A good media circus is a proud American tradition with deep historical roots.
Nearly 40 years after its debut on Broadway, the touring production of the blockbuster musical “Chicago” still does a magnificent job of exploring the sensationalism surrounding a high-profile murder case in the 1920s. What’s more, the show does it with style and flash that still feels years ahead of its time. This show is still a standard-setter, and that’s only in part because of the timeless book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse and the original toe-tapping jazz score by John Kander.
The latest traveling iteration of this musical succeeds so completely in part because of the sheer skill of the company. Helmed by a powerhouse trio in the critical roles of Velma Kelly, Roxie Hart and Billy Flynn, this cast makes decades-old material feel completely new. The leads find support in an energetic and effusive ensemble that’s a constant presence on the stage. In delivering spot-on chorus tunes, hammering out innovative choreography or simply sitting in the wings of the show’s bare stage design, the crew of supporting performers are an integral part of keeping up the impressive energy of the show.
The basic plot of the musical hasn’t changed much since the musical debuted in the 1970s as a loose interpretation of the play “Chicago” written by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins in the 1920s. The original drama had a base in the most sensational murder trials of the 1920s; Watkins detailed murder cases that summed up the shifting morés and media of the Jazz Age.
Ebb and Fosse’s musical captures all the themes of the original drama, but with a lot more style and sass. In this show, it’s Kelly (Terra C. MacLeod) and Hart (Bianca Marroqín) who commit the crimes. The dashing and calculating Billy Flynn (John O’Hurley, likely known by many as J. Peterman from the sitcom “Seinfeld”) takes up their cases with profit in mind.
Between hot jazz numbers delivered impeccably by a 12-piece orchestra, the accused and their attorney craft defenses based on simple showmanship. For a large fee, Flynn plays up sympathy and drama for the troupes of newspaper reporters. After shooting her lover when her husband’s away at work, Roxy finds a central place in the media spotlight. Her case kicks Velma’s from the headlines, and she milks the attention for all it’s worth.
The resulting courtroom drama is more about cabaret numbers and glitz than justice. Behind hypnotic tunes like “Cell Block Tango” and “Razzle Dazzle,” a drama unfolds that has plenty to say about the modern media and its sway on the justice system (think Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony).
The mix of old and new succeeds thanks in part to a timeless script, but the real energy here comes from the top-notch cast. Macleod, Marroquín and O’Hurley are luminous; supporting performers like Ron Orbach as Amos Hart, Carol Woods as Matron “Mama” Morton and C. Newcomer as Mary Sunshine are just as impressive. It all comes together under the spot-on musical direction of conductor Jesse Kissel.
The result is a jazzy, flashy romp that makes the drama of the Jazz Age feel immediate and modern.
“Chicago”
Until March 23, at Buell Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets start at $30
303-893-4100
denvercenter.org3.5 stars
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at 720-449-9707 or agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com