On Yahoo News: Brooke to Broadway's Chicago

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:07pm

Chicago

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:09pm

Perhaps I'll see CHICAGO when I visit NYC this November...

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:10pm

YESS!! So frickin excited.

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:11pm

I wouldn't mind seeing her as Roxie. Maybe I'll actually go and see the show now.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:12pm

I called this one months ago.

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:13pm

She seems to be cementing her reputation as a box-office draw. I think many figured that unless the London reviews were absolutely wretched, that this would happen.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:13pm

wow!!! im so excited....i will go to see Chicago....again if Brooke is in it.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:14pm

It was obvious since day one London would be considered her "try out" as Roxie - before she comes to Broadway. She was so fabulous in WT - the Weissler's had to get her back to Broadway quick!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:24pm

i cant wait to see Brooke.

[mrcacou]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:32pm

I saw her three weeks ago in London. Her Roxie was fab. The Hot Honey Rag was changed a bit but she could handle the dance routines. You guys are lucky to get her in Chicago.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:36pm

I'm glad you liked her Roxie Mrcacou. How was her singing?

[mrcacou]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 5:43pm

It sounded like her Roxie sang lower than any other. It was strange because for once Velma had a higher (I hope it is the right word) range. She did a lot of speak-sing during Roxie but over all she was great.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 6:48pm

YAY! a new CHICAGO recording!!!

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 6:59pm

I really don't think their gonna give Brooke her on Chicago recording - they say it's in her contract - but I don't know. It would be completely useless to drop her vocals into the 97 recording - since no one from that cast is still in the show. And to record the cast who will be in the show when Brooke starts is also silly - because the Chicago cast changes A LOT.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 7:10pm

I think I would pee myself if they dropped Brooke's vocals over Ann Reinkings. Come on...you know hearing her vocals synched with Bebe Neuwirth's would be worth the $17 bucks in and of itself.

It would be HIGH-sterical!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 8:15pm

I saw Brooke in her second West End performance and was really disappointed, although I thought she had a lot of potential after a bit of time to get comfortable in the role. I didn't understand all the praise heaped on her for earlier roles she's done on Broadway, but I'm glad to see she's improved. I had originally thought her dancing was fairly strong, her acting was passable, but her voice was nothing special. It doesn't help that the rest of the cast seemed tired and strained as well, and the audience was not very responsive. (At the time, I didn't know of the drama that ensued the day earlier with the actor playing Billy Flynn quitting, but it explans why his understudy understandably lacked confidence.)

Perhaps I'll give Brooke and the show another chance in the fall. I still enjoyed the music and the choreography, but not as it is at the Adelphi now.

Updated On: 7/10/05 at 08:15 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 8:19pm

Brooke was top notch in WT - and gave a critically acclaimed performance. I know she has it in her - I think by the time she comes to Broadway - her Roxie will have greatly improved from what some saw in London.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 8:43pm

On the contrary i went to see Brooke make a fool out of herself in "Wonderful Town" and left amazed by her and Jennifer Hope Wills and their chemistry...which by the way ...lacked between Donna Murphy and Jennifer Westfeld. I find hard to believe Brooke was disapointing in London, besides she got rave reviews i heard. The same New York Times critic who claimed "his heart sank" when he heard that Brooke was taking over the leading role in WT ,said later: "Brooke Shields was a delight".

[bdwybug55]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 9:41pm

I agree with you...I LOVED Ms. Shields in "Wonderful Town". She and Jennifer Hope Wills were incredible and I am very excited about getting to see her again. Too bad that she and Ms. Wills really wouldn't work together in "Chicago"...I agree...their chemistry was amazing. If I was a producer I would be working on getting the two of them together again in a show all of their own. I'm a little skeptical about Ms. Shields being able to pull of Roxie, but...we'll see. She was so nice when I met her at the stage door and I am just excited that she will be back on Broadway so soon.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/11/05 at 2:24am

she is nice to all her fans...and thats how a diva should behave.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/11/05 at 4:23am

I should re-phrase that when I said I didn't understand all the praise heaped on her for other roles she's played, it was in light of how I found her in Chicago, not because I've seen her in other shows and was disappointed. When did the West End critics give their reviews of her performance? Have they been published online? (I've been trying to find them everywhere!)

She has charisma and her dancing was pretty good (I think they may have simplified the choreography though - but at least she did the cartwheel at the end!), but her acting and vocals weren't as good as I was expecting. She seemed too hammy at times and too wooden at times, without finding just the right balance. As I said before, it was her second performance and I thought then that with time, she may improve a lot, but I was disappointed with this performance, and I really wanted to like her. (I had one night in London, and only one show to choose - I wanted "Chicago" the most because of Brooke - I wouldn't slag her for no reason.)

Other audience reviews I've found (starting on this page - April 27...hit "Back" at the top to see the more recent reviews). The majority seemed disappointed with the state of the production overall, and many also found Brooke's performance to be just passable, as well.

http://www.whatsonstage.com/dl/page.php?page=user_serv&pg=view&id=L1794981994&avg=1.9&max=233&pp=1&PHPSESSID=f636dea7c269fc0b99fcf0aea203c4f1

Updated On: 7/11/05 at 04:23 AM

[ken8631]

Posted: 7/11/05 at 8:49am

So is Charlotte ending her run, or taking a break while Brooke is on?