Stars Of "Gotta Dance!" "The Lion King" And More Preview Upcoming Chicago Musical Season
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Broadway in Chicago hosts its annual free concert in Millennium Park on Monday night, and one of the musicals that will be showcased has never been seen anywhere before.
"Gotta Dance!" will have its world premiere in Chicago in December, before heading to Broadway next year.
Two of its stars – Nancy Ticotin and Chicago native Alex Aguilar – will perform a scene from the show.
"It's going to be the first time we're in front of a crowd," Ticotin said. "We've just been doing our presentations with investors, and invited guests, but today's the first time in front of real people."
"We've really only workshopped everything, and kind of tested it out for ourselves," Aguilar said.
Ticotin said the show is based on a 2008 documentary by the same name, about an unlikely NBA dance team made up entirely of senior citizens.
"They auditioned for the New Jersey Nets to be part of their dance troupe in between quarters," she said.
Aguilar, a graduate of the Chicago Academy For The Arts, said he's "super excited" to be performing in his hometown.
"Gotta Dance!" is one of ten musicals that will be showcased at the free Broadway In Chicago concert at the Pritker Pavilion in Millennium Park at 6:15 p.m.
Other performances will be from "A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder," "If/Then," "Cabaret," "The Lion King," "42nd Street," "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage," "Newsies," and "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," all shows coming to Chicago in the coming months.