..."
Chicago in the early 1930s. A city where killing is a form of entertainment and where, if you're lucky, you can get away with murder. Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a woman who killed her lover and is sent to prison facing the death penalty. But Roxie's biggest ambition is to be ... Read review
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Advantages: Stylish, sexy, great songs, great performances Disadvantages: Uncomfortable seats!
...our hearts..."
Chicago in the early 1930s. A city where killing is a form of entertainment and where, if you're lucky, you can get away with murder. Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a woman who killed her lover and is sent to prison facing the death penalty. But Roxie's biggest ambition is to be famous and have her own vaudeville act, and she soon discovers that, with a little bending of the truth and a little media manipulation, ... ...was alive today, living in Chicago and had $5000 things might have turned out a little differently". In prison Roxie meets Velma Kelly, a vaudeville star who shot her husband and sister after catching them in bed together. Cue intense rivalry between Roxie and Velma as they each battle for their place in the spotlight.
Chicago was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb (the same people who brought you Cabaret) in the 1970s and has ... more
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery. All those things we hold near and dear to our hearts..."
Chicago in the early 1930s. A city where killing is a form of entertainment and where, if you're lucky, you can get away with murder. Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a woman who killed her lover and is sent to prison facing the death penalty. But Roxie's biggest ambition is to be famous and have her own vaudeville act, and she soon discovers that, with a little bending of the truth and a little media manipulation, her dreams could become reality. Cue hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn, a flash kind of guy who, by turning every trial into a media circus, has never lost a case and claims that "If Jesus Christ was alive today, living in Chicago and had $5000 things might have turned out a little differently". In prison Roxie meets Velma Kelly, a vaudeville star who shot her husband and sister after catching them in bed together. Cue intense rivalry between Roxie and Velma as they each battle for their place in the spotlight.
Chicago was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb (the same people who brought you Cabaret) in the 1970s and has experienced a fantastic revival in recent years featuring stars such as Ruthie Henshall, Ute Lemper, Denise Van Outen and Alison Moyet and won the 1998 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production. As you will have guessed from the plot outline, it's not a cutesy storyline - it's pretty dark and the humour is black and biting.
The set is black and minimalist and really captures the jazz / vaudeville atmosphere well - the orchestra are sat on stage for the entire show, just like a cabaret revue show, and are really a part of the action and the cast sit visibly in the wings when not performing. The cast are all dressed in black fishnets, stocking and suspenders and 'dance wear' - Chicago is probably an easy sell to the men in your family! There isn't a great deal of scenery or props, only the odd chair here, or ostrich feather there, and the whole feel of the show plays on the audience's awareness that they are watching a theatrical production - there are lots of "breaking the 4th wall" asides to the audience as well as references to certain performance traditions that reinforce this, such as Roxie's torch song to husband Amos, or her rather lame attempt at standup later in the show.
The performances of the cast are fantastic. Currently headling the show are Aoife Mullholland (of How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria fame) as Velma Kelly and Tiffany Graves as Roxie Hart (interestingly, they've recently swapped roles which gives an interesting take on both characters). They both look and sound stunning and really capture the feel of the show well. Brenda Edwards (of X factor fame) plays Mama Morton, the warden who 'looks after' the girls, and she has a fabulously powerful and resonant voice and a good dose of attitude. I was a big fan of Brenda on the X Factor and I thought she was absolutely stunning in this. Ian Kelsey (of Emmerdale) plays Billy Flynn, and while he wasn't quite smooth enough for me and seemed slightly nervous, he played the role well. I love the fact that Chicago play upon the theme of the fickle nature of fame by casting lots of celebrities in the lead roles - luckily for this production, those celebrities pull it wonderfully and I was really really impressed. I've not been so impressed with the cast every time I've seen Chicago (Tina Arena and Ashlee Simpson were pretty disappointing!) but the current cast are well worth the ticket price. The chorus also do a great job, playing various characters throughout the show and moving together fantastically.
The music itself is great - one of the most thrilling moments in theatre is the Cell Block Tango, as each one of the "6 merry murderesses" tells the story of how she ended up in jail, how "he had it coming" - full of the blackest humour, aggression and anger. "I simply Cannot do it alone" is Velma's starring moment of desperation as she tries to convince Roxie to join her act, reeling through the moves she and her sister had put together in a bizarre "one man band" type song. "We both reached for the gun" sees Billy and Roxie speaking at a press conference, with Billy manipulating Roxie like a ventriloquist's dummy, very cleverly done. "Roxie" is Roxie's starring moment, as she fantasises about starring in her own vaudeville show, with "her boys" framing her.
The legendary Bob Fosse choreography is superb - we were lucky enough to sit right at the front of the stalls and it really is stunning to watch with every move perfectly chosen and executed with precision.
Chicago is currently showing at the Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU, right smack in the middle of Covent Garden. The theatre is fairly small and one of the West End's more dingy theatres but I think actually this suits the show quite well as it matches the show's dark, grimy themes! There isn't a huge amount of space to linger in the foyer or in the bar, but that's not something that I was particularly fussed about. What might put some people off though is the seats which are massively uncomfortable! By the end of the show my poor back was very sore!
Chicago does tend to be a show that you can get great ticket offers on - I bought ours from lastminute where we got the best available seats for £35 and ended up sitting in row D of the stalls (£65 seats). I've also seen great offers for 2 for 1 seats for Chicago, so it's definitely worth shopping around to get the best price. I should probably admit that I have seen this show about 5 times, and every time I forget until I see it again quite how fantastic it is. It's not a flashy show that relies on impressive sets or special effects, just a great score and great performances.
