Review: CHICAGO: THE MUSICAL at Kauffman Theater

"Chicago, the Musical," now playing at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts, is a super evening out for you and your significant other.  It is a welcome respite from our incredible snow event last weekend. 

There are multiple, fascinating storylines behind "Chicago," but let’s first address the resounding success that is this American Theatre Guild touring production.  "Chicago, the Musical" has been running continuously as a revival since 1996.  The original production of "Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville" opened on June 3, 1975 at the 46thStreet Theater and ran for 936 performances.

"Chicago" opened the same award year as "A Chorus Line" and lost out in the award voting that year, but by the time of the 1996 revival, audiences had fallen in love with the production and it has been running on Broadway and on tour ever since.

Chicago tells the story of two Chicago, roaring 20s, jazz age murderesses who did in their cheating boyfriends before being brought up on charges for their dastardly deeds. Both shared a money-grubbing but charming attorney named Billy Flynn who manipulated the media and the jury to get them off.

Velma Kelly, dressed entirely in black tights and matching black leotard, sports a short pixie-cut hairdo sings the show’s opener with the ensemble.  The song by John Kander and Fred Ebb is "All That Jazz." Taylor Lane is Velma Kelly and she is very, very good.  

The original Velma was the late Chita Rivera in 1975, but the stage Velma we remember most is from the revival production in 1996.  She was Bebe Neuwirth, who most remember as the plain, acerbic Lilith from Fraiser.  I had the pleasure of seeing Bebe as Lola in "Damn Yankees" on Broadway.  Trust me, Bebe was anything but plain and acerbic on stage and neither is Taylor Lane.

Paired with Velma is the real lead character of the piece, Roxie Hart.  For this production, Roxie is the excellent Ellie Roddy.   Roxie wants to be a star and is seduced (repeatedly it seems) by furniture salesman Fred Casely (Brad Weatherford).  Fred has promised Roxie an introduction to show biz.  It turns out that Fred is not who he has pretended to be and Roxie plugs the lying scumbag.

The original Roxie Hart was Gwen Verdon in "Chicago: the Musical Vaudeville" way back in 1975.  The eventual musical show was also Gwen Verdon’s idea.  She suggested a musical adaption of a 1926 straight play on the same subbject to her husband, director and choreograher Bob Fosse after reading it and envisioning the possibillity.  Fosse agreed, inviolved John Kander and Fred Ebb, and eventually turned out a hit.

The no-good money-grubbing Chicago lawyer is Billy Flynn originally played by the late, great Jerry Orbach.  You may know Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe on the long running TV series Law and Order.   Jerry was the last of the classical leading man on Broadway.  He creeated a number of characters including "El Gallo" in "The Fantasticks." 

For this production, we have six-foot six-inch Connor Sullivan as Billy.   Sullivan is the best Billy Flynn I’ve ever seen.  He is in his second season of touring as Billy.  He has an outstanding baritone and a dominating stage presence while without being threatening. I think this may be why he works so well in the part.

Bob Fosse, as choreographer and director, created an entirely new look and style of dance for the Broadway stage.  He was also an inveterate womanizer.  The marriage partnership between Verdon and Fosse did not last, but their professional relationship certainly did.  Chicago: the Musical percolated through the system until Fosse shared a book credit with Lyricist Fred Ebb.

Verdon and Fosse continued to work together until his death in 1987.  On the opening night tryout for a revival of "Sweet Charity" at the National Theater in Washington, D.C., Verdon and Fosse walked the two blocks from the Willard Hotel to the theater.  Fosse suffered a massive heart attack outside the hotel and died in her arms.

Fosse’s other lasting female relationship was with dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking.   Unusually, Reinking and Verdon became very close friends.  For the 1996 revival production, Reinking replaced Verdon as Roxie and choreographed the show in Fosse’s unmistakable style.  Reinking’s version of Chicago directed by Walter Bobbie continues running on Broadway and in the touring version you will see at the Kauffman Center.

There is a lot to Chicago in addition to being a fun evening out.  Roxie and Velma, it turns out were real killers (Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner).  Mary Sunshine was actuallyreporter Maurine Dallas Watkins.  Watkins also wrote the original play.

This year’s touring production  features Andrew Metzger as Roxie’s long suffering and almost invisible husband Amos.  Illy Kirven is warden Momma Morton.

Added familiar numbers include The Cell Block Tango, When You Are Good To Momma, Roxie, I Can’t Do It Alone, Mister Cellophane, Razzle Dazzle, Nowadays, and The Hot Honey Rag.

Chicago: the Musical continues at the Kauffman Center through Sunday January 12.  Tickets are available at the American Theatre Guild Broadway Across America.

  

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