“Chicago: The Musical,” an award-wining Broadway show with ties to Daviess County, is holding its tech rehearsals at the RiverPark Center this week. No actual shows will be performed in Owensboro, but Visit Owensboro President/CEO Mark Calitri said the rehearsals will benefit the local economy.
The process of “teching” is the first time a show comes together before going on tour. Different elements such as the show’s sets, costumes, wigs, lighting, sound, and other elements are placed and built alongside the cast.
“This is done in a very methodical way to make sure that all the elements work together,” said Production Manager Russell A. Thompson. “A set piece may need to shift for lighting, a microphone may not work on a costume and needs to be put into a wig, a light color change may be needed for a costume to look the best. It takes quite a few days to put it all together and make sure that everything works, and that everyone is safe.”
Calitri said Visit Owensboro has been working with RiverPark Center to bring in tech rehearsals for big shows like “Chicago.” He said while the community doesn’t get to see a performance, the gain for Owensboro is ultimately found in the actors and crew making a positive impact on the local economy.
“It’s a win-win because of the economic impact these groups generate for Owensboro by spending money in our local businesses, sometimes hiring extra local workers, staying in our hotels, and dining in the restaurants. It also fills the RiverPark Center when it would otherwise be empty,” Calitri said.
Jeff Esposito, General Manager of OVG360, which currently manages the RiverPark Center, similarly said the partnership with “Chicago” boosts the venue’s revenue and fills calendar gaps.
“Chicago” is a play that debuted in 1926 and was written by Maurine Dallas Watkins. It is based on two unrelated 1924 court cases involving two women, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner. Both women were suspected and later acquitted of murder, and Watkins covered the trials as a Chicago Tribune reporter.
Annan was the inspiration for the character of Roxie Hart in the play, while Gaertner was the inspiration for Velma.
Annan is where Daviess County’s connection comes in. She was born November 18, 1899, near Moseleyville.
Annan’s first marriage while she was living in Kentucky was brief. She later met Al Annan, and they moved to Chicago, where they got married in 1920. Al worked as a mechanic, while Beulah worked for a laundry company.
Annan was 23 when she was accused of murdering Harry Kalstedt in her apartment on April 3, 1924. She was found not guilty on May 25, 1924.
Annan died of tuberculosis at age 28 at the Chicago Fresh Air Sanatorium. She is buried in Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery on KY 81 in Utica. Her grave marker incorrectly notes her death as a year earlier, however, stating it to be March 10, 1927.
