Chicago the Musical Appreciation Thread — Page 115
Posted: 3/25/23 at 7:40pm
Finally got an SRO ticket for today's matinee. The show is in fine shape. Jinkx is such a welcomed, new addition and gives a different, fresh take on Mama. Charlotte is still amazing as Roxie, even after 20 years. Caught Bianca's Velma and it wasn't the best. The ensemble is still solid and once again I got the gift of seeing Sharon Moore in the show(8th time and she's gone on every time I've seen it). Marty Lawson & Colt Adam Weiss(covering Denny Paschall's vacation) were also on.
I hope the show can keep getting names like Pamela Anderson and Jinkx into the show. After tomorrow, I foresee their grosses tanking due to no name. Olivia Holt isn't a name, either, and won't sell tickets. I'm curious to see who the producers can pull in. Also, they're very short on Velmas currently. Lana will be back on April 10. Hopefully some new faces start to get brought into the show.
Posted: 3/25/23 at 9:55pm
ACL2006 said: "Finally got an SRO ticket for today's matinee. The show is in fine shape. Jinkx is such a welcomed, new addition and gives a different, fresh take on Mama. Charlotte is still amazing as Roxie, even after 20 years. Caught Bianca's Velma and it wasn't the best. The ensemble is still solid and once again I got the gift of seeing Sharon Moore in the show(8th time and she's gone on every time I've seen it). Marty Lawson & Colt Adam Weiss(covering Denny Paschall's vacation) were also on.
I hope the show can keep getting names like Pamela Anderson and Jinkx into the show. After tomorrow, I foresee their grosses tanking due to no name. Olivia Holt isn't a name, either, and won't sell tickets. I'm curious to see who the producers can pull in. Also, they're very short on Velmas currently. Lana will be back on April 10. Hopefully some new faces start to get brought into the show."
She's a better Roxie but Bianca's Velma is pretty good, what was off?
Posted: 3/27/23 at 12:14pm
Bianca's Velma didn't come off strong enough. And I was surprised that her and Charlotte weren't together during Hot Honey Rag.
Posted: 3/27/23 at 4:20pm
ACL2006 said: "Bianca's Velma didn't come off strong enough. And I was surprised that her and Charlotte weren't together during Hot Honey Rag."
Too bad. Last time they were together it was explosive
Posted: 3/27/23 at 4:43pm
I saw it last week. Bianca appeared to me like she was in a lot of pain but powering through it. It worked, but if she was actually in pain I could see how things would deteriorate by the end of the week.
They need new Velmas. Bianca can occasionally do it. It's beyond Amra at this point. So they're really down to just Lana. Time to bring another 2 people in because this isn't sustainable.
I had never seen Charlotte as Roxie and my god she was on fire and sensational. Best shape I've seen Chicago in.
Posted: 3/27/23 at 5:18pm
There's so many actresses available to play Velma (& Roxie). Time for some fresh faces for this show.
Posted: 3/27/23 at 9:27pm
ACL2006 said: "There's so many actresses available to play Velma (& Roxie). Time for some fresh faces for this show." I agree. As I've mentioned before, there could (and should) be a Search For Velma for the show. New Velmas need to be developed for the continued viability of the show.
Posted: 3/27/23 at 9:49pm
Bianca would be an amazing Velma if she wasn’t so over the top. I’ve seen her Roxie so many times. Sometimes she was so over the top (when usher was Billy) but a few times she wasn’t so over the top (w jerry springer in Philly) and I loved her.
there are some vids on yt of her doing all that jazz many years ago, I always said to a friend she’d be a fun slicked back bun (my fav Velma hair style) Velma. She was a let down.
Posted: 3/28/23 at 1:03am
FYI London already did a Velma Kelly search
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2433LdMOS7w
much like finding a new Roxie, forgettable.
