A Review

Razor Sharp Dancing And All That Jazz

By R. J. Donovan

Bob Fosse's "Chicago" originally opened on Broadway in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre as a "conventional" musical comedy.

I intentionally put quotes around the word conventional, because nothing Bob Fosse created was ever conventional. As a star vehicle for his wife, Gwen Verdon, and co-star Chita Rivera, "Chicago" was gritty, sexy and exceptionally entertaining. The original cast also included Jerry Orbach and Barney Martin (familiar to TV fans of "Seinfeld" as Jerry's father.)

Still, the original "Chicago" was conventional in the sense that it relied on costumes, scenery, and so on. Subtitled, A Musical Vaudeville, the show was a flurry of exciting musical numbers by John Kander & Fred Ebb that told a story of murder, greed and corruption in 1920s Chicago by way of two merry murderesses and their ruthless pursuit of publicity.

The original production had the unfortunate fate of opening in the same season as "A Chorus Line," which grabbed all the attention and copped all the awards. In comparison, "Chicago" came off as dark and cynical. After all, common cutthroats using the media to turn them into celebrities? What was that all about?

"Chicago" returned to the New York limelight in 1996 as part of City Center's successful Encore! series that stages limited runs of rarely-done musicals in a very stripped-down fashion. No sets, no costumes. Kind of a concert version.

The four performance Encore! presentation in May was so embraced that the bright lights were rekindled for "Chicago."

Starring Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reinking (who had replicated Fosse's original trademark choreography), a newly stylized "black and white" production opened at The Shubert Theatre in November. It instantly won the hearts and attention of Broadway audiences and critics alike. (The show is still running in New York.) Somehow, with 24-hour cable news channels, car chase coverage and court cases brought to you live as they happened, the cynical criminal-celebrity aspect became very identifiable.

Last year saw the release of an award-winning film version of "Chicago," different from both the original and the current stage versions, but an artful adaptation of both.

Touring companies have sprouted across the country and around the world, all using the revival version as their blueprint. The touring company directed by Walter Bobbie at The Wang through November 9 is a sharp group, even if the show is dwarfed in the theatre.

The most notable face on stage belongs to Gregory Harrison (left), who many will remember from TV's long running series "Trapper John." He's no stranger to the stage ("The Subject Was Roses," "Child's Play," "Picnic") nor to musicals ("Steel Pier," "The Fantasticks," "Follies"). And here, he's just fine as slippery lawyer Billy Flynn who's out to make a buck -- no matter the cost. He leads one of the show's better known numbers, "Razzle Dazzle," complete with confetti glitter flying from the rafters.

The two ladies playing the merry murderesses dance up a storm. Brenda Braxton (left) is Velma Kelley and Bianca Marroquin is Roxie Hart. (For fans of the movie, Catherine Zeta-Jones was Velma, Renee Zellweger was Roxie and Richard Gere was Flynn.)

Braxton looks great and hits all the right notes, but there's some sizzle lacking in the "vop" department of "All That Jazz," her first number, which also opens the show. It was good but not great. There's a difference between singing it well and selling it to the balcony.

And while Marroquin is sometimes difficult to understand (which may be the fault of the sound system), her dancing is superb, especially in "Roxie Hart" and the bubbly "Me And My Baby." Marroquin and Harrison are also quite good in the putting-words-in-her-mouth Press Conference number, "We Both Reached For The Gun."

R. Bean (left with Harrison) is delightfully over the top as sob-sister newspaper reporter Mary Sunshine, with the excess playing nicely against the other characters -- especially Harrison, who often serves as the object of Mary's fluttery admiration.

Ray Bokhour is Amos, Roxie's schnook of a husband who initially takes the rap for the murder she commits. He plays the part with an agreeable innocence, coming close to stealing the night with "Mr. Cellophane," his plaintive tale of being ignored.

And then there's the lustrous Carol Woods, who plays prison matron Mama Morton. There's no way to misunderstand her big voice as it fills the house with "When You're Good To Mama."

The lithe and limber chorus of singers and dancers are a sexy lot, slithering through Fosse's trademark pelvic thrusts and hip swivels with stylish pizzazz.

In the end, Billy Flynn makes his case, Roxie and Velma are found not guilty and the two killers hit the road in a vaudeville act.

And that's show biz, kids.

 

 

 

"Chicago" is at The Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street in Boston, through November 9. For information, call 800-447-7400.

Production photos: Paul Kolnik

-- OnStage Boston

11/07/03

 

 
 
 
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