The Kander and Ebb musical Chicago has lived a charmed life. In spite of it's sardonic tone and bleakly dark themes, and despite a general critical drubbing when it first premiered on the Main Stem in 1975, Bob Fosse's musical version of the 1926 play Roxie Hart ran almost 900 performances. 21 years later, the show was remounted by Fosse protégé Ann Reinking in his style, and has run for five years since. It is this revised version, even sexier and more stylized than the original production of her mentor, which Theater League has brought to the Orpheum Theatre. The offering is a better level of touring show, with spectacular dancing, pretty good singing, and adequate acting. If this show offers spectacular dancing, though, other general inadequacies will fail to diminish.
Roxie Hart is a Jazz age murderess that, through the course of the evening, presents her roller coaster ride through the corrupt and jaded courts of Chicago in the style of a vaudeville piece. She runs roughshod over her cuckolded husband, latches onto an unscrupulous lawyer, makes and breaks alliances with a fellow murderess who has a vaudeville past, makes deals with the well-greased prison matron, and manipulates the hearts of the public through the wooing of an overly optimistic reporter. In the end, the system fails spectacularly, as it is destined to do.
Gary Chryst and Scott Faris have recreated the original Reinking choreography and Walter Bobbie direction accordingly, and it's up to the cast to pull it off. With a few exceptions, they do. The best comes from Heather Parcells in the role of Velma, Roxie's nemesis. She is lithe and nearly elastic, and has the Fosse style down. When featured during "When Velma Takes the Stand," she takes the spotlight, and refuses to give it back. Nearly as good is Kellyanne Wilson as Roxie. Her dancing is on a par with Ms. Parcells, but her voice is not as strong, and her acting is more inconsistent. During her big solo, her dancing is great, but she tends to telegraph her emotions. The ensemble behind these two is a visual feast. From the hilarious "Cell Block Tango" to the showstopping "Razzle Dazzle," everything is what you'd expect from an extravaganza.
Not everything is perfect, though. While Stewart Brown is a great doormat as Roxie's hubby, Amos, Jay Joseph lacks power as slick lawyer Billy Flynn. Somewhat miscast is Natalie Joy Johnson as Matron Mama. She isn't remotely threatening, and seems more like Rosemary Clooney than a hardened turnscrew. Finally, while convincing in looks, the performer playing Mary Sunshine sounded like they had a headcold.
Despite these problems, this is ultimately a dance show, and when it's on it's feet, there's nothing comparable in town. This production is a great mix of style and substance.
Production Details:
Chicago Lyrics by Fred Ebb,
Music by John Kander, Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse
Theater League
The Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix (For
a map to location, click this
link)
(602) 262-7272 or (800) 905-3315
September 25th - 30th, 2001