Posted: 3/29/23 at 6:14pm
Bianca was out Monday & Tuesday. Christine Cornish was Velma. They had to call in Nicole Benoit for this week as Jessica Ernest is out. Kudos to Sharon Moore who went on for four different tracks from Thursday through yesterday.
Posted: 3/29/23 at 9:10pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9e7odq6y38 Nicole Benoit She will be on as "Go-To-Hell-Kitty" from 3/30--4/2.
Updated On: 3/29/23 at 09:10 PM
Posted: 3/29/23 at 9:13pm
Nicole Benoit
Updated On: 3/29/23 at 09:13 PM
Posted: 3/31/23 at 11:57am
Kimberly Marable will be broadway’s NEW VELMA when Bianca departs!
Posted: 3/31/23 at 12:15pm
Amazing! I didn't think Marable was much of a dancer. Kudos. I guess Lana is staying with the Hadestown tour a bit longer. Also, Liam Fennecken(Rock of Ages tour) will make his Broadway debut as Amos. Charity Angel Dawson returns as Mama. Good to finally see some new faces in this show.
Updated On: 3/31/23 at 12:15 PM
Posted: 3/31/23 at 12:32pm
Even though I think she's very likeable, I was pretty surprised to hear that Jinx was helping the show sell out. That must really sting if other, bigger Broadway stars like Jennifer Holliday or Lillias White don't sell out during their stints in the same part. Did they?
Jinx is fun but doesn't have their vocal chops.
Also, how long is Charlotte D'A staying in the production?
Posted: 3/31/23 at 12:36pm
Lillias has popped in and out of the show for years. So she's not much of a draw when she returns. Holliday has only done two stints with the show and really isn't a draw. Charlotte returns on Monday for just one week before the Disney kid starts as Roxie.
Posted: 3/31/23 at 12:37pm
I recently was told that the reason there hasn’t been those high profile Roxie, Velma, Billy, Mama, etc happening (aside from Pamela A) is because the Weisslers are quite difficult to negotiate with so agents decline offers (took 10 years for Pamela to agree and she wisely used her run to her advantage on every level). NY theater reps also tell actors/artists who are looking to make their Broadway debuts to avoid CHICAGO.
Posted: 3/31/23 at 12:42pm
Interesting.
...I'm kind of surprised the show managed to recover from one of it's original cast members, you know, killing himself after being brutally grilled during a rehearsal just because they wanted him to quit so they could save a few bucks.
I really thought the theatre community would have a bigger reaction to that long-term, but I guess audiences don't particularly care.
Posted: 3/31/23 at 12:45pm
There's probably a reason why the show constantly recycles their cast members. Majority of the ensemble has been there for at least since the reopening. Most much longer.
Posted: 3/31/23 at 4:18pm
Interesting they didn't announce who the new Billy will be unless James T. Lane is extending again?
Posted: 3/31/23 at 4:42pm
Listener said: "Interesting.
...I'm kind of surprised the show managed to recover from one of it's original cast members, you know, killing himself after being brutally grilled during a rehearsal just because they wanted him to quit so they could save a few bucks.
I really thought the theatre community would have a bigger reaction to that long-term, but I guess audiences don't particularly care."
I mean, there was quite a bit of fallout, with the show involved MD being fired from the show in a very public way. But this all happened pre-COVID - and when Broadway reopened, I’m assuming nobody was actively looking to crusade against and bury a show when the industry was recovering
Posted: 4/1/23 at 11:04am
https://pixhost.to/show/35/344955779_33c483ac-7a4c-42de-b82d-3ea9e450899d.jpg
https://pixhost.to/show/35/344955781_b936399e-44fc-4f5e-a883-23ee3160d89c.jpg
William Ivey Long (whom I adore) seems to REALLY be phoning in new designs for the ensemble. Why change what’s not broken?
Posted: 4/1/23 at 11:10am
Mary Claire King is Velma for both shows today and tomorrow. Was Bianca scheduled to be out this entire week?
