DANVILLE -- Enthusiasm and energy will fill the Danville High School auditorium this Saturday and Sunday when Danville Light Opera laufnches its 51st season with "Chicago."

Originally performed on Broadway and later produced as a movie, "Chicago" brings a slice of 1920s Chicago to life. It also addresses the contemporary cult of celebrity, where crime can become a ticket to stardom.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Danville High School auditorium. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for students and are available by calling 431-1660. "Chicago" is suggested for mature audiences.

In "Chicago," two women on death row plan careers in show business after their anticipated release from prison. Their lawyer assures them that the notoriety of their cases will bring fame and fortune.

Well known for a score that includes "All That Jazz," "Razzle Dazzle" and "Mr. Cellophane," the legendary Bob Fosse's choreography brought the lyrics and music of John Kander and Fred Ebb to life in the original production.

The talented Danville cast of more than 30 area residents brimmed with excitement as they rehearsed the Tony award winning musical. Rehearsals for the two performances stretched over eight weeks.

"I've wanted to do this show for 24 years," Ed Sant, director of "Chicago" said. "When I heard the songs, I couldn't get over how irreverent it was. Sex, murder and mayhem - what fun! It was worth the wait."

Leslie Boedicker, a Danville resident for almost six years, enjoyed the rehearsal as much as she anticipated the show itself. She plays convicted murderess and ex-vaudeville star Velma Kelly.

"The rehearsal process is art as much as the finished product of the performances," she said. Boedicker holds a master's degree in directing and studied acting and dancing as an undergraduate.

"I love that this show is female-driven," she said. "One of my biggest peeves about theater is the lack of roles for women. Usually, the cast calls for 25 men and two women. This show flips that.

"Maybe it's because women are too complex. The behaviors that people find fascinating in men, like adultery and murder, are in these female characters. Women can be something besides mothers."

Danville's Brad Smith, who plays lawyer Billy Flynn in the show, likened community theater to combat.

"It's that intense," he said. "Anyone who's done a show together forms an incredible bond with the other members of the cast. You see those people after 20 years, and you're instantly connected."

Audiences last saw Jan Marken in DLO's "Blood Brothers."

"I found that I missed performing," Marken said. "I knew this show, knew the plot was good and knew the music was fun. Everyone knows the song 'All That Jazz.' This is a chance to hear it and to see where it came from.

"I'd come and see this if I wasn't in it," she added.