There is no better opening in musical theatre than Chicago as a troupe of ripped and toned dancers shimmy, strut and shoulder roll their way round the stage in perfect unison as vaudeville performer turned murderess Velma belts out All That Jazz.
Originally choreographed by the great Bob Fosse this is a show full of ‘jazz hands’, which is a concept that many people sneer at, but as Craig Revel Harwood constantly points out on Strictly strong hands make for great dancing. There is something really elemental about a simple move like a hand roll, and the dancers in this cast nail some of the toughest and naughtiest routines in any show.
At heart Fosse’s wonderfully cynical book is both a tribute to the exuberance of vaudeville and to the nature of fame, aided by the media and fickle public opinion, which offers lessons in today’s topsy turvy world of reality TV, fake news and social media. It is also a show full of bangers thanks to John Kander’s punchy score inspired by the heyday of vaudeville, and Fred Ebb’s words dripping with gleeful malevolence
Chicago is also a wonderful antidote to most musicals as the focus is on utterly amoral Velma, and her fellow murderess Roxie, who use every trick in the book to avoid the noose, and make a quick buck out of their guilt. Usually in musicals the good guys win, and there’s a happy ending, but not here in the tough world of 1920’s Chicago, which is strangely refreshing.
Watching Chicago live it’s a reminder of how terrible the movie version was, but you also see that Roxie has the better tunes which former Corrie star Faye Brooks reprising her role makes the most of. She’s a great hoofer, and her Funny Honey is cleverly delivered, but the highlight is her intricate duet with Billy Flynn as she acts as his puppet on We Both Reached For The Gun, and it’s beautifully timed by a gifted comic performer.
Djalenga Scott is equally good as Velma leading the ensemble in a precisely executed and darkly funny Cell Block Tango, which earned big laughs from the Chicago faithful. Her duet with Brooks on the bittersweet Nowadays was dripping in schadenfreude, and they had great onstage chemistry, which is key to this show.
Strictly winner Kevin Clifton, who is now an experienced musical performer, sings powerfully as corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn offering a wonderfully amoral Razzle Dazzle, and the fan work from the dancers on All I Care About is sublime. Former pop star Sinitta Malone has also built a decent musical CV singing well on When You’re Good To Mama, but lacked the required physicality and malice this role demands. In a night of accents that sometimes wandered right off the stage, Joshua Lloyd as Roxie’s hapless hubbie Amos is the only performer to go full Illinois, and his intelligent rendition of Mr Cellophane has exactly the right dollop of pathos.
But what makes this show such a favourite with audiences are the distinctive dance moves, and Ann Reinking won a Tony for her choreography of the show’s hugely successful Broadway revival in the style of Fosse. Gary Chryst’s recreation of her work keeps all the flamboyant vaudevillian inspired moves, but really pushes a talented group of dancers, who mostly deliver the required precision to carry off the raunch underpinning an endless series of shoulder rolls, hand and foot flicks.
Unusually the band are an integral part of the iconic Chicago set, and under Neil Macdonald’s baton have great fun being part of the show, and play beautifully on some of the greatest show tunes ever written.
Chicago proudly wears its cynicism on its black sleeve, and continues to pull in full houses because it never forgets that a musical needs showstoppers and great dancers. That’s what you get in this latest iteration of a show that will righty tour until the end of time, which might not be so far away if the orange idiot running for office has his way.
Chicago is at Bradford Alhambra until Saturday 26th October. To book 02174 42300 or www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Reviewer: Paul Clarke
Reviewed: 21st October 2024
North West End UK Rating: