous times at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall as well as in the Off-Broadway productions Watch Your Step, So Long 174th St. and FOXY. His opera credits include Giulio Cesare, Die Fledermaus and L’incoronazione di Poppea. 

Chicago won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse.

Chicago plays Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 and 8 PM and Sundays at 2 and 7 PM. The Ambassador Theatre is located at 215 West 49th Street. For ticket information, call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com.