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Chicago 50 - No. 7 - Kitty Malm (Go-To-Hell Kitty)
Katherine "Kitty" Malm "Katherine 'Kitty Malm' was nineteen years old with a two year old daughter, estranged from a husband who she claimed verbally abused her. The young, poor, uneducated immigrant entrusted few others with her daughter's care. 'The only one in this whole damn world I'd let take care of her is my mother. She'd be good to her.' "After taking up with convicted murderer Otto Malm, who called her 'Sweetheart,' the two attempted to break into a sweater factory o

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 5


Chicago 50 - No. 6 -Belva Gaertner (Velma Kelly)
Belva Gaertner Belva Gaertner was a 40-year-old 3-time divorcee when she fatally shot her lover, Walter Law, a married man with a toddler at home, in the front seat of a sedan. When taken in to custody she claimed to have been too drunk to know whether or not she had killed the man. Her exact words were, "I don't know. I was drunk." "For three months, automobile salesman Walter Law, and Belva spent their nights together visiting Chicago nightclubs and drinking illegal liquor.

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 5


Chicago 50 - No. 3 - Buelah Annan (Roxie Hart)
"Already twice married and a mother by the age of twenty-four, neither marriage nor motherhood seemed to satisfy Beulah Annan [inspiration for Roxie Hart]. She met Harry Kalstedt [inspiration for Fred Casely]—a married man who had a six-year-old daughter—at work. Walks together quickly progressed to drinks at her apartment while her husband, Albert Annan [Inspiration for Amos Hart], was away working. The pair were intimate on at least three occasions, she would later admit. "

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 2


Chicago 50 - No. 1 - Leading Ladies
To learn about the history of the 1975 musical Chicago, we must actually look back over 100 years to 1924. Our story begins with two real-life murderesses, Buelah Annan (left) and Belva Gaertner (right), who were charged with killing their husbands in Cook County, Chicago. Their stories were sensationalized in the newspapers by journalists, including reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, whose articles highlighted the women's beauty and the unlikely prospect of either of them bei

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 1


A Chorus Line No. 50 - Diana Kavilis
Broadway 1989-closing 1990 I played Cassie in Europe after we closed on Broadway and then joined the American Tour in 1991 as a swing. I...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 28


A Chorus Line No. 49 - Laurie Gamache
Final Broadway Cassie - 1990 Photo by Herb Migdoll Laurie: "I studied dance in Illinois with Jack Slater and the Peoria Civic Ballet, in...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 27


A Chorus Line No. 48 - Bebe Neuwirth
Bebe Neuwirth auditioned for A Chorus Line when she was 18 years old. After auditioning 3 times, she was cast as Louis, understudying...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 26


A Chorus Line No. 47 - Pamela Sousa
Photo by Martha Swope. Pamela Sousa: “I had been taught the show early on by Clive (Clerk) Wilson, the dance captain on Broadway. This...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 26


A Chorus Line No. 46 - Cheryl Clark
Australian Premiere as CASSIE 1977 Broadway 1978 for 3 years 1981-82 The Desert Inn Las Vegas Premier Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre 1985...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 26


A Chorus Line No. 44 - Ann Reinking
Photo by Martha Swope ANN REINKING: "Michael and Bob Avian called and asked if I would be interested in doing Cassie, and I said, "Yeah,...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 24


A Chorus Line No. 43 - Charlotte d'Amboise
Photos by Paul Kolnik

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 24


A Chorus Line No. 42 - Wanda Richert
1st National Company 1977-80, Broadway Company 1984-86 Wanda Richert (Cassie) 1986 Photo by Martha Swope I first saw A Chorus Line with...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 23


A Chorus Line No. 40 - Mitzi Hamilton
(left) Mitzi standing (center) Mitzi's Silver Poster from London (right) Mitzi center female

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 21


A Chorus Line No. 39 - Ramón Flowers
The Bus and Truck Company in 1980 Ramón in blue shirt and yellow pants ACL was the first Broadway show I ever saw, the first show I ever...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 20


A Chorus Line No. 38 - Mary Ann O'Reilly
Gala Finale - Mary Ann O'Reilly "Baayork had informed me earlier that I would be needed to fill in Ifor Crissy Wilczak by understudying...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 20


A Chorus Line No. 37 - Buzz Brauner
Original Broadway Musician 1975-1983 Buzz Brauner in front of the Shubert Theatre. Photo by Rich Gigli - Bergen Record - 1980 “My father,...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 20


A Chorus Line No. 36 - Paula Leggett
Paula Evans (left) and Paula Leggett (right), age 15. HELLO 12, HELLO 13, HELLO LOVE… I was 13 years old when A CHORUS LINE opened on...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 19


A Chorus Line No. 35 - Ron Kurowski
Bobby - Original London Company "I saw the original company of ACL three times at the public theater in 1975. It was thrilling and I...

Lauryn Johnson
Jul 19
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