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Chicago
Music John Kander
Lyrics Fred Ebb
Book Fred Ebb

Bob Fosse
Based upon Chicago (Play) by Maurine Dallas Watkins
Productions 1975 Broadway

1996 Broadway
1997 West End
2005 US Tour
2006 UK Tour

Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical , set in prohibition era Chicago, it is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice, and the concept of the "celebrity criminal". The musical is based on a play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins based on actual criminals and crimes she reported on. Chicago holds the record for the world's longest running musical revival on Broadway. The production has been staged both on and off Broadway and in London's West End. Several touring productions and international productions of Chicago have also been staged. Bob Fosse choreographed the original production and his style is considered synonymous with the show. A film version of the musical (Chicago (film)) was released in 2002.


Contents

[edit] Plot synopsis

[edit] Act 1

As the Overture ends, the audience is introduced to Velma Kelly - a vaudevillian who shot the other half of her sister act when she caught her husband with her sister. Velma was a very mean and self absorbed person. Velma invites the audience to sample "All That Jazz" while showing us the story of chorus girl Roxie Hart's cold-blooded murder of her lover, nightclub regular Fred Casely. Roxie convinces her husband Amos that the victim was a burglar, and he cheerfully takes the rap.

Roxie expresses her appreciation in song ("Funny Honey") until the police mention the deceased's name, and Amos belatedly puts two and two together. The truth comes out, and Roxie is arrested. Her first taste of the criminal justice system is the women's block in Cook County Jail, inhabited by Velma and other murderesses ("Cell Block Tango"). The block is presided over by the corrupt Matron "Mama" Morton, whose system of mutual aid ("When You're Good to Mama") perfectly suits her clientèle. She has helped Velma become the media's top murder-of-the-week and is acting as a booking agent for Velma's big return to vaudeville (after the acquittal, naturally.)

Velma is not happy to see Roxie, who is stealing not only her limelight but her lawyer, Billy Flynn. Roxie tries to convince Amos to pay for Billy Flynn, as her lawyer ("A Tap Dance")Eagerly awaited by his all-girl clientèle, Billy sings his anthem, complete with a chorus of fan dancers to prove that (quote) "All I Care About is Love". Billy takes Roxie's case and re-arranges her story for consumption by sympathetic tabloid columnist Mary Sunshine, who always tries to find "A Little Bit of Good" in everyone. Roxie's press conference turns into a ventriloquist act with Billy dictating a new version of the truth ("We Both Reached for the Gun") while Roxie mouths the words. Roxie becomes the new toast of Chicago and Velma's headlines, trial date, and career are left in the dust. Velma tries to talk Roxie into recreating the sister act ("I Can't Do It Alone"), but Roxie turns her down, only to find her own headlines replaced by the latest sordid crime of passion. Separately, Roxie and Velma realize there's no one they can count on but themselves ("My Own Best Friend"), and the ever-resourceful Roxie decides that being pregnant in prison would put her back on the front page.

[edit] Act 2

Back after the Entr'acte, Velma cannot believe Roxie's continual run of luck ("I know a Girl") despite Roxie's obvious falsehoods ("Me and my Baby"). A little shy on the arithmetic, Amos proudly claims paternity, and still nobody notices him ("Mr. Cellophane"). Velma tries to show Billy all the tricks she's got planned for her trial ("When Velma Takes The Stand"). Billy's forte may be showmanship ("Razzle Dazzle") , but when he passes all Velma's ideas on to Roxie, down to the rhinestone shoe buckles, Mama and Velma lament the demise of "Class". As promised, Billy gets Roxie her acquittal but, just as the verdict is given, some even more sensational crime pulls the pack of press bloodhounds away, and Roxie's fleeting celebrity is over. Left in the dust, she pulls herself up and extols the joys of life "Nowadays". She teams up with Velma in that sister act ("Nowadays"), in which they dance and perform the "Hot Honey Rag" until they are joined by the entire company for the grand Finale".

[edit] Musical Analysis

Many of the musical numbers in Chicago are based on traditional vaudevillian acts; some even based on famous vaudevillian performers. The basis of the numbers are as follows:

