Jess DiForte longed to be part of this Bob Fosse classic while she was a student here in Chicago, and now her dream has come true!
DiForte understudies a lead role, and is one of the key dancers. It's what she hoped would happen studying at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
"It's great, it's very iconic, the name, the place, everything," DiForte said. "I'm very excited to be back in Chicago, it's one of my favorite places in the world."
DiForte is "on the ready" to play Velma, a part that won Catherine Zeta-Jones an Oscar.
"Velma is a strong, strong woman, and Velma is a criminal, she's a killer," DiForte said. "I feel like I've had this dream since I was a little child, I'm originally from New York so I had Broadway in my back yard, so I always dreamed about performing and being like those people."
Bob Fosse's signature moves started here in his hometown.
"I think we got it in this cast, I think we got it going on," DiForte said. "The Fosse walk, we get it - it's a lot of pelvis and thigh action."
"Chicago" plays at the CIBC Theatre through January 29.