Brief Chicago Tour Review--Dallas

[Parks]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 10:08am

Alright, so I've watched the show 1 er 3 times while it has been in Dallas. The show currently stars Lisa Rinna (who is coming to Broadway after the Dallas stop).

I've been watching the show from the back rows of the 2nd orchestra of the music hall--which is really far away--except for last night when I made my way up to the 3rd row to watch act 1.

Now, from far away--Lisa is about THE most boring/lifeless person I had ever seen on stage. The music hall is a HUGE theater--horrible, really. Sitting 3rd row felt like sitting about 20 rows back in a normal theater. There is a HUGE orchestra pit which the actors do not even play on. The orchestra pit is pretty useless for this show, as the orchestra plays BEHIND the actors.

Alright--so--the cast.

Lisa Rinna is playing Roxie, of course. When I watched the show for the first 2 times, I was sitting very far away. Lisa...needs some acting lessons, I think. Well, when playing in the music hall, she needs to act a LOT bigger. She's very subtle, and it just does not work well in the theater. So, maybe I'm just very used to Renee Z's version of Funny Honey, but Lisa's rendition nearly put me to sleep. She needs to learn to use inflections--she didn't seem like she was truly mad or trying to keep Amos silent when he was "ratting" on her. She gets better throughout the show--and after having watched her 3 times since last Friday, I can say that I've already seen some improvements--but she still has a long way to go. She is a pretty good dancer--I'll give her that. Her singing is...decent, but when she and the girl playing Velma (can't remember her name, sadly) sang together--they almost always went flat. Lisa does much better in Act 2 than act 1. She will get better with time, but until then--somebody teach her that she doesn't HAVE to sing ALL the notes/rhythms as they are written. Some inflections would make her much more interesting to watch/listen to. If she doesn't improve a lot, she will be eaten up on Broadway.

Velma (Aaahhh, can't remember her name!)--This girl is FIERCE. She's not the best singer, but she is definitely an incredible dancer, and she's a good actress. She is fun to watch and she's very funny. I've heard one man even compare her to Chita.

Carol Woods--all I can say is...my god, the woman has PIPES. Watching her last night (after her night off Monday), her voice was even MORE amazing than the first 2 times. Her When You're Good To Mama always gives me goosebumps.

Tom Wopat--alright, I know Tom from my Annie Get Your Gun recording--which I love him on. Seeing him live was a real treat. The man's voice...is like buttah. Also--he stands out in the lobby before the show, during intermission and after the show signing anything (including his CD). This man is incredible--he's such a nice guy and great on stage. Hopefully he will return to Broadway soon. He deserves it!

R. Bean--I've heard R. Bean before and thought she was very annoying, but this time around--R. Bean just made me laugh. Mary Sunshine is a hilarious part, unless if you go wrong with it, which you can very easily. R. Bean (after having played Mary Sunshine for 7497234 years) has really done a great job with the role. I've now fallen in love with this part.

The ensemble girls--they're all funny, but one of the things I loved about the girls on Broadway was that they were all very unique and they all had very EXTREME DIFFERENT characters. All of these girls almost seem like they are playing an EXTREME character--but all of them are playing the same character. The character is a...stupid, crazy valley girl. Cell Block Tango was very good still, but the monologues were lacking, in my opinion.

As I've said many times before, I'm not a great writer--so these are just kind of my thoughts in a very unorganized form. Hopefully this is clear.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:07am

Great review thanks!
I wish u knew who ur Velma was... reminds one of Chita... Caroline O'Connor? lol

[Parks]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:09am

Terra C. MacLeod--that's her! :)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:12am

I don't like that he stands out in the lobby before and during the show. That just doesn't seem like the most professional thing to do.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:16am

Not professional???

He's trying to promote his CD and sell some of them. I'd say it is professional. I actually applaud him for not being "snooty" and hiding in his dressing room.

[Parks]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:16am

How is that unprofessional?

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:55am

I see it as unprofessional because, in a way, it breaks the fourth wall. It destroys the illusion of his character. Seems strange to me to go from Tom Wopat, to Billy Flynn, to Tom Wopat, to Billy Flynn and then back to Tom Wopat in the course of one performance.

[goofy108]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 12:35pm

ya.
you would think before the show and during intermission, he would need to remain focused backstage instead of meeting his fans and trying to sell his cd.
how does he even have enough time to get out and back into costume and meet-n-greet in such short time? if i were his stage manager, i would not go for that...

[Parks]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 1:06pm

Eh, you're not going to like this--he comes out during intermission in costume.

and perhaps he's SO good--he can just get right back into character...well, he's actually a lot like Billy Flynn. A girl who I was talking to last night and I were watching/listening to him and we were talking about how smooth he is--he is very sneaky how he hints to people to buy his CD.