  • "Overture" - performed by a pit-band
  • "All That Jazz" - a number in homage to famous speakeasy owner Texas Guinan
  • "Funny Honey" - modeled on Helen Morgan and Judy Garland's performances
  • "Cell Block Tango" - the "merry murderesses" evoke the "ethnic numbers" of Vaudeville, and the death by hanging is staged as a "tightrope" act
  • "When You're Good to Mama" - a Sophie Tucker/Mae West/Pearl Bailey -type double-entendre song, playing on the lesbianism of the character
  • "All I Care About" - a striptease based on Sally Rand and her fan dance, with Billy Flynn spoofing Al Jolson and bandleader Ted "Is Everybody Happy?" Lewis
  • "Little Bit of Good" - Mary Sunshine, a female-impersonator reminiscent of Julian Eltinge singing a Jerome Kern parody as Marilyn Miller
  • "The Press Conference Rag" aka. "We Both Reached for the Gun" - a ventriloquist act
  • "Roxie" - an autobiographical, observational stand-up comedy routine a la Fanny Brice
  • "I Can't Do It Alone" - half of a "double-act" (or an acrobatic "sister-act")
  • "My Own Best Friend" - a torch song, subverted by the fact the singers are praising themselves
  • "Me and My Baby" - a cakewalk, a la Eddie Cantor
  • "Mr. Cellophane" - a clown number reminiscent of Bert Williams' song "Nobody" performed by Amos Hart wearing the costume of Emil Jannings from the final scene of The Blue Angel
  • "When Velma Takes the Stand" - evokes vaudeville's courtroom comedy sketches, and staged as a parody of production numbers featuring collegiate chorus boys with megaphones (i.e. Good News)
  • "Razzle Dazzle" - Flynn assumes the persona of Clarence Darrow in a juggling circus act.
  • "Class"
  • "Nowadays" - a song reminiscent of Kander & Ebb's "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret
  • "Hot Honey Rag" - a Charleston finale by Velma and Roxie

[edit] History

The musical Chicago is based on a play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had been assigned to cover the 1924 trials of murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the Chicago Tribune.

Annan, the model for the character of Roxie Hart was 23 when she was accused of the murder of Harry Kalstedt. The tribune reported that Annan played the foxtrot record "Hula Lou" over and over for two hours before calling her husband to say she killed a man who "tried to make love to her". She was found "not guilty" on May 25, 1924.

Velma was based on Gaertner, who was a cabaret singer. The body of Walter Law was discovered slumped over the steering wheel of Gaertner's abandoned car on March 12, 1924. Two police officers testified that they had seen a woman getting into the car and shortly thereafter heard gunshots. A bottle of gin and an automatic pistol were found on the floor of the car. Gaertner was acquitted on June 6, 1924.

Dallas-Watkins' columns documenting these trials proved so popular that she decided to write a play based on them. The show received both popular and critical acclaim and even made it to Broadway.

Gwen Verdon read the play and asked her husband Bob Fosse about the possibility of creating a musical based on it. Bob Fosse approached Watkins multiple times to ask her permission to adapt the play as a musical, but was rejected in each instance. Upon her death in 1969, however, Watkins explicitly stated that the rights to Chicago were to be transferred to Verdon and Fosse.

After Watkins's death, John Kander and Fred Ebb began work on the score, modeling each number on a traditional vaudeville number or a vaudeville performer. This format made explicit the show's comparison between "justice", "show-business", and contemporary society. Ebb and Fosse penned the book of the musical, with Fosse also directing and choreographing.

[edit] Productions

[edit] Original Broadway Production

The original production of Chicago, then titled Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, The original production opened on Jun 3, 1975 and ran for a total of 936 performances, closing on Aug 27, 1977. It was revived with even greater success on Nov 14, 1996 - reaching a total of 4,362 performances as of May 14, 2007. . It starred Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly, Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart, and Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn. Velma Kelly was a very minor character in all versions of Chicago prior to this production. The role was fleshed out to balance Chita Rivera's role opposite Gwen Verdon's Roxie Hart. The musical got mixed reviews, which is reportedly what Fosse wanted. The Brechtian style of the show, which frequently broke down the fourth wall, made audiences uncomfortable. It brought attention to the fact that the show was really about the world we live in, paralleling the glamorization of criminals with how society itself makes criminals into celebrities.

It was through this production, and not the writing, that much of the "traditional" Chicago staging conventions were developed:

  • The double snap in "Razzle Dazzle" was added as an afterthought at the suggestion of Fred Ebb to John Kander. Kander didn't like the idea, but Ebb thought Fosse would love it. He did.
  • During rehearsals, "Razzle Dazzle" was originally staged as an orgy on the steps of the courthouse. Fosse was talked out of allowing this staging to make it into the final production.
  • The original finale was "Loopin' the Loop", and based on music submitted to Kander and Ebb by Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera. It was decided that the piece was too lighthearted, so the piece was cut and replaced with "Nowadays". Sections of "Loopin' the Loop" can still be heard in the Overture.
  • Until the tryouts, there was another principal character, played by David Rounds and known simply as "The Agent," whose role was to exploit the notoriety of the prisoners for his own gain. He also served as the evening's emcee. This character's role was eventually folded into that of Matron Mama Morton, his song "Ten Percent" was cut, and various members of the chorus shared his emcee duties.
  • In a reversal of roles, Fosse decided the lyrics to the number "Class" were too offensive and censored Kander and Ebb's original version of the song.

The show had the misfortune of opening the same year as Michael Bennett's highly successful A Chorus Line, which beat out Chicago in both ticket sales and at the Tony Awards. The show was on the verge of closing, when it ran into another setback: Gwen Verdon inhaled a feather during the finale, which resulted in a throat infection.

The producers planned on closing, when Liza Minnelli stepped in and offered to play the role of Roxie Hart in place of Verdon. Her run lasted a month and was the reason the show was able to continue until 1977.

[edit] City Center's "Encores!"

