My Chicago Review..Where's the Razzle Dazzle?

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:28pm

This is one where I think the movie does a better job than the stage show.

I recently caught a Monday night performance and was sadly dissapointed in the quality of the performers.

Wayne Brady was out and the replacement was about as exciting as watching paint dry. He scooooped every song. I think he was/is actually a dancer in the show. His line delivbery was flat and boring. When he was excited he talked high..when he was serious he talked low. I've seen better actin' on a can of Tanactin.

Ann NAthan was also very disspointing. This is a true character role and she played it like some kinda laid back-Perry Como. Morton has bite and gruff. Where was it?

The two leads were passable with Cahrlotte coming of better, althogh she was boring in the first parts of the show. The other gal was channeling Ann Reinking on prozac. Actually, that might have been more interesting.

And the guy playing Amos...another blank slate. I know we're suppose to think you blend into the background...but you're not suppose to do it in real life!

The best performances came from some of the girls in the chorus. They showed more life in "Cell Block" with one word than these so called leads.

All in all...very dissapointing. With a bare stage, the audience needs something to watch. Get so quality people up there!

[DAME]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:32pm

Maybe you just saw a off night. Charlotte is one of my favorite Roxies. Howver; I would never go see a long run on a Monday night. ( yes; I know it should be brilliant every night but people are human and Monday night in a long run makes me thinkperformances would be phoned in).

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:40pm

I wonder what Iris will say.

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:56pm

I am so depressed after last night that attending Chicago again might just be the antedote. by the way; the current national touring company is excellent.

[DAME]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 7:59pm

Love Gregory Harrison.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 8:27pm

Wait. What Billy understudy did you see? It would be really helpful if you gave us names. Updated On: 11/3/04 at 08:27 PM

[CJR]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 9:43pm

Bernard Dotson, maybe? I believe he's the Billy understudy....

PJ Benjamin plays Amos and I have to agree that he's definitely over it. Bring back Rob Bartlett!!!

Monday's a tough night... Chicago is one of the few shows that actually plays on a Monday night -- they're on a weird schedule being dark on Wednesdays, when almost every other show is on.


I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the show more... I'm very much over it these days, but I have to agree that lately the chorus girls have had the strongest performance out of anyone in the cast.

Also sorry to hear you didn't see Wayne -- J'adore his Billy Flynn. He's got so much talent and it's a thrill to see him having such a blast in the roll.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 9:46pm

Dan Lobuono is also the other Billy understudy (Well, he was in August). I would be really curious how his Billy was.

But Turtle most likely saw Bernard.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 11:32pm

When I saw the show a couple of weeks ago, Bernard Dotson was playing Billy. He wasn't anything spectacular. Unfortunately, he went flat at We Both Reached for the Gun, for the big THE. Painful. Terra is unfortunately a bad fit as well. Anne is not my first choice. Her voice is just too pretty and not strong enough for the role.

That said, people loved PJ as Amos, and LOVED Charlotte! I'm a little bias on Charlotte, since she's my fave Roxie, but my guests, who never saw the show, or even the movie, loved every minute of the show, and thought she and the Cell Block ladies were great. I think despite a couple of miscasts, the show holds up really well.

[CJR]

Posted: 11/3/04 at 11:35pm

PJ used to be fabulous. PJ used to be my favorite Amos... PJ is soooooo over it.

He's practically phoning it in and the last time I saw the show I wanted to turn around and ignore him the way the rest of the cast does during Cellophane.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 12:03am

I'm glad to hear that I'm not in the minority on this one. Sounds like they've had more than one "off" night.

Here are the details:

I saw Bernard Dotson...truly bland as can be. Fine..you're not the best singer..I could accept that. But why couldn't you act rhe part? Or even try? Is there no one lese out there who can at least create a character?

PJ was Amos....time to fire him. He should have been walking around with a cell phone in one hand cause he was phoning it in. Again..can we find anyone...maybe even a newbie??....who could create a character?

J. Loefeflholz was Mary and was energenic in his limited part.

Ann Nanthan...why oh why? I thought you'd be so great in this role. Such a let down.

The chorus was the best..especiall Michelle Robinson who created such a force in one "Cell Block" word. Give them the show!

And..comparing the two leads..yes, Charlotte was better. Although she was real boring at the start and not till her monologue did she really start to click.

And I really do not allow this whole "well..it was a Monday show" excuse. Cause that what it is..an excuse. If you don't want to be there and do the show..leave. There are certainly people who want to be there AND are willing to pay good money.