[NY_Broadway2]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 1:08pm

I saw this tour last Wednesday in Dallas and Tom Wopat doesn't change outfits. He just stays in his Billy Flynn costume and meets everybody and then goes back to the stage before the second act starts. I thought it was kind of cool that he did that. Plus he got quite a few people to buy his cd because of this so good for him. I agree with you Parks about the show. I think Lisa Rinna is a good dancer but definitely not the best singer. The only other person I've seen play the role is Robin Givens on Broadway and I thought she was better. But hopefully Lisa will improve.

[ChecksintheMayo]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 2:03pm

Lisa's singing was HEINOUS - struggling at the top end of her one-octave range, when I saw her in Portland. However, it was nice to see the cartwheel make its return in the Hot Honey Rag.

[Parks]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 2:12pm

Oh, NYBRoadway, you saw Robin Givens too? I thought she was FANTASTIC! She was really a lot of fun as Roxie and she nailed the part.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 3:13pm

Parks,

I can not believe that you saw this show three times. I saw it once, and it was a painful one time. Granted, I'm far from a theatre snob. Heck, last year I saw Brooklyn twice, and I wanted to go back and see Bombay Dreams again. However, the touring production of Chicago was squalid. It was plain old BORING.

In my opinion, Lisa Rinna, the guy who played Amos (my playbill isn't handy), and Carol Woods were the ones that "saved" the production. At least Lisa Rinna has a cute personality. The dancing wasn't particularly amazing, the singing was below par, and the staging just wasn't my thing. All the performers seemed to lack energy in the story they were telling. Honestly, unless the Broadway production is 200 times better, I am shocked that it is still on Broadway. I saw a local production of Caroline, or Change at Theatre three which was ten times more engaging, impressive, and beautiful than the touring production of Chicago. It pretty much sickens me that this closed rather quickly while Chicago is still running.

I am hoping that the Broadway production is far different from the tour. If it is about the same, then this "classic" is very underwhelming.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 3:31pm

The tour is usually lackluster compared to the Broadway company. The Broadway company just has a different spark.

then this "classic" is very underwhelming.

- I think it's funny you put classic is quotations. What are classics to you, Brooklyn and Bombay Dreams? OK!

The Broadway revival of Chicago is the longest running and most successful revival in history. 6 Tonys, and tons of other awards. Updated On: 6/13/07 at 03:31 PM

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 5:07pm

btw, did i mention that this review is not actually 'brief' as it headlines? lol

Anyway... i think this production of Chicago is not everyone's taste... I love LOVE it, I think it's genius whilst some thinks it's just plain old cheap bore ~ But comparing Chicago AND Caroline is just plain unfair... different style of musical in EVERY single way! Caroline promotes itself to be a strong political piece of musical whereas Chicago is like a sexy, 'come on in and see what's inside', Fosse, (nowadays celebrity spotting) kinda show... VERY different in music as well. You might as well compare Lord Of The Rings with it!

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 6:50pm

" I think it's funny you put classic is quotations. What are classics to you, Brooklyn and Bombay Dreams? OK! "

Absolutely not - I see Bombay and Brooklyn as underpar fluff. However, in my opinion, they are entertaining. And I would go see them again. If you wanted me to point out the flaws, I would. I was just trying to make the point that I am open to just about any type of theatre. They are far from my favorites.

Classics -- anything Sondheim, Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and even Webber shows. The newer ones might include Les Mis, Wicked, and Rent. Things that just about everyone knows of or wants to see. They are shows that "non theatre people" have seen. Even if I don't particularly LIKE all these classics, I can understand why one would.

However, I am shocked that I could find very few redeeming aspects of this show. I was expecting the dancing and singing to be spectacular, and it just wasn't. I quite enjoyed the movie, and I am surprised at the differences between it and the source material. Generally, I tend to enjoy the stage production over the film production. However, if I had a friend who was going to see one Broadway show during their trip to NY, I wouldn't suggest Chicago. I guess that is why I am surprised... it's such a mainstream show that I expected more. I guess this just isn't my taste, and that is ok.

I suppose comparing the show to Caroline, or Change was unfair, but I had just seen two shows that I really disliked before I saw the local production of Caroline. Caroline, or Change was breath of fresh air. It reminded me that I actually really do love theatre!

Updated On: 6/13/07 at 06:50 PM

[MV]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 7:22pm

just a few things that Dallas press had to say about the show.
Its a hit!
http://www.ssnewstelegram.com/news/2007/June/nt060707chicagoreview.html
next:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/jun/07/theater-review-chicago/http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/jun/07/theater-review-chicago/
next:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-chicago_0607gl.ART.State.Edition2.432fdcb.html
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/jun/07/theater-review-chicago/http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/jun/07/theater-review-chicago/

[Parks]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:01am

I think the Broadway production is MUCH better than the touring production.

