CHICAGO: Meet the Cast

Introducing JEANNE D’UDEKEM D’ACOZ as VELMA KELLY

Jeanne has always enjoyed the performing arts. Even before her ability to speak, she would sing in jibberish with an accompaniment of freestyle out-of-tune piano all the while imitating her sister's ballet moves. She commenced dancing when joining a jazz dancing class at the age of 8. In year 5 she joined the Young Australian Broadway Chorus. Jeanne stayed with the company for 4 years. She continues to get involved in performing whether it be school organised events, singing on stage or acting in short films. The first musical she was involved in was Hairspray in year 8 in which she played Shayna, a member of the Dynamites. Last year she was part of the chorus for Uni High's musical production of ‘Anything Goes’ and couldn't get enough of the ambience so she is back this year as Velma Kelly in Chicago. The contrast from being part of the chorus is a challenge she is excited to conquer, hoping to share her love of performing with others in the process. The entire cast and she are thriving to bring a thrilling performance to whomever is willing to enter the dark and sultry world filled with crime and treachery that is Chicago.

Jeanne performing at age 6

Do you have any inspiration for the role of Velma Kelly? If anything, I don't have one inspiration for the show. I’d say I would love to have something close to the anger and desperation of Catherine Zeta Jones, how she was able to subtly add to the egotistic but charming character of Velma Kelly but I would hope to add classical elements of the jazz era like Louise Brooks or Josephine Baker, a sultry voice crackling over the radio in a smoky bar.

What can Audiences look forward to? I will work my best as this will likely be my last musical, maybe ever. This experience means so much to me and I hope the audience appreciates that as much as I do.  

What is your favourite song in the show? All that jazz is a cheeky song which gives the audience a trip back into the big theatres full of red curtains and people smoking, chattering and moving around. Class is a bit of a slap in the face as a song but is brought to your ears delicately with a nice tune and harmonising. It is one of the less intense songs because of the resemblance it should have to two friends chatting. In that way, it brings familiarity and doesn't alienate the crowd from a foreign era as much as it could seem.