Review: CHICAGO at Kennedy Center

John Kander and Fred Ebb's murderess musical Chicago is back in town at the Kennedy Center's Opera House. The score is still as good as it ever was, but overall this current tour is missing some of the spark it needs to be totally satisfying.

The late 1920's in Chicago were a time for jazz clubs, hooch, and murder. Lawyers would do whatever they needed to do to win cases and collect on them while boosting their own egos. Even the jail matrons were cashing in on the action. Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse's book point out that media circus was common way before OJ and #45 even existed.

Roxie Hart (Brandy Norwood) is sent to murderer's row for the brutal killing of Fred Casely (Brent Hueser). Casely sold Roxie and her husband Amos Hart (Paul Vogt) their furniture. Matron "Mama" Morton (Roz Ryan) will help anyone in her ward...for a price. One phone call from Mama gets you Billy Flynn (Brent Barrett), the best lawyer around. He can razzle dazzle any jury to win his case. Flynn has many clients, including Velma Kelly (Terra C. MacLeod) who is also in jail for murder. Velma is also a publicity whore who loves to have her name in the papers and, thank to Mama, it has been for quite some time. Now with Flynn promoting Roxie as the sympathetic victim, Velma's shine with the press is starting to tarnish. Flynn even gets the really gullible Amos Hart to help acquit Roxie by saying he couldn't possibly be the father of her unborn child and that he wanted a divorce. If you know the show well enough, you know what happens from here. If you don't, the show is in town for another week.

Judging from that plot synopsis, the story sounds like it has an element of suspense to it and it should. Unfortunately, the book scenes lack the energy and urgency that's needed to take us from one musical number to the next. Whether this is due to a leading lady simply being "over" her role, though, is up for debate.

That would be Terra C. Macleod as Velma Kelly. By my count this is her eighth company of Chicago and while she has a nice and gritty enough singing voice and puts over the choreography, her acting just says "I'm here and collecting a check" and that's about it.

A few other Chicago veterans fare better though. Roz Ryan as Matron "Mama" Morton still tears the house down with "When You're Good to Mama" and Brent Barrett, as the slimy show biz lawyer Billy Flynn, has a star turn with "All I Care About is Love."

Paul Vogt as Amos Hart doesn't have very much stage time, but when he hits "Mr. Cellophane," contrary to the song lyrics, you really know he's there.

C. Newcomer as the court reporter Mary Sunshine hits all of the high notes (literally) with her/his (you decide) "A Little Bit of Good."

Lastly, Grammy Winner Brandy Norwood (Brandy from her pop career) holds her own very nicely against her castmates. Her "Roxie" is one of the true show-stopping moments of the proceedings.

The ensemble does a fine job with Ann Reinking's choreography, which is done in the style of Bob Fosse's original work. Numbers like "When Velma Takes the Stand" and of course "All That Jazz" gives the show a much-needed kick and finger turn when it needs it the most.

The choreography is re-staged for this tour by David Bushman. Walter Bobbie's direction is re-staged by the show's longtime Broadway Production Stage Manager David Hyslop.

This version of the show started at Encores! so that means the orchestra is onstage and, in this case, is really part of the action. Maestro Rob Bowman is back on the podium for this current tour and exudes tons of energy while conducting the original Ralph Burns orchestrations as played by a red hot fourteen-piece orchestra.

Yes, I know, some purists will say "Wait, the show only has thirteen players" - and you would be right. Remember this though, the show picks up all of the musicians in every city except for the two pianists and the drummer who travel. It's a different orchestra every week or two. The show has an upright bass/tuba double written for it. Some cities don't have that kind of talent that can play both instruments, so they split the book into two players and there is your fourteen. The many trumpet solos are growled and swung to perfection by local player Fred Irby III.

You have to admire producers Barry and Fran Weissler for keeping this show as part of the American and worldwide theatre culture for twenty years now. This current tour of Chicago still points out what is really good, but also what happens when you keep recycling your leading lady. The Weisslers might want to consider casting some fresh blood because as it stands now, this version of Chicago is more lukewarm than hotcha.

Running Time: Two hours and 20 minutes with one intermission.

Chicago runs through April 16, 2017 in the Opera House at the Kennedy Center which is located at 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC. For tickets, click here.

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