Chicago will razzle-dazzle you!

Sitting front row and center was quite an experience at the Cambridge Theatre, near seven dials.  The lady that sold us the tickets TKTS explained we would not have a view of the performers’ feet, which initially I thought would distract from the art of the dancing; but she was wrong, we had a perfect view everything.  I fell in the love with the cinema version of Chicago therefore the musical play was on the must-see list for me when in London.  The musical Chicago definitely “razzle-dazzled” it’s way to one of my favorite performances.   Chicago is a brilliant show packed with unforgettable songs and dance numbers.  The tale explains how immorality wins the day in Jazz era Chicago, where notoriety is something worth lying, cheating, and murdering for.  It is still funny, touching, and pertains an enormous amount of sex appeal all in equal measure; the narrative is memorable and dramatically well explicated.  

In comparison to the movie, the performance in London was extremely based off of sex appeal which is not the same as it was in the movie.  I felt as if the lack of clothing was a constant reminder displaying sex appeal which was a bit distracting from the narrative of the storyline; although it did amplify the characters' talent of dancing.  The cast members were excellent, and they all displayed their superior talent for dancing, singing, and timing all with humor.  The choreography was very energetic and extremely entertaining.  With much enthusiasm radiating from the cast on stage I felt as if I should just get up and dance with the cast. All the characters fulfilled the roles they played, especially the hot buff guys.  I definitely did not mind watching the men in the play; they all were extremely attractive and fit, very easy on the eyes.  But in the movie I don’t really recall a handful of attractive male actors. 

 In correlation to the minimal attire worn, the show also had a simple set.  The lack of stage scenery was also another element that enhanced the casts’ talent of dancing and singing displayed.  The simple stage allowed all the action to happen in center therefore wherever any person sat in the audience they would not miss a single aspect of the act.  The band was positioned in the back and center of the stage, I found that was neat because normally an orchestra is below the stage and not seen by the audience, just heard.  The band was also very lively and they appeared to be having a great time performing also for the audience, radiating a great atmosphere to the crowd.  Also, the actors were visible for the entirety of the play, another unique attribution for the musical.  Most plays I have attended allow the actors that are not in the scene to retreat to the back somewhere behind the stage.  Although, this was not the case for Chicago, the stage set-up allowed for chairs to be positioned lining the side of the stage.  I really enjoyed the fact that the cast always had to be in character even when the cast member wasn’t in the center of the stage singing or dancing because instead they were sitting in chairs observing the actors in the center.  The cast sitting would look at their team members in awe and with positive appraisal painted on their faces.  Additionally, I really liked the theatrical effects they used to portray death and blood.  In the scene when Roxy shot her ex-lover the whole stage turned red and then faded to black due to the lighting effects.  Red depicted the blood and the black explained the character was dead.

            Watching the musical Chicago was definitely a treat and one of the most memorable plays I have seen in London.  Starting from the minimal set and costumes to the stage usage, I was very impressed with the play as a whole.  I’m glad I had seen the movie before because it allowed me to compare the play to the movie.  Overall I really enjoyed the play and would recommend others to see it! 








Kim Novak 
UCSC