Terra MacLeod as Velma Kelly. Photo courtesy of chicagothemusical.com.
March 2-4, 2018
If you’ve never seen ‘Chicago’ it’s a must see for everyone. The glitz and glamour combined with murder, sex, scandal, greed, corruption, and violence come together in one amazing production. You’re instantly pulled into the dark and seedy world of 1920s Chicago where everybody is aspiring to be on top and those who are on top are just trying to stay there.
Vaudeville star, Velma Kelly (Terra MacLeod) is one half of a sister act on stage in Chicago. When she finds her sister in bed with her husband she kills both of them in a murderous rage. She quickly finds herself in the Cook County Jail facing possible death row along with several other women just like her. With her name now in the newspaper for her criminal actions, Velma finds herself still on top with everyone talking about her. Believing any publicity is good publicity, everything is going well until Roxie Hart (Dylis Croman), a mechanic’s wife who aspires to be a vaudeville vixen herself, arrives at the jail. Hart, who kills her boyfriend and blames her husband for the crime, meets up with her idol, Velma, and the other seductive murderesses of the jailhouse. She quickly becomes the target of the tabloids and steals Velma’s spotlight.
One of the great things about live musicals is no two performances are ever alike. Every performance of each and every song has to be performed like it’s the first time and still be entertaining for multiple audiences. Even if you’ve seen a show more than once, chances are the cast was completely different each time. Some actors and actresses are dead on with their roles and others totally miss the mark. This weekend’s performance of Chicago at The Fabulous Fox Theater was absolute perfection. Dylis Croman brought to life the role of the charismatic-yet-ditzy Roxie, who will stop at nothing to have her name in lights. She offers a sexy, fresh, and fun portrayal of Roxie, and her voice even reminds you a little at times of Betty Boop. Even for all her quirks, you find yourself rooting for the murderess housewife and, to a lesser degree, her husband at the same time.
While comedic might not be the first word that would come to mind when you think of Chicago, surprisingly, the musical is highly humorous. From the lyrics of the songs to the lines and the nonverbal cues, the show is just as much a comedy as it is drama. The amount of thought and comedic timing that was put into the production shows in ever facet. Even if you’re not a big musical buff, you’re sure to enjoy the show. Every single song from Chicago is astounding and will have you singing and dancing your way through your day for weeks to come. | Jennifer Manjarez
