thecelebritycafe.com: Stage Review - Chicago the Musical live

After 13 years on Broadway, Chicago the Musical still delivers.


“...and all that Jazz”: Ever since the Oscar-winning movie starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones and Richard Gere in 2002, Chicago the Musical has been a household name. And even after 13 straight years on Broadway (after having been revived in 1996), the live version doesn’t fail to entertain.

In the 1920s, the morals in Chicago are loose: Every week a new murder case rocks the headlines and another murderess becomes a heroine for 15 minutes. The latest one is Roxie Hart, a young unrepentant beauty who shot her boyfriend because he was about to leave her. She arrives in a women’s prison filled with sexy criminals and run by Matron Mama Morton with an iron fist. Most unhappy about Roxie’s arrival is inmate Velma Kelly because the new girl is stealing her place in the spotlight. And not only that – top lawyer Billy Flynn, a must-have to win your process, seems to focus his attention on the newbie.

The current production of Chicago certainly plays to its strengths – being a classical Broadway musical. There are no experiments – instead, there are colorful lights, sparkly costumes, and stirring tunes; also, some dark humor you cannot help but thoroughly enjoy.

One definite highlight is – just like in the movie – the “Cellblock Tango”, a confessional sextet by all the murderesses whose lyrics just make you smirk (“And then he ran into my knife – he ran into my knife ten times!”) and whose tune makes your feet tap along.

There are two performances that stand out: Melora Hardin (Roxie), famous for her portrayal of Jan Levenson on NBC’s The Office, mostly because it’s really cool to be close to a famous person in actuality. Also, she skillfully walks the fine line between making Roxie an annoying ingénue and a cold-blooded criminal, respectively. And then there’s Tom Hewitt, who brings just the right amount of slick and glib to the role of Billy Flynn. Plus, he has a way better voice than Richard Gere.

Chicago, which has been at the Ambassador Theatre since 2003, is a perfect evening of entertainment without any surprises. Solid Broadway gold.