Suraya Shalash and Meredith Crutcher Talk Tottlin' Town: CHICAGO



“Meredith is the caramel to my butterscotch. I met her in Rocky last year and we've forged an incredibly close friendship.

Suraya Shalash will step into the role of Master of Ceremonies in Bluegrass Community & Technical College's CHICAGO, which opens Wednesday at the Downtown Arts Center.  She popped up on the musical scene last year, and continues to dazzle and impress with each new performance.  So I wanted to know a little more about her, and also hear what she has to say about CHICAGO and her friend Meredith Crutcher (more from Meredith in Part II :)

(Call 859-225-0370 for tickets or go to lexarts.tix.com)

As for her CHICAGO role, Salash says it’s a complete turnaround from her last characters played during THE CLEAN HOUSE at AGL “I was a Brazilian housekeeper and aspiring comedian. My character was central to the plot of the show, whereas in CHICAGO, I am more of a tour guide :)


The hardest task of such a physically demanding role in one of the most enduring Musicals is, of course, the dancing, but “for this role specifically, finding my own personal spin for a character who isn't part of the story, but rather a guide throughout the show,” she explains.

Suraya has lived in Lexington her entire life, and only returned to theatre over the past year, beginning with Rocky Horror last spring. “Theatre has always simply been a hobby, but it can certainly feel like a career when preparing for a show!”



She is delighted to be on stage again with her good friend Meredith Crutcher. “Meredith is the caramel to my butterscotch. I met her in Rocky last year and we've forged an incredibly close friendship. One of the biggest perks to being in the Chicago cast is getting to work with Meredith, Tim, Pete Sears, Aly Miller, Sarah Mansfield and other actors who were involved in Rocky.

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CHICAGO
by Kander and Ebb



March 28th-March 31st @ 7:30pm


March 31st and April 1st @ 2pm


Tickets $12 students/ $15 general admission


*Group rates available
(Call 859-225-0370 for tickets or go to lexarts.tix.com)



BCTC's Jared Slone, Suraya Shalash and
Meredith Crutcher



Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. 

The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse.  

The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice

and the concept of the "celebrity criminal."

The musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name

 by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins

about actual criminals and crimes she reported on.