A dazzling tale of fame, fortune and jazz will grace The Capital's stage next month as Bendigo Theatre Company tackles the ever-popular musical Chicago.
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The prohibition-era production tells the story of 1920s murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, their insatiable desire for attention and quest to stay relevant in a fast-paced, crime-ridden city.
Seasoned performer Chris Emond plays Billy Flynn, the bells and whistles lawyer who uses the press and public opinion to orchestrate favourable court outcomes for his morally questionable clients.
"It’s a fascinating production, it intrigues me more and more as I scratch into who Billy Flynn is, and if any character has any sense of morality I’d be very surprised," Emond said.
"I think that's one of the messages of the show, that you can get away with just about anything if you put enough sugar-coating on it.
"It's about where our moral compass lies, and that what makes it so awesome. (Billy) lays it on so think, he puts on the 'razzle dazzle' and that's a lot of fun to portray."
Director John Murray said the high calibre of performers would ensure a fantastic show for audiences.
"This is a play you could cast with 70 if you wanted to, but we've cast it with less than 30," he said.
"The auditions were so popular and the quality so high we've ended up with 26 very talented performers."
"You usually give yourself about a 12-week lead time but we've given ourselves a bit more this time - mainly because there’s a lot of choreography, there’s a lot of character development which is layered - so we could really nail it."
And according to both Murray and Emond, they've just about got it nailed.
"We've just had sing-through with the orchestra for the first time and they're sounding amazing, they're big and brassy and bold as the show somewhat requires," Emond said.
"We have some beautiful voices and some beautiful dancers and all the pieces are coming into place. It's a very exciting time."
Chicago opens on September 26 and runs until October 5. For more information, or to buy tickets, visit www.thecapital.com.au