Original Mary Sunshine Returns to Show Nearly 30 Years After Opening
By Melissa Griegel…
Show photos and video by Melissa Griegel
Chicago the Musical is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, after originally opening on Broadway in 1975, and is about to celebrate its 30th year of the current revival that opened in 1996. Chicago and has been celebrating in some big ways, including a recent reunion show at 54 Below with cast and creative from the show’s history that has now spanned half a century.
Last night, August 7th, 2025, Chicago has found a way to make history yet again. D. Sabella, the original Mary Sunshine in the 1996 revival of Kander and Ebb’s Chicago returned to the show as Mary Sunshine, a role they originated thirty years ago. Sabella stepped seamlessly into the role and sounded better than ever. Sabella said that last night was “doubly fantastic” because their daughters were able to see them perform the role that is close to their heart.
While some stars like Yul Brynner and Carol Channing have continued playing the same role in various productions over many decades, this is the first time in Broadway history that an original Broadway principle is returning to their same role in the same continuously running production, nearly 20 years later, and 30 years after opening. In similar fashion, Leslie Odom, Jr will be returning to his role in Hamilton later this year for Hamilton’s 10th year celebrations. Sabella is scheduled to perform in Chicago tonight through Sunday the 10th. Catch one of his next five performances by getting tickets now at https://chicagothemusical.com/ or your favorite theater ticket site. You can also catch Sabella at 54 Below on September 30th in their solo cabaret show celebrating the 30th anniversary of Chicago. See www.54Below.com for more information.
Sabella is no stranger to making headlines, winning the Luciano Pavarotti international voice competition in 1995 as a countertenor, when Pavarotti stopped him in the middle of his audition, and declared him an instant winner. Anecdotally, Sabella is the only original principle to have performed their role in all four theaters in which Chicago has played in New York (New York City Center, The Richard Rogers Theater, The Schubert Theatre, and The Ambassador Theater). Sabella first opened the show with Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton, Marcia Lewis, and Joel Grey in 1996 and stayed with the show until late 1998, when he was asked to appear in the Las Vegas Company with Chita Rivera, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Resort, the first full-length musical on the Las Vegas strip.
D. Sabella and brother Ernie Sabella, who was Joel Grey’s first replacement as Amos Hart, also made history performing together in Chicago, both on Broadway and in Las Vegas for over two years. Sabella returned to Broadway in 2002 to perform, along with many of the original cast members, in support of Melanie Griffith as Roxie Hart, and remained in the show until 2004. Between 2004 and 2006 Sabella would occasionally appear in Chicago, both on Broadway and on tour, as a temporary replacement or vacation swing. Their last performance on Broadway was the 10th anniversary performance in 2006. Sabella has continued to perform in both classical music, musical theater, and cabaret. As a distinguished “Singing Voice Specialist”, Sabella also works as a voice teacher and performance coach, and is the co-author, with Sue Matsuki, of So You Want to Sing Cabaret, the only textbook used in universities and conservatories to teach the art of small venue performance.
Most recently, Sabella is the Founding President and Artistic Director of the Bella Vox Performing Arts Foundation, a US nonprofit organization operating in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with the mission of bringing great Broadway and cabaret performers to Puerto Vallarta and other cities in Mexico, as well as offering performing arts education, and access to performances to underserved communities, local performers, school-aged children, and Mexican residents. The Bella Vox Foundation has just launched and is preparing for its first star-studded season in Puerto Vallarta. For more information or to make a tax deductible contribution to the Bella Vox Performing Arts Foundation please visit wwww.bellvoxarts.org.
