The six-time Tony-award winning show "Chicago: The Musical" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St.
For Tracy Shayne, who plays Roxie Hart in "Chicago," the show is exciting and audiences can expect it to be sexy, entertaining, hilarious dark and a wonderful time in the theater.
Shayne, who is originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., was raised in Houston, Texas. She began her journey of performing arts at the young age of 4 with piano lessons. Although both of her parents were involved with music; her mother was a singer and pianist and her father was involved with community theater, she was never pushed into the spotlight.
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The six-time Tony-award winning show, “Chicago: The Musical” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St.
"I was never pushed to do it," Shayne said."I was more pushed toward academia. My parents wanted me to have an education first. I was just born into it. Ultimately, I made the decision to do it as a life-long pursuit."
After attending a high school for the performing arts in Houston as a dance major, Shayne went on to attend the University of Houston as an acting major.
Shayne's roster of Broadway performances is impressive, with her first experience being "A Chorus Line," when she was 18, and includes shows such as "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables."
As Roxie, Shayne said her favorite part of playing the character is that she gets to be someone who is a complete opposite from who she is.
"It is so much fun to play a character that is really not so much like me in real life," she said. "Of course everybody wants to be a star, but Roxie has an innocence, that I of course don't have, I'm a grown woman with morals. But Roxie, she''ll do anything for fame."
Shayne enjoys the devilish fun that she gets to have on stage as well.
"I get to be impulsive, I get to stamp my feet, I get to manipulate," she said. "It's the whole package, it's a blast. It is so much from the moment the orchestra starts until the end. It's uplifting, it's like going to a party."
After famous faces, such as Christie Brinkley, played the role of Roxie. Shayne explained that Roxie is a dynamic character, and doesn't have to be played a certain way.
"The role of Roxie is a personality role, and can be played many different ways," she said."It doesn't have to be one type of person."
Shayne said the audience will immediately notice the beautiful men and women and the band onstage, which makes the show feel even more alive. "Along with that, there is a darkness about the show," she said. "It's everything we read about: sex, lust, murder, violence and getting away with it."
The show incorporates a lot of dancing and Shayne said the cast works very hard at staying in shape.
"On the road, I have my own set workout, yoga and pilates," she said. "Some people go to the local gym, some people lift weights ... everyone has their own thing."
Shayne even said one of the cast members teaches yoga, so they do a class sometimes. Shayne also incorporates aerobics, jump rope and weight-bearing exercises, and she said she always makes sure she stretches before a show to make sure she is ready for the performance.
As an accomplished performer, Shayne can tell a difference from when she first started until now.
"I have the same fire, but I have a wisdom that I didnt have before," she said. "I have a lot more acceptance of things. To be in a show, especially in live theater, there are so many other elements besides yourself. When you're young, you're focused on yourself and trying to be in control. I've let go of a lot of that. I've matured with so much experience. I have more fun now than I did when I was young. All I'm responsible for is my presence. I appreciate more now what goes into an entire production from the crew, the props, to the lighting, the stage manager. It takes a lot to run a show. I don't think I really appreciated it as much as I do now."
For more information about "Chicago: The Musical," visit www.chicagothemusical.com.
Tickets start at $27.50 for balcony seating. For ticket information and purchasing, visit www.caclive.com or call 326-2424.
