Chicago Musical vs. Movie Discussion

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:17pm

I adore the movie and felt that the play was lackluster. Lets have this thread as a discussion to put our opinions, compare and contrast the musical and movie...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:18pm

Ask Roscoe.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:20pm

Explain why.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:25pm

Here's why:
1. I appreciate the staging of the musical in order for it to be more abstract and can let you imagine what was going on. But it was almost too abtract for me to imagine what was truly going on. The movie gave me a much better sense of what was happening and was a lot clearer.
2. The cast was great in the movie. Renee Zellweger(sp?) was phenomenal as was Catherine Zeta Jones. Both of them, I felt really understood who they were trying to be. Roxie's transformation from the quiet, timid and shy girl in the beginning to the monster diva in the end was remarkable. Zeta-Jones was great in trying to be Velma- the big diva who though everything was about her. When I saw the cast on Broadway in May, I felt like both the leads were tired and weren't the least bit convincing.
3. The movie's direction, staging, and casting are why I feel like it is epic.

What are everyone else's thoughts??

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:27pm

I can't remember what exactly he thought but remember Roscoe liking the movie a lot.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:28pm

Roscoe loved it even more than PAN'S LABYRINTH!

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:30pm

For what it's worth I think the movie did a good job of adapting- making a very stage-y show work on screen.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:31pm

I think it's fair to say Roscoe cannot stop talking about this movie.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:54pm

I love both, but I enjoyed the stage version more than the movie. Compared to Michelle DeJean as Roxie, Renee Zellwegar does nothing for me. She wasn't bad, but she just wasn't fantastic. I also sort of like Roxie being a little more cutesy. Or at least, that is what Michelle DeJean did for the role. I didn't like Richard Gere in the movie either. I don't know, I didn't think he was a great singer.

Now, I saw it with Brenda Braxton as Velma. I've heard people saying that she used to be better, but I didn't think she was awful. I don't know, I guess I would have to see her again to judge. However, Catherine Zeta Jones was very good in the movie. She was the best out of all the leads in the film.

One thing that I thought were cool in the movie, that were not the same in the stage version were "We Both Reached for the Gun." I saw the movie first, so I thought the puppet thing was from the stage version, and I was wondering how it was going to play out, but it really didn't, except for the Roxie and Billy thing.

The stage version I found funnier for some reason. I think it worked better that way. I don't know, I guess I just perfer things being funny. But I understand not everything can be that way.

Now, what I want to know is why in the stage version, Mary Sunshine is in drag, but then for the movie they got Christine Baranski? I think that was another part of the stage version I liked better. But is there a real reason that I just don't understand?

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:01pm

Thanks for posting!

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:04pm

Mary is played by a man to tie into one of the themes of the show that "Things are not what they seem" Now I'm not sure why she wasn't played by a man in the movie.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:04pm

They made a movie out of CHICAGO?

[Neverandy]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:05pm

I think the biggest difference between the two is that the Movie is shown basically from Roxie's Point of View, whereas the Show is more about The theatricality of the the press, the legal system, and celebrity and general. The stage version basically uses very specific Vaudeville archetypes and staging to drive the plot along, and comment on the proceedings. The Movie is much more about Roxie's transformation, than it is a commentary on the criminal justice system.
The current revival is more a staged concert (which makes sense since it originated at city center)than the original Bob Fosse version, so it is also not a true example of the original Vision of the piece that Fosse, Kander, and Ebb created.
That being said, I enjoy both the movie and the Stage show equally.

[Gary Indiana]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:12pm

I enjoyed the stage version much more than the movie. I thought Richard Gere was horrible in the movie, and while Renee Zellwegar and Catherine Zeta-Jones were perfectly good, they didn't really do anything for me. The one thing that really bothered me about the movie was that the musical numbers were supposed to take place in Roxie's head but Mr. Cellophane randomly occurred outside of her mind. That being said, I did really liked how the movie did the Cell Block Tango, and I think that overall they did a good job of adapting the show for the big screen.

[Patash]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 3:29pm

I went to the movie KNOWING I'd hate it because what I loved about the stage show was all the theatricality of it. I was sure all that would be lost in a film. But I came out of the movie wowed that they figured out how to make it even more theatrical. The marionette thing and the double imagery, for example just worked so well.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 3:35pm

The one thing that really bothered me about the movie was that the musical numbers were supposed to take place in Roxie's head but Mr. Cellophane randomly occurred outside of her mind.

Isn't he chasing after her in the paddy wagon and she's looking at him as the song starts?

[StockardFan]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 3:46pm

This is an interesting topic. I saw the stage production WAY before the movie came out. I sort of agree with the OP that it was kind of hard for me to follow, and that the movie was easier to follow.

That being said I enjoyed them both alot!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 3:59pm

As mentioned above, the 2002 film-version of CHICAGO is based on Bob Fosse's original 1975 Broadway production and NOT the 1996 minimalistic concert-style revival which recreates the City Center Encores! Series production of the musical and NOT Bob Fosse's original.

Rob Marshall has stated that his film-version is paying homage to Bob Fosse and what HE would have done with CHICAGO. There are numerous visual references to Bob Fosse's original staging as well: The red neon ROXIE sign in "Roxie"; Roxie sitting ontop of the piano during "Funny Honey"; the women behind actual prison bars in the "Cell Block Tango"; Billy Flynn ending "We Both Reached for the Gun" with the glass of milk; Amos in the sad clown costume for "Mr. Cellophane"; the glittery tassled dresses for the "Hot Honey Rag" and a few others.

For obvious reasons, many believe the film is based on the 1996 concert-style Broadway revival. It is not.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:07pm

Thanks Brody!

[CJR]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:15pm

The one thing that really bothered me about the movie was that the musical numbers were supposed to take place in Roxie's head but Mr. Cellophane randomly occurred outside of her mind.

Mr Cellphane DID take place in Roxie's head. He was chasing after the paddy wagon, she was staring at him and the whole point is she begins thinking that she's not the only one who ignores him. During the song they do cut to things happening in reality, but that's only to back of the veracity of the song.

Shouldn't you search for this topic? We had a whole big discussion on it when the movie first opened in '02

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:23pm

I preferred the stage show to the movie. I couldn't stand Roxie in the movie, but in the stage show I actually understood her character and from where she was coming.

Of course, it probably doesn't help that I can't stand Renee Zellweger.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:40pm

I adore the film version. I liked the movies music arrangements alot better.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:47pm

The stage show is better. Too many great songs were lost for the movie's Roxie vision.

[nealb1]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 5:06pm

Please don't get Roscoe started on his hatred of the film "Chicago." It's rather disturbing on how he hates a film that he had nothing to do with. He's upset about something.....but, the film is getting the brunt of his misguided anger.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 7:21pm

The mary Sunshine drag bit was dropped because it would be nearly impossible to do it successfully on film - too many movie critics and gossip sites would give away the surprise.

Plus, "A Little Bit of Good" is a bore.