This weekend, we, Laura and Carly, attended "Chicago," the musical. With second-row seating, we had an incredible experience and a personal connection to the characters. Due to our overly-excited faces and linked arms in pure joy, many of the actors noticed us and included us in their performance. Some winked, waved, stared and smiled at us. If you haven’t seen "Chicago," we highly recommend it.
Set in 1926, the show is based on a play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins and actual criminals that she reported. The show originally opened in 1975 and ran for 936 performances. With lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, and originally directed and choreographed Bob Fosse, every number of the show was a huge hit. As quoted by Fred Ebb, “The vaudeville format of 'Chicago' enabled us to present the characters in a fresh and unusual way by drawing an analogy between them and their vaudeville counterparts.” The show was done in this style to embody real stars from vaudeville in the late 20's.
The current revival began in 1996 and displays the same style as the original masterpiece. Included in the cast are nine females, nine males, and one male playing a female role. The two leading ladies, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, are played by Bianca Marroquin and Amra-Faye Wright. Their objectives were clear through the whole show and each action had an intention and purpose. Walter Bobbie is the current director and Ann Reinking provided choreography in the style of Bob Fosse. The choreography itself was breathtaking, embodying the simple yet explosive Fosse flair with intricate pattern and direction.
Simple, black, and sexy costumes, created by William Ivey Long and his team, glorify different female body figures. These costumes provide the framework for the development of individual characters.
The orchestra was the main highlight of our experience. Placed in the center of all the activity, the characters danced around the orchestra and interacted with the individual members of the orchestra, including the conductor. Leslie Stifelman, the conductor, was perfectly incorporated into the production as another character that the leads performed with. Bianca, Roxie Hart, even stole Leslie’s baton and pretended to conduct the orchestra for comedic effect.
After the entire breathtaking thrill of Fosse flair, indescribable talent, and extraordinary music, we quickly ran outside in search of the stage door. The theater had two stage exits, so we politely asked a man standing right in front of us if he knew which door we should stand by. He replied, “Would you like to go backstage?” This was the first time we encountered an angel sent by God. He took us through the stage doors, behind the scenes, and onto the actual stage, where we met Angel Reda, an incredible dancer who played Mona, and Bianca, who played Roxie. Our angel had brought us to heaven. They were the sweetest people and were delighted to meet us; they even said that they had noticed us in the second row and commented on how genuine our enthusiasm was.
"Chicago" is a spectacular masterpiece, we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a night of entertainment.
