playbill vip

Producer's Note

This production of Chicago marks the 15th anniversary of the Med School Musical Company. Created in 2005 with the support of Dr. Morton Smith and the Office of Medical Student Affairs, this student organization started with mostly MD students in a Company size of ~50 (~30 on stage). We have grown over the years and include students from many other programs (DBBS, MSTP, OT, PT, BME, etc.), celebrating the wonderful diversity of the Medical Campus programs with Company sizes of ~80 individuals (~50 on stage)! Moreover, although student-run, the Med School Musical counts several Postdocs and Staff from WUSM departments and I am one of them. 

Successfully bringing to life such a large amateur production is challenging but you are here to witness that it is possible! This production has come together thanks to all the hard work and dedication of every single individual on stage, down in the pit, up in the tech booth, working behind the curtain, or by your side watching nervously from the audience. This production is the result of many hours of intense run-throughs, tech adjustments and late nights over the past week; the result of many hours of orchestra practice over the past two months; the result of many hours of rehearsal, building, painting, creating props over the past 6 months; and above all the result of countless hours in discussion, sending hundreds of emails, elaborating the show's vision, and creating the choreography over the past 10 months! Indeed, this adventure started last May when last years' Shrek production team passed the baton to me and my fellow production team members. After considering dozens of musicals, we agreed that this year's musical had to be Chicago. In May our journey will finally end when we pass the baton to the production team for next year.

Producing Chicago has been an incredible experience thanks to all these lovely individual, especially to my Team who worked so efficiently and cohesively throughout the past 10 months and thanks to my husband for all the proofreads!

Thank you Company, thank you WashU Community, and thank you Public for coming!

Enjoy the show and all that JazZzz!

Nelly Friedrichsen

2019-2020 WUSM Musical Producer