Much-loved musical Chicago shines a brilliant highlight on the bawdy, gaudy, naughty exploits of Nineteen Twenties refrain gals Velma Kelly and Roxy Hart and their murderous clamour for the headlines.
Based on the real-life antics of Jazz Age murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner reported on by Chicago Tribune neophyte journalist Maurine Watkins, Watkins first turned the virtually unbelievable however true tales of the beautiful pair right into a smash hit play in 1926. That play, in flip impressed two films (one with Ginger Rogers) and finally the 1975 Kander and Ebb musical.
This present touring manufacturing retains the unique staging with the fine-sounding, ten-piece band, centre stage. The well-known minimalism, all-black costumes and scant variety of props, imply that it’s as much as the solid to supply the glint. That they do in spades on this manufacturing. Djalenga Scott is a sure-footed and strong-voiced Velma and much-loved Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara is a revelation, appearing and singing, in addition to dancing within the central function of Roxy. The central pair are greater than ably supported by a raft of theatre expertise: Darren Day’s highly effective vocals add extra oomph than normal to the function of lawyer Billy Flynn; Jordan Lee Davis lends their spectacular vocal gymnastics to Mary Sunshine and Joshua Lloyd elicits the utmost sympathy as Mr. Cellophane himself, Amos Hart. 80s pop diva Sinitta Malone additionally seems as jailhouse fixer Mama Morton.
Fans of Bob Fosse’s choreography might be glad to comprehend it stays in place right here, as do all the traditional songs, well-executed by the choreographically and vocally gifted solid.
The staging could also be simplistic however there’s high quality oozing from each pore of this present. A well-timed and much-welcomed staging of a theatrical traditional. It nonetheless packs a punch and packs within the audiences too.
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