The Muny’s Award-Winning Production of Chicago Announces the Return of its Leading Cast

ST. LOUIS (March 31, 2022) – The Muny announced today that Sarah Bowden, J. Harrison Ghee, Adam Heller, Emily Skinner, James T. Lane and Ali Ewoldt will return to star in the acclaimed 2021 production of Chicago, June 13 -19, 2022. The production received the Best Musical Award at Monday evening’s St. Louis Theater Circle Awards, as well as six others, including direction and choreography and music direction. Chicago is directed and choreographed by Denis Jones, with music direction by Charlie Alterman. Chicago is proudly sponsored by Edward Jones.  

“I am so grateful that every principal artist is returning” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson.  “Their commitment to this extraordinary production and The Muny audience is humbling.  I can’t wait to see them and CHICAGO again.”

SARAH BOWDEN (Roxie Hart) Originally from Australia, Sarah is beyond excited to be back at The Muny revisiting this iconic role and glorious production from last season. Sarah also played Velma in Chicago at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre with Denis Jones as director and is always honored and thrilled to be working with Denis, especially on this dream show of hers!

Other USA highlights include the first national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Cherry Sundae), a 2016 A Chorus Line (Cassie) at The Hollywood Bowl opposite Mario Lopez, and her first production at The Muny, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway in 2018. Sarah spent many years in Germany in productions of Cabaret (Sally Bowles), West Side Story (Anita), 9 to 5 (Doralee), Flashdance (Gloria) and lastly Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Esmeralda) with director Scott Schwartz and choreographer Chase Brock.

J. HARRISON GHEE (Velma Kelly) is honored to be returning to The Muny playing Velma Kelly. Many thanks to family, friends, and his agency Nicolosi & Co. for continued love and support.

Muny: Kinky Boots (Lola). Broadway/International tour: Kinky Boots (Lola/Swing), Mrs. Doubtfire (Andre Mayem). Regional: The Color Purple (Ensemble), The Sting (Johnny Hooker). Television: High Maintenance (Charles), Raising Dion (Kwame). Industrial: Tokyo Disney Sea’s Big Band Beat, Norwegian Cruise Line. Proud graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (NY).

EMILY SKINNER (Matron “Mama” Morton) Muny: Disney’s The Little Mermaid, 42nd Street, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Billy Elliot. Broadway: Side Show (Tony nomination, Drama League Award), The Cher Show, Prince of Broadway, Jekyll & Hyde, The Full Monty, James Joyce’s The Dead, Dinner at Eight (Outer Critics Circle nomination), Billy Elliot (BroadwayWorld Award). Off-Broadway: Picnic (Drama Desk nomination), Jerry Springer: The Opera (Carnegie Hall), Fiorello!; No Strings, Pardon My English, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (all for NY City Center Encores!). She has sung leading roles at Manhattan Theatre Club, WPA Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout Theatre Company, York Theatre, Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Regional: The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Long Wharf, Old Globe, Goodspeed, Bucks County Playhouse, Virginia Rep and many others. She has sung with symphonies around the globe and her numerous recordings may be found at Amazon.com.

JAMES T. LANE (Billy Flynn) is from Philadelphia. Muny: Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), The Wiz (Tin Man). West End: The Scottsboro Boys, A Chorus Line (Revival at Palladium Theatre). Broadway: Kiss Me, Kate (Paul), King Kong the Musical, The Scottsboro Boys (Ozie Powell/Ruby Bates), Chicago and A Chorus Line (Richie Walters). National Tour: Ain’t Too Proud (Paul Williams), Jersey Boys, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Fame The Musical. Regional: Guys and Dolls (Nicely-Nicely, Virginia Stage Company), Mary Poppins (Bert, Drury Lane Theatre), The Wiz (Tin Man, Broadway at Music Circus and The Old Globe), A.C.T and Dallas Theater Center). Encores! Off-Center: Promenade, Grand Hotel, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. Concerts: Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops, Ottawa Symphony and many more.

ADAM HELLER (Amos Hart) The Muny: 1776 (Ben Franklin, 2019) and Gypsy (Herbie, 2018). Broadway: It Shoulda Been You, Elf, Baby, It’s You; Caroline, or Change; A Class Act, Victor/Victoria and Les Misérables. National Tour: Titanic and Falsettos. Off-Broadway: Popcorn Falls (Davenport), A Letter to Harvey Milk (Theatre Row), Peer Gynt (CSC), Wings (Second Stage), Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn and The Immigrant (New World Stages), Merrily We Roll Along (York). Regional: The Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage), Fiddler on the Roof (Goodspeed, Connecticut Critics Circle Award/Best Actor), Rags (Goodspeed), The Chosen (Barrington Stage), My Name is Asher Lev (Arden), Merrily We Roll Along (Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration). Television: We Crashed, FBI: Most Wanted, The Bite, The Good Fight, Elementary, Unforgettable, The Americans, The Sopranos, Law & Order (all) and Oz.

ALI EWOLDT (Mary Sunshine) is beyond thrilled to return to The Muny. Muny credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Philia), 1776 (Martha Jefferson) and West Side Story (Maria). Other credits include The Phantom of the Opera (Christine Daaé, Broadway), Les Misérables (Cosette, Broadway, national tour), The King and I (Broadway, tour, Lyric Opera of Chicago), The Fantasticks (Luisa, off-Broadway), She Loves Me (Amalia, Signature Theatre), Gold Mountain (Mei, Utah Shakespeare Festival), A Christmas Carol (Fan, McCarter Theatre) and Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown, Sacramento Music Circus). Concert/symphony work: Alice Tully Hall, The Town Hall, NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Houston Symphony, American Pops Orchestra, Kaohsiung Symphony and The Boston Pops with Maestro Keith Lockhart. Her TV/Film credits include The Michael J. Fox Show, Yield, Mia and The Cactus. Ali has a BA in psychology from Yale University, is a proud Filipina American and member of Actors’ Equity.

About the show:

Audiences and critics went “Whoopee!” for last season’s thrilling production of Chicago. Following an abbreviated run and early close to the 2021 season, The Muny’s 2022 season opens with this encore production! Hailed as “Musical Theater Magic,” “Downright Breathtaking” and “Nothing Short of Brilliant,” Chicago was the talk of the town. So, re-start the car and head to Kander and Ebb’s internationally acclaimed, Tony Award-winning musical about fame, fortune and justice. Merry murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly await!

For headshots and show logo, please click HERE.

The Muny’s 2022 Season includes Chicago (June 13-19), Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot (June 22-28), Disney and Cameron Macintosh’s Mary Poppins (July 5-13), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (July 16-22), Legally Blonde, The Musical (July 25-31), The Color Purple (August 3-9) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (August 12-18).

Season tickets are currently on sale. Single tickets will be available beginning May 23. Muny gift cards for the 104th season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

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The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals and welcome over 350,000 theatregoers each summer. Now celebrating 104 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.

For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org.