re: Vicki Lewis as Velma in Chicago?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:11pm

I didn't know she did that! Did anyone here see her? How was she?

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:12pm

I'm pretty sure most were mixed about her. I believe she lacked in the dance area.
Updated On: 11/13/06 at 01:12 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:15pm

The current revival of CHICAGO has been around long enough that everyone and their mother has done the show somewhere.

Just think of a name, and chances are high that they've done the revival of CHICAGO somewhere.

Seriously.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:17pm

.... I'm still waiting on Vanessa Williams as Velma.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:17pm

^ It's only a matter of time!

When did she do it?

Updated On: 11/13/06 at 01:17 PM

[OSUBuckly]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:20pm

I saw her do it some time in 1999. I can't really remember how she was though. I'm assuming she did a passable job.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:44pm

She was pretty good. I don't remember clearly but I know she did a good job. We know she can belt the crap out of the songs. As I recall, her dancing was decent.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:46pm

Wasn't she a little to old to be playing Velma?

[ILUVTOMG]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:58pm

she wasn't the typical velma... but VERY funny with lots of ad libs. saw her with charlotte and they were great together.

[Christoph]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:59pm

She was the best of the Velmas that I have seen (although I have never seen Bebe in the role). She had a terrific voice, she was as good if not better than co-star Nana Visitor in the dancing department, and she contributed a surprisingly sexy performance. I was never a particular fan until I saw her in this show.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:51pm

[Producer2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:01pm

in some photos she had a dark wig on

[NBC]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:21pm

She had some priceless ad libs...one of my favorites, right before I Can't Do It Alone, when she turns her head to look at Roxie..."Enjoying the chair?" (Well, it probably doesn't read as funny as it sounded when she said it...)

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:31pm

i've heard her but never seen her, and her line deliveries were brilliant. (particularly in the scene she first meets roxie in)

[LouieLovesTheater]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 6:49pm

That dark wig was horrendous...I have no clue why they didn't let her use her hair. She looked awesome with her natural (ahem) dark red hair.

She had great adlibs and always seemed to have a great "I could care less" attitude about Roxie. I saw her early on and later and she improved leaps and bounds from that first run in DC (yikes!)

[Sant]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 11:17am

Her dancing was fine, so was her singing, but there weren't much there in the charisma department or stage precence. Her take on the role seemed to be "yeah this is a supporting role so..."

[mallardo]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 11:47am

I just saw her in LA in Hotel C'est L'Amour where she totally stole the show. She's a fabulous performer in ANY role.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 1:53pm

She definitely improved immensley from the early days of her run in the tour to her Broadway run.

As for the hair -- I believe she only sported the black wig for a few performances. All the video footage I've seen of her in the show AND her entire run on Broadway, she sported her trademark red hair (as noted in the above photo).

[Kringas]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 5:02pm

Wasn't she a little to old to be playing Velma?

She would have been around the same age Bebe Neuwirth was when she started playing Velma.

[Danielm]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 7:48pm

Wasn't she a little to old to be playing Velma?

And she's certainly not as old as Chita Rivera. I think most of the actresses they cast are too young. You should feel that these women are desperate and almost past thier prime.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 9:27pm

Technically, Roxie should be older than Velma. Which was the case with Gwen & Chita, also with Ann & Bebe.

But it absolutely works with Velma being older than Roxie also.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/14/06 at 9:54pm

News Flash! Chita Rivera wasn't always 70+.

She was 42 when she played Velma back in 1975
Bebe Neuwirth was 38 when she played Velma in 1996
Vicki Lewis was 39 when she played Velma in 1999