Chicago the Musical Appreciation Thread — Page 25

with Adam Pellegrine (Harry/Martin Harrison)

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A younger Amos! Please bring him to Broadway.

Ask and you shall receive. I see that the print may be too small.

Understudies

For Roxie Hart: Robin Masella, Allison McDowell
For Velma Kelly: Allison McDowell, Laura Oldham
For Billy Flynn: Bradley Gibson, Matthew J. Kilgore
For Amos Hart: Chris LeBeau, Tanner Lane
For Matron Mama Morton: Laura Oldham, Sherisse Springer
For Mary Sunshine: C. Caballero
For Fred Casely: Jasond Thomas, Matthew J. Kilgore
Dance Captain: Colt Adam Weiss

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Updated On: 2/1/15 at 12:51 PM

Today is the dawn of a new age..... when Carly Hughes begins her run as a new "Velma Kelly" in "Chicago." It's wonderful to have her in the show. Do I hear an amen?

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Updated On: 2/2/15 at 07:57 PM

Hart and Soul: with Jennifer Nettles: Episode 2: End of Rehearsals
Hart and Soul: Episode 2

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ooops. This is Episode 3.
Episode 3

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The voice is a little too shticky for me, but she's a beautiful Roxie

Did anyone see Christine Pedi as Mama? I'm curious

Saw the show yesterday and Jennifer Nettles blew me away. Those that know me know I've seen this show about five dozen times, and Jennifer easily makes her way to one of my Top Five Roxies.

Her staging was adjusted at parts - we lose the cartwheel in the Hot Honey Rag, some of Me and My Baby is simplified a bit, and she's a bit tentative on the ladder in Funny Honey - what she can do, she fully goes for it and looks like she's having a blast doing it. (And looks amazing, her body is banging' right now!)

Of course, she sang fantastically. She definitely works to find places to let her go full out, and when she does it's thrilling. But even with her other numbers, she nails each one easily. And that goes to my greatest surprise - her acting. She's no Meryl, obviously. But having seen the show as many times as I have, it takes a lot to impress me on the acting side, and she found moments in there I haven't laughed at in a long time. I don't know if it's a natural outgrowth from her comfort on stage all these years, or someone's been working her line readings, but either way, she looks to be a gifted, natural comic actress with an enthusiasm that's beyond infectious.

Oh, and the rest? Well, as we all know, Carly Hughes has come in, and the show is so much better for it. The show needed someone strong to equal the dynamic Nettles, and they have it in Hughes. Sexy as all hell, with a bold personality, yet with an underlying simmer of clenched fire, it's a potent package. Like Nettles, she had the audience in her hand from the first moment and she never let it go. She's a breath of fresh air.

In any case, I was truly, truly, impressed. If the Weisslers had any sense, they throw some money and keep Nettles and Hughes around for an extension! But in case they can't, get out and see this crew while you can!!

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Updated On: 2/15/15 at 09:53 PM

Any recordings or bootlegs of Christine ? I wanna hear how she handled the role

Well dear MANY haven't done the cartwheel. Many.
The no cartwheel modification isn't a big deal. It's a simple modification and unless you really know the show it's not noticeable.

Hell Charlotte who's an amazing dancer didn't do the cartwheel at times. Nancy Hess who was the Roxie/Velma standby for the longest time at times didn't do a cartwheel.

Sometimes there's a modification in "I can't do it alone" without a cartwheel at the end for certain Velma's. There are, also, some Velma's that will do a cartwheel at the end like normal and go into a split after (Bebe would do it often esp on special performances, and Terra does it often)

Sandy Duncan at times would do a cartwheel and splits in the Roxie monologue.

The core structure of the dances is always there but things will be tailored to suit the person in the role.
Marilu Henner (who was amazing as Roxie) couldn't physically do the cartwheel due to something with her ankles.

I've seem Velma's dancing in "All that Jazz" changed slightly at times, I've seen "Razzle Dazzle" changed here and there to suit different performers (Usher had a a lot more dance and a slight costume change in that number)

One of my fav times was way back. Ruthie Henshall was only doing 6 shows a week per her doctors orders. Charlotte, after her and Ruthie got raves from the NYTimes, missed constantly. A cast member who is a friend and was a swing at the time said he's never done the show in a months time with Charlotte. A random night I went Ruthie was out (which I knew about) but Charlotte was on. Charlotte never did the show with the Velma standby Nancy. Nancy had hurt her leg and was doing the no cartwheel rag. Charlotte didn't know that. Hot Hiney Rag time Charlotte started to do the cartwheel while Nancy wasn't. It was a Roxie cartwheel Velma no cartwheel at the same time. It was funny.
****im in now way bashing Charlotte for missing a lot of shows. She's one of the best Roxie's and by far her dancing "Me and My Baby" is Spectacular. She does the leaps at the end of the song. I miss the leaps at the end. I'm guessing Nettles doesn't do them.

Pedi was a good Mama. Everything you'd expect from her if you kmow all her previous work. She's also a very nice and wonderful woman.

That's been in the show for a while, esp foreign productions

Lara Seibert is, I believe, the only Caucasian woman to ever play the Leading Player in Pippin on Broadway.

Here is a video of Carly Hughes doing All That Jazz with the cast (rehearsal footage)... Is Gregory Butler back in the cast?
Carly Hughes All That Jazz

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