In 1996, City Center announced that Chicago was to be included in its fall line up of "Encores!" series. The series had been previously used exclusively to bring attention to older, more obscure musicals that might have otherwise have been forgotten.

The production was directed by Walter Bobbie with choreography "in the style of Bob Fosse" by Ann Reinking, who also starred as Roxie Hart. Also in the show was Bebe Neuwirth as Velma Kelly, Joel Grey as Amos Hart and James Naughton as Billy Flynn. The show was well-received, despite the fact that performers were still holding scripts and the choreography was sometimes unpolished. By intermission on opening night, there was talk of a full scale revival.

[edit] Broadway Revival

Barry and Fran Weissler brought the concert of Chicago, now titled Chicago: The Musical version directly to Broadway, where it opened on November 14, 1996. The show set a record for recovering its initial costs faster than any other musical in history. This is likely due to the stripped down nature of the show: the set is nothing more than a giant bandstand, and the costumes are all minimal and black.

Chicago: The Musical at the Ambassador Theatre, New York, May 2007
Chicago: The Musical at the Ambassador Theatre, New York, May 2007

Unlike its predecessor Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, Chicago: The Musical was met with praise from audiences and critics alike. Society had changed in light of events such as the O.J. Simpson murder case, and audiences were more receptive to the criminal-as-celebrity theme of the show. "Chicago: The Musical" won 7 Tonys, more than any other revival in Broadway history, winning for Best Musical Revival, Best Actress for Bebe Neuwirth, Best Actor for James Naughton, Best Choreography for Ann Reinking, Best Costume Design for William Ivey Long, Best Lighting Design for Ken Billington and Best Director for Walter Bobbie. The cast recording also won a Grammy.

Chicago: The Musical holds the record for longest revival currently playing on Broadway, and is second only to Oh! Calcutta! overall. Chicago is now the eighth longest running Broadway show ever. During its run, the show has played in three Broadway theatres - the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the Shubert Theatre and the Ambassador Theatre.

[edit] West End production

On November 18, 1997, Chicago: The Musical opened in London's West End. Ute Lemper took on the role of Velma alongside Ruthie Henshall as Roxie Hart. Nigel Planer starred as Amos Hart and Henry Goodman as Billy Flynn. This production won the 1998 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical.

The show ran at the Adelphi Theatre for the last 9 years, until transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006, where it plays to this day.

[edit] International productions

There are currently productions of Chicago in China, Spain, France, Germany, and Japan. There is also a production planned for Italy. There have also been productions in Russia (where it became one of the most notorious flops in the history of Russian theatre), Sweden, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, The Netherlands, Mexico and Australia. The Mexican production facilitated the first transfer of a performer from Mexico to Broadway with Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart. Caroline O'Connor starred as Velma in the Australian production, moving on to to play the role on Broadway. In April 2007, this musical is also in Tirana, Albania through the Theatre International.

[edit] Famous Actors and Actresses

Chicago is often called a star-driven show. As such, very many well known actors and actresses have had leading roles in various productions:

Roxie Hart Velma Kelly Billy Flynn Amos Hart "Mama" Morton
Ruthie Henshall Dawn Spence John Barrowman Nigel Planer Sharon D. Clarke
Jill Halfpenny Ute Lemper Jerry Orbach Joel Grey Marcia Lewis
Claire Sweeney Bebe Neuwirth John O'Hurley Dale Meeks Meg Johnson
Ann Reinking Amra-Faye Wright Marti Pellow Peter Davison Brenda Edwards
Brooke Shields Heather Parcells Kevin Richardson Kevin Kennedy Gaby Roslin
Lisa Rinna Jasmine Guy Harry Hamlin Gareth Hale Anita Dobson
Jennifer Ellison Ruthie Henshall Usher Les Dennis Lynda Carter
Ashlee Simpson Caroline O'Connor Darius Danesh Alison Moyet
Aoife Mulholland Tony Hadley
Melanie Griffith Joey Lawrence
Denise Van Outen Wayne Brady
Samantha Lynn Kloss Brent Barrett
Tina Arena Michael Greco
Charlotte d'Amboise David Hasselhoff
Bonnie Langford Duncan James
Linzi Hateley Michael French

[edit] Adaptations

In 1942, a film version of Dallas-Watkins play (the play the musical was based on) entitled Roxie Hart was released. It was directed by William A. Wellman and starred Ginger Rogers as Roxie, Adolphe Menjou as Billy Flynn, and Spring Byington as reporter Mary Sunshine.

A musical film adaptation of Chicago was produced and released in 2002, starring Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, and Richard Gere as Billy Flynn. The story was told by staging the vaudeville acts as fantasies of Roxie Hart, eliminating some songs, and lightening the character of Roxie. The original lyrics of "Class" were restored for this film version, which although not present in the final release print, was included as a DVD bonus feature.

The 2002 film won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Zeta-Jones won Best Supporting Actress.

For more details on this topic, see Chicago (2002 film).

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • West End Programme, published November 2003
  • Plot Summary by Bill Rosenfield, copyright 1997 BMG Music

Kander and Ebb Category:Broadway musicals Category:London West End musicals Category:1975 musicals Category:American musicals

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