Oh no he didn't....
"Also, I would have rather had EVITA than CHICAGO. I was not impressed with CHICAGO on its last tour through the city. I found that I enjoyed the film far better than that monochromatic and mostly dance-less production. Really, "Cell Block Tango" and "When You're Good to Momma" sung on stools with relatively no movement. C'mon folks! People saw the movie and expect more from those numbers."
Well, I see things differently. I, on the other hand, very much enjoyed "Chicago" when it played Houston in June 2011. As a matter of fact, I saw the Fort Worth show on one weekend and saw it again in Houston the following weekend. Terra C (Velma) and Tracy Shayne(Roxie) were awesome!! While it is true that "Chicago" doesn't have the color, sparkle and complexity that others show have, many people like that. That is one reason why "Chicago" has seen many, many, many musicals come and go in its 15 year run. Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the movie. I had hoped for more of the quintessential Fosse choreography. Also, a few of the leads were lacking in their singing parts: Renee Zellweiger, Richard Gere...cough, cough (the Russell Crowe of the Chicago film). CZJ sang very well. The "Chicago" film was an interpretation of the musical, not the other way around. "Chicago" had been on Broadway roughly five years or so when the movie came about.
Monochromatic? Of course "Chicago" is mostly black (a color that never goes out of style.) It's the signature color of the show: the costumes, the stage, the orchestra area, etc. (Actually, there is some color: the sparkly curtain.) Monochromatic black is what makes "Chicago" special. Also, films lend themselves to color. Color is expected in films. It would have been weird to have had a black and white Chicago film. The monochromatic approach works well ...on the stage.
"DANCELESS"! Saying "Chicago" is dance-less is like saying the Newsies boys have no energy. Clarke. "Chicago" the musical has the Bob Fosse/Ann Reinking choreography in many areas: the opening sequence, All That Jazz, the extended Roxie sequence, Me and My Baby, Nowadays, Hot Honey Rag...and more. Bob Fosse's choreography is fantastic in its simplicity. The ladies and men of "Chicago" dance their friggin' behinds off every single night. "Cell Block Tango" involves stools, but the ladies dance around them and on them. There is significant choreography involved in that. "When You're Good To Mama" is not sung while sitting on a stool. It is a solo song performed by Matron Mama Morton. There is limited movement, which is understandable considering that Mama Morton is not a dancing type to begin with. One of the other songs that is sung on stools is "Class" (Mama and Velma). That is a duet and does not need much movement.
Now that I recall, Deidre Goodwin ("Chicago" Velma) was one of the dancers in the film. She was fab in "Every Little Step." So at least there was one "Chicago" dancer in the film. As I mentioned before, when people saw the movie... I and perhaps others expected more elements from the Broadway show. It makes very little sense to say that having seen the movie, people expected more from the musical. The show was already established to begin with.
I too am looking forward to seeing "Evita" when it tours. I loved seeing "Evita" in its first preview. Hopefully, Max Von Essen will tour as "Magaldi" or "Che". It has been my dream to have "Chicago" tour in Austin. You cannot imagine the sheer happiness that I felt when I got the news. I cannot wait!
from RC in Austin, Texas
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
Updated On: 1/27/13 at 10:27 AM