Murder, media manipulation, dreams and ambitions, love and lust, all come together in the passionate, beating heart of Chicago. Add the amazing music and lyrics of John Kander and Fred Ebb, brought to life with the brilliant choreography of Bob Fosse, and it’s easy to see why this is one of the longest-running shows on Broadway.
We all know the storyline of murderers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly from previous iterations of the stage show and the classic movie with Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It’s hard to believe that’s now almost 25 years old. There is also an earlier movie version starring Ginger Rogers as Roxie Hart. The unforgettable songs, the divine dancing, and the sexy and sultry jazz-era aesthetic combine to make this a sensual feast for the eyes and the ears.
Chicago the Musical was inspired by a play written in 1926 by Maurine Dallas Watkins. She had been a reporter for the Chicago Tribune before studying playwriting at Yale University. Watkins’ play was based on true stories from murder trials she had covered for the newspaper.
Kander and Ebb premiered the musical in 1975 to a mixed reception from audiences and critics. Its fate changed in 1996 with a revival production in New York with direction by Walter Bobbie and new choreography ‘in the style of’ Bob Fosse by Ann Reinking. That production was a huge hit, receiving rave reviews and winning six Tony Awards, two Oliviers, and a Grammy for good measure. It’s testament to Chicago’s universal appeal that it’s still playing on Broadway, and is constantly touring the globe in revivals of a revival – I think this must be its third tour of Australia.
Opening to a packed house at the Festival Theatre on Thursday, at the end of a long national tour, this production is impressively good in every way. The leads are all perfect in their roles with much-loved baritone Anthony Warlow dripping sleaze as lawyer Billy Flynn, Zoë Ventoura as the world weary Velma Kelly, and Lucy Maunder as the more naïve Roxie Hart. Actor Peter Rowsthorn, probably still best known for his work on Kath & Kim, was a clear audience favourite as Roxie’s hapless husband Amos Hart, especially in his heart-breaking solo ‘Mister Cellophane’. Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, the “mistress of the murderesses”, is given great stage presence by Asabi Goodman; S Valeri, playing reporter Mary Sunshine, and Devon Braithwaite, as Roxie’s dead lover Fred Casely, round out the principal cast with style.
Every musical number in Chicago is a hit, from the iconic opening of ‘All That Jazz’, to ‘All I Care About is Love’, ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’, and (of course!) ‘Razzle Dazzle’. You’ll be singing these songs to yourself for days after seeing the show! And the wonderful ‘Cell Block Tango’, staged to perfection here, has one of my most-favourite lines from any show: “He ran into my knife; he ran into my knife ten times”.
The dancing in this production is absolutely top notch. Ventoura and Maunder are both superb in their demanding lead roles. But it really is the ensemble that deserves so much applause – they do so much work and just excel at every moment. They fully embody that place between hope and despair, desire and desperation. Yes, the choreography is brilliant and uses every inch of the main-stage to perfection, but the execution is to die for (pun fully intended!). The precision in every sequence is impressive and it’s the attention to detail – in the jazz hands, the hip rolls, the Follies-style feathers – that really takes us back to the 1920s. When they’re not dancing, they sit on simple chairs at the side of the stage, adding to the intimate cabaret club feeling.
This production has the 14-piece orchestra up on stage in a tiered set that could almost be a jury box. Musical director Anthony Barnhill keeps a tight rein on his musicians and even has a few lines to deliver. The band was in fine form for opening night, although it’s a shame they weren’t in jazz-age attire. With a piano accordion, banjo, ukulele, and lots of lovely brass and wind, the music really does recreate the era and adds enormously to the ambiance of the show.
Every aspect of this production is impressive. And yes, it’s about murder and lust and infidelity, and there’s even (sadly) a hanging, but it’s still a toe-tapping, feel-good sensation. Book now, because as it says on the posters, “it would be a crime to miss it!”
Chicago at the Festival Theatre until 31st of August. Some shows are almost sold out so book now!
Image credit: Jeff Busby
