Chicago: They Had it Coming

“What you are about to see is the musical exploration of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery, all those things that we hold dear to our hearts.”


What Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly forgot to mention was amazingly incredible singing, acting, and dancing.

Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart (Michelle DeJean), the housewife who dreams of making it big in show biz, and instead gains her fame by killing her boyfriend (Fred Casey played by Dan LoBuono). The story shows how Roxie invents her defense and manipulates everyone from her husband to the media and the public.

Chicago which was written by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse with music by John Kander, is one of Broadway’s most popular musicals, and has been running for over a decade. It is the winner of 6 Tony Awards, and features hit songs such as “All that Jazz” and “Razzle Dazzle,” as well as tantalizing dancing choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse.

Chicago is quite different from other Broadway musicals, for starters the orchestra is part of the show and performs on stage, and the actors then perform around them. There are several scenes where the conductor is even stopped by the performers and is, in a way, forced into the show. Many of the scenes in Chicago featured actors sitting along on the side of the stage to frame the action. As far as props go, everything from feathered fans to chairs are used in the dance numbers, in a true vaudeville fashion. There was a somewhat racy feel to the sets, staging, choreography, and lyrics. Shades of black and red, tinsel, glitter, silver, and amazing lighting effects gave the show’s songs, jazz, and dance routines an underground style and overall sexy ambiance.

Contrary to what the song would have you believe, the dancing was more than “all that jazz.” Chicago included all styles of dance from ballet to lyrical and even tap. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly danced in solos and duets, legs straight in the air, swiveling their hips, creating provocative poses, in a Modern Jazz style.

The show opens with “All That Jazz”, in an intense routine with actors running around the stage and dancing to their own beat at times, then getting together in prefect choreography as female dancers are lifted by their male counterparts. The song ends as Roxie shoots her boyfriend, Fred Casely. “Funny Honey” the follow up to “All that Jazz” in which Roxie convinces her husband to take the blame for Fred’s murder, was a more relaxed number with soulful vocals and Roxie scaling a wall ladder.

“Cell Block Tango,” followed at a much faster pace. The female prisoners sing their twisted tales of woe and revenge while sitting in rows, and casually gyrating their hips or throwing their legs up in the air. I found it interesting how in this song the dancers used their movements to emphasize what they were saying. The first girl sat in her chair using her hands to talk, meanwhile the next did the same while adding a few leg splits. The third prisoner stood and danced on her chair and swung around on it as well, all in a manner better suited for an adult show, (the kind you bring lots of singles to). When it came to the Hungarian girl’s turn to sing her story of how she ended up in jail, her performance was more lyrical and far more graceful than that of the other girls. Her dancing and poetic movements looked kind and innocent, and although you couldn’t understand what she was saying, you could tell by her movements and expression that she was trying to explain her innocence; this was further clarified in her cry of “not guilty.”

“When You’re Good to Momma” and “Class” starring theMatron "Mama" Morton (Adriane Lenox) could have used more dancing in them to make them more exciting. During these numbers Lenox simply sat in the center of the stage and sang, which brought disappointment to one of the show’s better known songs. This was especially true to those who saw the movie version of Chicago. In the movie, “When You’re Good to Momma” is given a much flashier presentation. However this is understandable since it is easier to portray certain things in movies, than live on stage.

Numbers such as “We Both Reached for the Gun,” “I Can’t Do It Alone,” “When Velma Takes the Stand,” and “Razzle Dazzle” were so thrilling in their dance routines that you didn’t know where on stage to look. During these numbers there were people doing cartwheels, men twirling, and women leaping. “It was almost like watching a circus” said Peter Blondi.

All in all Chicago was a great show and a true delight for everyone. After the show, Michael Keaveny raved “I didn’t think I’d be able to stay awake when I first came in, now I can’t wait to see it again!” R. Lowe, who plays Mary Sunshine, stood by the theater entrance with his fellow cast members collecting donations for the Broadway Cares charity. Several fans seemed impressed with R. Lowe and others, including a young boy overheard saying to his parents “I can’t believe that lady was really a dude,” were doubtful as to how he portrayed a woman so well. Rather than defend himself with words, R. Lowe sang for the crowd, hitting some unbelievable high notes, giving the fans much more than what they had originally paid for!