Chicago songs

[Nath]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:02am

I remember reading a post a while ago and someone was asking what each song in chicago was basedf on/inspired/mirroring found this: (now I know I could have searched for the actual thread but I am lazy and its hot and teh air conditioning is broken -from Australia FYI)

The Numbers and the Vaudeville acts they were modelled on

"Overture" - performed by a pit-band
"All That Jazz" - a number in homage to famous speakeasy performer Texas Guinan
"Funny Honey" - modeled on Helen Morgan, singing "Bill"
"Cell Block Tango" - the "merry murderesses" evoke the "ethnic numbers" of Vaudeville, and the death by hanging is staged as a "tightrope" act
"When You're Good to Mama" - a "Sophie Tucker"-type double-entendre song, playing on the perceived homosexuality of the character
"All I Care About" - a striptease based on Sally Rand and her fan dance, with the performer modeled on clarinetist and bandleader Ted Is Everybody Happy? Lewis
"Little Bit of Good" - a female-impersonator reminiscent of Julian Eltinge singing a Jerome Kern parody as Marilyn Miller
"The Press Conference Rag" aka "We Both Reached for the Gun" - a ventriloquist act
"Roxie" - an autobiographical, observational stand-up comedy routine
"I Can't Do It Alone" - half of a "double-act" (or an acrobatic "sister-act")
"My Own Best Friend" - a torch song, subverted by the fact the singers are praising themselves
"Me and My Baby" - a cakewalk, a la Eddie Cantor
"Mr. Cellophane" - a clown number reminiscent of Bert Williams' 1915 Follies song "Nobody" performed wearing the costume of Emil Jannings from the final scene of The Blue Angel
"When Velma Takes the Stand" - evokes vaudeville's courtroom comedy sketches, and staged as a parody of Rudy Vallee's numbers featuring collegiate chorus boys with megaphones
"Razzle Dazzle": the lawyer Billy Flynn assumes the persona of Clarence Darrow in a juggling circus act.
"Class"
"Nowadays" - in the style of bandleader Ted Lewis
"Hot Honey Rag" - in the style of bandleader Ted Lewis

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 2:17pm

Very very interesting. I read an article or a book once that had a similar list but can't remember what it was. Kander & Ebb were so brilliant in their approach to the score for this show.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 3:12pm

The vaudeville concept is brilliant. It's great now, but I would die to see the '75 version.