Kristen Faith Oei makes history starring as 1st Asian American Velma Kelly in CHICAGO on Broadway

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3 ай бұрын

BACKSTAGE PASS with Lia Chang
Kristen Faith Oei joined the Broadway company of Chicago on January 29, 2024 in the role of Hunyak, and is the Velma cover.
On February 9, she made history taking center stage as the first Asian American to play Velma Kelly on Broadway opposite Ariana Madix as Roxie Hart. RepresentAsian is everything with other firsts in the Broadway company of Chicago - Lili Thomas as the first Asian American Matron "Mama" Morton and Red Concepción as the first Asian American Amos Hart.
"Of Chicago's incredible 27 year historic run, I am so beyond honored to have made #BroadwayHistory as the first #AsianVelma!" shared Oei.
"Velma Kelly - a role played by legends like Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth, Amra-Faye Wright, Catherine Zeta-Jones, to name a few - is an absolute dream role, but never one I thought would actually be possible. Dreams do come true and #AsianRepresentationMatters.
What a thrill to perform as Velma alongside my gal Ariana Madix. From rehearsals to the stage, this journey is an absolute joy to do with you, Roxie Hart!
I relate fully to #Velma when she sings:
“Oh, I love my life and all that jazz!”
I am full of immense gratitude to my cast & company, the team, my loved ones, & to God for carrying me through.
Humongous love to my friends and family who reached out, those who were able to catch my Velma debut weekend."
The current cast of Chicago features Ariana Madix as Roxie Hart, Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly, Max von Essen as Billy Flynn, Lili Thomas as Matron “Mama” Morton, Red Concepción as Amos Hart and J. London as Mary Sunshine. The cast also includes David Bushman, Max Clayton, Kristine Covillo, Jennnifer Dunne, Jessica Ernest, Jeff Gorti, Arian Keddell, Mary Claire King, Marty Lawson, Barrett Martin, Sharon Moore, Drew Nellessen, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall, Angel Reda, Jermaine R. Rembert, Michael Scirrotto, and Jayke Workman.
About Chicago
With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.
Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, Chicago features set design by Tony Award winner John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington, sound design by Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer, casting by ARC / Duncan Stewart, CSA and Executive Producer Alecia Parker.
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids.
Performance Schedule
Mondays at 7pm, Tuesdays at 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2:30pm & 8pm, Sundays at 2pm & 7pm. Added performances Wednesday 3/27 @ 2pm & 7pm.
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer, activist, documentarian and an Award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia is also the host and Executive Producer of BACKSTAGE PASS WITH LIA CHANG, an Arts and Entertainment and Lifestyle program that airs on Sundays at 6:30pm on FIOS 34, RCN 83, Spectrum 56/1996 and streams on MNN2. Lia was recently profiled on Asian American Life. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. www.liachang.com www.liachangphotography.com