PARK RAPIDS — Every actor has a list of roles they dream of performing one day, a “bucket list” of characters they hope to one day bring to life on the stage before retiring from acting.
Actress Shayley Jordan gets to cross one off her list by playing the role of Velma in Chicago.
Chicago is a musical satire set in the 1920s on the corruption of the criminal justice system and the early days of the idea of the “celebrity criminal.” The music and lyrics are by John Kander and Fred Ebb and based on a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse.
Jordan will be playing the role of Velma, a vaudevillian who is on trial for killing her cheating husband and sister. Jordan knows playing such a famous role comes with a high bar to reach.
“I feel like there is so much pressure going into it because so many people that are familiar with Chicago are familiar with the movie musical version, which the incredibly talented Catherine Zeta Jones plays Velma," Jordan said.
"... She did such a phenomenal job and all of the other incredible talents that have played her on Broadway. I feel like I've gotten a little bit of inspiration from all of those, but I've definitely been able to make it my own.”
Not only is there a lot of mental work performing and getting into character for a role like Velma, but there's physical work as well.
“I am dancing almost every single song and then singing on top of it. So, you're expending so much energy," Jordan said. "... There's some dialogue thrown in here and it's just I feel like my brain has been stretched in a way that's really good for me as a person and as an actor, but it's definitely been by far the most challenging role I've ever had.”
Jordan, while experienced in being on stage, hasn’t done a lot of musicals. Her first experience with theater was after kindergarten. She was a very shy kid growing up, which most of her friends today wouldn’t believe, but she would spend a lot of time at home dancing or singing. Her parents saw there were auditions for The Wizard of Oz and thought it would be something she would have an interest in. At first, she wasn’t.
“I remember the last minute being like ‘Ohh, I think I really want to do that,’" she said. "So my parents brought me to the audition... and then I ended up being a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz. So that was my first role and the acting bug just bit me.”
She did end up going to college for theater with an acting emphasis, but even then she wasn’t thinking about musicals.
“I feel like I never had the training growing up to really stand out,” Jordan said.
It wasn’t until the college said she had to be in the musical as a requirement that she gave it another shot. She then gained more confidence in her abilities from professors mentoring her and supporting her. She said the production team for Chicago has also been very supportive.
“As an actor, the director and the creative team really set the tone for your own success and that's where I'm just so grateful for that [support],” she said.
There aren’t many adult-themed musicals performed in this area, and Jordan is excited to bring a show like Chicago to audiences craving it.
“I think it's just a show that I think will surprise people, in all honesty,” she said. “... I think it's just such a performer’s show at the end of the day. The acting is so important. The dancing is incredibly important, and of course, the singing is incredibly important too.”
Jordan said people can expect funny one-liners that come out of nowhere, awesome choreographed pieces and 1920s vaudeville-esque performances.
“Everyone has put such a tremendous amount of work into it. I mean every single person from our director, choreographer, our vocal director, our orchestra is incredible," Jordan said.
"Everyone in the cast has just put in their utmost effort to it, and we just want people to come see it and enjoy it because we've enjoyed it.”
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