If you're a fan of dark humour, Chicago will be right up your street. Although I loved the film and the way in which it developed the theatrical production and built upon the fantasy aspect of the show in a way that the stage show could never do, I would say that there is nothing quite like seeing a live performance of something and the electric atmosphere that it can create.
bubblegum_princess 10.04.2009 (10.04.2009)
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Review of Chicago The Musical / Adelphi Theatre (London)
Advantages: Great songs, sexy and modern, visually a treat Disadvantages: You might bypass it
Chicago the musical is undergoing a brand new lease of life at the moment. The combined 'bums on seats' appeal of Denise Van Outen and Alison Moyet has meant that more people are seeing Chicago than ever before. Denise has since gone to maybe star in the Broadway version but Alison Moyet is still on board but is Chicago any good? Well, let's begin with the opening line of the show: "Welcome ladies and gentlemen- you are about to see a story of murder, ... ...Well- put it this way Chicago is not your tradtional musical built on the notion of true love. Think about past hits of the stage- Grease, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, - each has a love story running through the core. Hence, their soundtracks have featured love songs a plenty for the audience to hum. What's so refreshing about Chicago is that the humour and the tone is very black, indeed. Roxie Hart (Anita Louise Combe) is up on a murder charge. She ...
Mr-Ripley 21.01.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago The Musical / Adelphi Theatre (London)
Advantages: Funny in some places, well-presented. Disadvantages: Adult content...not for kids.
...Primarily set in a 1940’s Chicago women’s jail, it follows the story of Roxie Hart, who kills her lover when he decides to end their affair. She is married to the ‘Mr. Beanesque’ Amos Hart, a rotund little man, balding and so in love with his wife that he often overlooks her travesties in order not to lose her. She is arrested, and put into this jail to await her trial. Her lawyer is the evangelical Billy Flynn, whose hook ... ...in it for the money, just like everyone else. The warden of the women’s jail is Matron “Mama” Morton, who looks after her ‘girls’ in similar fashion to a brothel madam. She’ll also do anything for her girls, for a price.
From there, it is simply a story of how they will present the case to the courts, and to stop Roxie being hanged for murder. Other characters then come to the fore, like the newspaper reporter, ...
Spacecat 23.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago The Musical / Adelphi Theatre (London)
Advantages: entertaining Disadvantages: see review
...Without giving too much away Chicago is set in the American city of the same name, in the 1930s. Velma is accused of killing her husband, while Roxie is accused of killing her ‘lover’. The tale takes you inside the prison where we meet Mama who is one of the bentest prison wardens ever. In these times headline grabbers are stars, and murderers get headlines. The story unfolds into a highly entertaining story with plenty of songs to keep your interest. ... ...I would highly recommend Chicago the musical, it is thoroughly enjoyable and despite just a few hiccups the show was brilliant. The seats were full at my showing, and everyone appeared to enjoy it, with not one word of complaint issued within the sounds of my ears.
The show has no violence and is probably suitable for most ages that are old enough to enjoy theatre shows. The theatre does offer cheaper seats, though they would be in the circles, ...
dabmim 15.12.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago The Musical / Adelphi Theatre (London)
Advantages: Everything Disadvantages: It can be expensive.
...Christ had been born in Chicago and if he's had $5000, things mighta turned out differently"; and allong the way she dances and sings her way to ... well ... I won't spoil the ending for you. Suffice to say the show finishes in STYLE!
In case you haven't heard of Bob Fosse, I'll fill you in before I gon on as this is as much an homage to the Legendary Genius as it is a great production in it's own right. Fosse was a Broadway Choreographer/Director ... ...sexy that even today it is instantly recognisable. Under his supervision the Broadway musical explored darker and more controversial themes than ever before. It is this style that Ann Reinking, production choreographer; Fosse protege and one time lover, re-creates so brilliantly here.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't just a recreation, a carbon copy production. Reinking has taken Fosse's style; his technique and re-invented it for a modern audience. ...
monalipschitz 10.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago The Musical / Adelphi Theatre (London)
Advantages: Great songs and performances. Disadvantages: Ticket price (as usual!)
...of the stage musical of Chicago not the new film version starring a certain publicity seeking CZJ. Compared to the film the stage show is simplicity itself. You see where other musicals try to out do each other in terms of the grand spectacle – Miss Saigon has the helicopter, Phantom the Chandelier and Les Miserables the Barricades – Chicago simply doesn’t go there and neither does it need to. ***THE STORY*** I guess you know you’re going to be in ... ...to the world of the Chicago jazz scene and through her we are shown the story of a cold blooded murder committed by a nightclub chorus girl, called Roxie Hart. Roxy, married to Amos, is sleeping around (similar, in her own words, to playing around but without dinner) and her latest lover, a regular to the nightclub, called Fred Casely is about to walk out on her. She does what any proud girl would do and shoots him dead. She manages to convince Amos ...
Critchyboy 03.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago The Musical / Adelphi Theatre (London)
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Advantages: singing, dancing, costumes, characters Disadvantages: unsuitable for children
Last week I went to see Chicago the musical at the AdelphiTheatre in London?s West End as a big fan of musicals I thought I would share my views on this production with you as the cast has changed as of 21st June 2004.
*SYNOPSIS*
Without completely giving the plot away I?ll summarise the storyline of Chicago.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen you are about to see a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery. All things we hold dear to our hearts. And so the show begins?
The story is set in the Jazz Era of the 1920s in Chicago, where Roxie Hart (Rebecca Thornhill), a struggling chorus girl, dreams of one day becoming an onstage star. The show opens with Velma Kelly (Anita Louise Combe) singing All That Jazz; a great song with some equally stunning choreography. However, Roxie soon shoots her ...
coolcam7 04.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago
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