Review: CHICAGO THE MUSICAL at Broadway Palm

Welcome to Fosse Land.

Alas, Chita Rivera and Ann Reinking are doing high kicks in the great beyond, but Broadway Palm has cast their doppelgangers to reprise the roles of Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart in its production of Chicago the Musical. Taylor Lane as Velma sports Rivera’s black bob, and Ellie Roddy as Roxie has legs for miles like Reinking.

Of course, it’s not enough just to look the part. These two ladies bring all the talent and sass the parts require.

Their razzle-dazzling attorney Billy Flynn is played with squared jawed swagger by Connor Sullivan. More sympathetic is Andrew Metzger as Roxie’s loyal husband Amos. Both gentlemen can sure hold a long note.

As you would expect, the dancers, in eye popping black-with-a-lot-of-sheer costumes designed by William Ivey Long, are a joy to behold. The set by John Lee Beatty is appropriately glitzy with the orchestra in full view and the conductor an active participant in the story.

Wikipedia calls this show “a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal". Isn’t funny how everything comes around again?

This show marks the beginning of Broadway Palm’s 32nd season. After its run in Fort Myers, it will embark on an extensive North American tour, but we get the pleasure of seeing it first. It runs through Nov. 9, 2024. For tickets, call 239.278.4422.

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