Got to #4 tonight--Ivy Fox (is that her name?) was on as Mama. She wasn't even CLOSE to Carol Woods, but she was decent as an understudy. Watching Ivy made me miss Carol a LOT. Carol is INCREDIBLE. I don't know why she was out tonight--she sang When You're Good To Mama the best I've ever heard it last night!

Lisa saved the show? Eek, I thought she was definitely the weak link in this. Amos, Velma and Mama were definitely the best in the show, in my opinion.

and ljay, don't be offended if he disses this production--the show really isn't in great shape. The Broadway production has been fabulous both times I've seen it. You can feel the energy in the Broadway show, but it's really lost in the HUGE music hall in Dallas. I think part of it is to be blamed on the size of the theater--that really kind of ruins it.

[Vincent]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:12pm

Recent review of the Touring company in Tulsa...
Most definetely does not lack what has previously been said on this board!
http://www.tulsaworld.com/entertainment/article.aspx?articleID=07062
0_8_D3_spanc67617

We can't speak to the temperature of any libations, but the Tulsa Performing Arts Center's Chapman Music Hall is the site of all sorts of theatrical whoopee, thanks to the Broadway touring production of "Chicago."

Unfortunately, the show's limited run ends with the performance that begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday — tonight, for those who have trouble remembering what day it is.

And that's really too bad, because this is easily the best production of this Bob Fosse-John Kander-Fred Ebb show to shimmy its way onto a Tulsa stage. So if you want see "Chicago" done right, call the PAC ticket offi ce at 596-7111 or go to www. MyTicketOffi ce.com right now.

Don't worry. I won't say anything else until you get back.

... La dee dah, dah dah de dum dum daaaah ... and all that ja —

Back so soon? Good. Let's continue.

"Chicago" is a musical about shamelessness. When a show begins with a leggy young lady clad only in skimpy black underwear and full-body fi shnet sashays onto the
stage to announce that we're about to be regaled with a story of "murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery — all those things we hold dear to our hearts" ... well, let's just say decorum isn't the word for the da y, if ya know what I'm saying.

So if you're going to be shameless, then heavens to Murgatroyd you might as well give it everything you got.

That's exactly what this cast does. Fosse's slink y, hipthrusting, lubricious choreography is performed with a kind of exuberant menace by the buff — and at times barely clothed — ensemble. They seem to be having a grand old time embodying the people about whom Mother warned us.

The cartoonish characters Fosse and Ebb created are done up here in luridly colorful shades of black and white, with only the coppery coiffure of Roxie Hart (Michelle deJean) breaking the scheme.

But then Roxie breaks a lot of things. Hearts, mostly. First, it's her boyfriend Fred (Kevin Neil McCready), although it takes Roxie three bullets to do the job properly. Then it's the heart of her long-suffering husband Amos (Eric Leviton), who keeps trying to stand by his woman, even though she'd gladly push him in front of a train if it meant one more second in the spotlight.

DeJean's Roxie is a creature of the moment, although you get glimpses of her calculating nature in the way DeJean's voice slews from high-speed Kewpie-doll burble to a luxurious, legit mezzo voice. Roxie may not be smart, but she defi nitely has some sharp edges below the wide-eyed surface.

Velma Kelly (Terra C. Mac- Leod), on the other hand, is exactly what you see: as slick as her brilliantined hair, as focused as her burning black eyes, as worldly wise as her husky voice.

And they're both trying to get the undivided attention of lawyer Billy Flynn (Tom Wopat), who has a knack for getting pistol-packin' mamas acquitted of murder. Just let Billy give 'em the old "Razzle Dazzle" and everything works out for the best.

DeJean and MacLeod have done these roles on Broadway as well as on tour, and they are both supremely comfortable in the duo's scantily clad skins. MacLeod gets Velma's increasing desperation down perfectly, as she watches her star as Chicago's most notorious man-killer slowly fade. And she nails songs like "I Can't Do it Alone" and "When Velma Takes the Stand" while engaging in some of the most athletic choreography of the evening.

And deJean absolutely revels in Roxie's heedless pursuit of fame, from seeing her name in the papers in Roxie" to imagining her life on the stage with "Me and My Baby."

Wopat's Billy Flynn is the relatively calm center around which all this whirls, and he makes the most out of a minimum of movement. Even his songs aren't showy, but Wopat delivers them in a sly way that makes the seeming sincerity of "All I Care About" and "Razzle Dazzle" even more cynical.

Carol Woods is a great Matron "Mama" Morton, R. Bean is a deliriously over the top Mary Sunshine, and Leviton is wonderful as the put-upon Amos, whose exit got almost as much applause as his fi ne rendition of "Mr. Cellophane."

Remember — one night only. If you like your musicals with a heaping helping of cynical humor, and songs that gently mock just about every musical theater tradition you can think of, then "Chicago's" a town you should toddle off to, pronto.