Usher in Chicago: And That's Show Biz

When I first saw the headline, "Usher to play Billy Flynn in Chicago," I thought it meant John Doyle had come up with a new concept.  I'd never heard of the guy, but apparently I'm one of the four people on planet Earth who hasn't.  (I'm also one of the four people on planet Earth who enjoyed Lennon, but that's beside the point.) 

And hey, any excuse to see Chicago again works for me. The original production of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse's lambasting of human morals was one of my first Broadway shows, and though the current revival eschews Fosse's Brechtian subtext and replaces it with good old-fashioned sex appeal, turning what was once America's Threepenny Opera into merely a fabulous night of smart and adult musical comedy, I'm not going to turn down an evening of watching the likes of Bryn Dowling and Michelle M Robinson provocatively undulating before me while funny muscleman Gregory Butler makes love to his own six-pack. 

Oh right…Usher! 

So Roxie Hart kills her boyfriend…blah, blah, blah… munchin' her goddamn bon-bons…. blah, blah, blah…Cicero…blah, blah, blah…pepper my ragu… blah, blah, blah…Billy Flynn!  After much fanfare and heavy breathing from the scantily clad ladies of the chorus, all of whom I've developed an infinite respect for by this point, the lad known as Usher, looking far too young to be playing 1920's Chicago's most celebrated criminal lawyer, makes his first entrance.  He takes in a hearty dose of applause and flashes a sweet, boyish smile to the audience.  It's a great smile.  If there's one thing Usher can do splendidly on stage, and he does it a lot throughout the performance, it's smile.  In fact, if they'd stop the show right then and there I'd say it was a perfect Broadway debut, congratulations Usher, I'll buy you a drink at Joe Allen. 

But one of the requirements of starring in a Broadway musical is that more often than not somebody's going to ask you to act.  And that's where matters get a little sticky for our hero.  I don't want to say he gives a bad performance.  It's just that… he doesn't actually give a performance.  There's no character.  He rushes through his lines in a pleasantly mellow voice, rarely variating his tone and missing practically all his laughs.  When he sings it's in the same soft timbre, pretty to listen to but often lacking in emotion, showmanship and the storytelling craft of lyric phrasing.  To be fair, I've never heard him sing before and it seems the score may be too low for him.  He's far more vocally powerful and interesting during select moments where he sings in a higher register and adds what I assume to be his signature R&B stylings. 

And he has a nice, confident gait on stage.  He moves with grace and dances some basic soft-shoe moves with an easy elegance.  Perhaps with training he could become an enjoyable musical theatre song and dance man, but in this, his stage acting debut, he works alongside a cast of performers who range from madly dynamic to likeably professional and sadly, he's the least interesting thing on stage. 

Topping the dynamic end of the scale is Lillias White, who serves an irresistible portion of self-indulgence as Matron Mama Morton, even when her hand gestures come dangerously close to making her one solo, "When You're Good to Mama", a song about her boobies.  As Roxie's cuckolded husband Amos, Kevin Chamberlin's hardened appearance contrasts nicely with a tenderness that slowly seeps out until he seems a teddy bear by his final exit.  Both actors are ending their current engagements, to be replaced next week by Roz Ryan and Rob Bartlett. 

Smoky-voiced Brenda Braxton is slick and entertaining as Velma, mixing hard cynicism with the desperate clowning of a heartless girl pushing hard to be loved.  Bianca Marroquin is a wonderfully endearing Roxie, with a seemingly natural child-like naiveté that's quite touching.  Her monologue describing Roxie's thirst for fame was the highlight of the evening for me, more emotionally and comically effective than any song or dance all night. 

R. Lowe is an especially strong Mary Sunshine, hitting those fluttery high notes with an impressive soprano that still keeps Ebb's mock-inspirational lyrics clear.  And special kudos to Dan LoBuono, enormously fun as every member of the jury. 

If I may, I'd like to close with a special message for any celebrities who may reading these words who have been considering making their stage acting debuts by starring on Broadway.  Instead, why not consider offering your talents to one of the many fine non-profit Off-Off Broadway theatres in New York?  So much good New York theatre gets overlooked because there is no name celebrity involved.  By being involved with a smaller Off-Off Broadway show, you'd be learning the craft of stage acting in a nurturing environment where nobody will expect you to be giving a performance worth $111.00 a ticket.  You'd still get tons of publicity and you'd be helping to enrich New York's theatre community by guaranteeing a sold-out run for a struggling company of artists who are trying keep their financial heads above water.  You'd be a hero and a role model!  Drop me an email if you like and I'd be happy to suggest theatre companies that might be a good fit for you.  I'll buy you a beer and we'll talk about it. 

Photos by Paul Kolnik: Top:Bianca Marroquin, Bryn Dowling and Usher

Center: Gabriela Garcia, Donna Marie Asbury, Bryn Dowling, Usher, Michelle Potterf, Michelle M Robinson and Jennifer West

Bottom: Usher and Bryn Dowling