[CJR]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 12:07am

I didn't use it as an excuse, I just said it's a tough night. There is no excusing a shoddy performance. I wasn't there, so I can't really chime in on the performance you saw, but I was pretty over it the last time I was there.

Though, the time before that was a lot of fun! I think that was because Roxane was playing Velma though

[DAME]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 1:34am

CJR;
Did you ever get to see Sandy Duncans Roxy?

[CJR]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 1:47am

Yes. Can't say she was one of my faves though

[DAME]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 2:03am

Now wh¥ is there no chance of bebe coming back?

Posted: 11/4/04 at 2:11am

I dont care. I just love LIZA.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 2:56am

I saw Chicago back in May and yes, the ensemble is teh saving grace. Charlotte D'Amboise as Roxie was good, as was Roz Ryan as Morton and the Mary Sunshine (name escapes, but I remember his bio saying he originated the role). The rest of rest were jaw droppingly bad.


ensemble standouts when I saw in -- Greg Reuter, Roxanne Carrasco, Denis Jones, Jennifer West.

[CJR]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 10:34am

David Sabella was playing Mary Sunshine when you saw it, bg2.

and Mmmmmmmmm Denis Jones. I love him. He's so talented and SUCH a sweetheart!

[junglered]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 10:47am

I saw the Chicago tour recently and thought that the current cast was terrific. Brenda Braxton was Velma, Bianca Marroquin was Roxie, Roz Ryan was a fantastic Mama Morton, and Gregory Harrison played Billy Flynn.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 10:49am

I saw it years ago, when Ziemba and Neuwirth were in. Unfortunately, Neuwirth was out when I saw it and her understudy was Nancy Hess. Didn't like her. The show was great though.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 1:03pm

You think after watching some of these performances that they should bring in some new, non Equity performers who would actually love to the show. Cause some of these Equity folks were an insult to the the profession. Get PJ outta there!

[Jon]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 2:26pm

Well, the non-Equity performers would have to join Equity in order to do trhe show on Broadway, which would just make them Equity performers who are an insult to the profession!

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 3:54pm

It sucks if you saw a bad Billy.. Over the summer I saw Chris Sieber as Billy (Twice). And the man is just amazing. His "Gun" note was incredible. I think he can definetly be considered one of the best Billy's.

I saw both Brenda Braxton and Terra Macleod as Velma. Overall, I've got to say Brenda is better. Her voice is just incredible, and her attitude is just perfect for Velma. But Terra was a great dancer, and has great stage presence.

So I've never been dissapointed in the casts I saw over the summer. I really wanna see the current cast though. Mainly for Charlotte and Wayne. It's a shame to hear Anne Nathan isn't a great Mama. Roz Ryan was (is) an incredible Mama!

[MV]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 6:23pm

Hummm.very interesting...
Updated On: 11/4/04 at 06:23 PM

[NBC]

Posted: 11/4/04 at 7:08pm

I saw the show not too long ago, since my parents wanted to see Wayne Brady, who fortunately was in. I enjoyed his Billy, not one of my all-time favorites, but he sang it very well and held the Gun note well...he didn't adlib as much as I would have liked, but the couple of times he did, he was very funny.

Charlotte is one of my favorite Roxies and I thought she had livened up her performance since I saw her back in May, though she seemed to be holding back a bit with the dancing. Usually her dancing just captivates me. I think Terra is a terrific dancer, one of the best I've seen in that role lately, but I don't love her characterization of Velma, she plays it a little too broadly for my taste.

PJ is PJ...but the audience seems to love him! I saw an understudy for Mary Sunshine, R. Lowe, whose voice was just gorgeous. Really enjoyed the performance. I too though Anne Nathan was a little too subdued for Mama, though she sounded great.

If you saw the show this past Monday, Mr. Tuttle, the energy might have been a little low because according to telecharge (which could have been wrong because this didn't seem likely to me), the schedule had been changed some, so that they were in the middle of about 15 shows in a row without a full day off. (I checked because a friend of mine was planning to go last night, and usually they are dark on Wednesdays, but for some reason this week they eliminated one Sunday show and added a Wednesday.) So they might have been conserving energy!

I do agree about the chorus, lately the women have been more interesting to watch than the men. (Alas, Denis Jones and Greg Reuter have both left. (nd just when I was starting to appreciate Greg...don't they know yet that they need to inform me in writing before an Aaron leaves the show??) I do enjoy Bernard Dotson in the ensemble, though. And Dan LoBuono...though I'm not sure he's gone on as Billy yet - CJR, do you know?