Was Ann Reinking copying Gwen Verdon in the 1996 Chicago?

When Reinking played Roxie in the original cast of the revival of Chicago, she played it very a la Gwen Verdon... And she claims that Verdon 'taught' her the role... But it sounds like a Verdon imitation - Reinking presumably thought this was the definitive way to play the role. Any thoughts?

I disliked her performance..Just my opinion..Thought it was to cartoonish but her dancing was just amazing.

I wouldn't say she was copying, but I do think the performance was influenced by Gwen and Fosse's original interpretation of the character. Ann did work with Gwen when replacing her on the original production, and was certainly close with Fosse. So, she was likely familiar with their ideas when they created the character. I would imagine, then, she brought that understanding to the room when creating her performance for the revival. This seems especially reflected in the way in which her performance seems more crass and vaudevillian in style than the Roxies that followed.

I should also add, Ann's breathy purr of a voice has always been similar to Gwen's quiver. So, there are some similarities that would make the effect of that influence more noticeable (or even similar) than if she, say, had a powerhouse voice.

Updated On: 4/1/14 at 09:31 PM

I'm tempted to gear this thread slightly off topic since I've always been curious about the relationship between Fosse, Verdon and Reinking. Were Verdon and Fosse together when he hooked up with Reinking or were they already separated?

Thank you StageStruckLad. Is it "Fosse" by Sam Wasson?

Having seen the original show numerous times and second acting it about 100, I say that yes she did do a Gwen imitation of the voice- the same shakiness, the same intonations and it worked for the character. Ann was excellent as Roxie - funny, brilliant dancer of course. She took the voice one step further in the revival (I gotta Paaaaaeeeeeeee), but she was really sensational in the part acting wise.

Who did Reinking replace at the last minute prior to City Center?

Yes, Carlos, that's the book.

That clip is wonderful, Eric, thanks for sharing. It looks like she might be wearing the jacket/top she wore in the hospital fantasy sequence in All That Jazz in that clip.

Liza was supposed to do it at City Center? Do spill that tea!

BTW, why wasn't Reinking nominated with Neuwirth for best actress at the Tonys? It always strikes me funny that Velma is the award-magnet part. Neuwirth won in '97, Ute Lemper won in London in '98, and Zeta Jones won the Oscar for the movie (supporting actress) in '02... Since Roxie is generally knows as the more 'acting' role, it's strange that Velma is always the award winning one. Maybe it's cos it's such a show-stopping, all singing, all dancing, all everything kind of role - so quintessentially musical theatre. The Tonys gave Reinking the award for choreography the year Neuwirth won, so they must have felt they were honoring her there instead. Reminds me of 2012, where Jan Maxwell was nommed for Follies, and Bernadette Peters was snubbed, although Peters was being given the Isabelle S. award.

"Who did Reinking replace at the last minute prior to City Center?"

I don't think anyone was replaced last minute. I think they just never found anyone they really liked for the role, so they defaulted to Ann. If anyone has evidence that someone was actually cast and replaced last minute, I'd love a link to that information.

"In the Reinking video, the blond guy dancing with her (blanking on the name) went on to be one of the more prominent male dancers in the Chicago revival (you can see him in basically all of the early promo performances...)"
David Warren-Gibson

For the record, the revival actually originated at Long Beach Civic Light Opera, starring Bebe and Juliet Prowse, directed by Rob Marshall with Reinking as choreographer, in the style of Fosse, and with music director John McDaniel's band on the stage. Later Walter Bobbie, then Encore's AD, grabbed it and directed it himself for Encores and the rest is history. It's why Bobbie is largely considered the luckiest man in the world.