Sturdy 'Chicago' tour is well-dance and mostly well-cast

By: PAM KRAGEN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, September 5, 2007 1:09 PM PDT ∞

Although "Chicago" took its knocks from the critics when it debuted on Broadway in 1975, it has come to be rightly appreciated as one of the great musicals of the 20th century. Nonetheless, most Americans today are probably most familiar with its Oscar-winning 2002 film.

So it's a treat to step back a bit and see the musical again, as its creators intended, in a national tour now playing through Sunday at the San Diego Civic Theatre.

Showgoers only familiar with the movie may be surprised by both its design ---- an on-stage orchestra, no set and a vaudeville set-up where the actors play directly to the audience ---- and the half-dozen or so musical numbers that weren't included in the film (for the life of me, I can't figure out why film director Rob Marshall excluded the hilariously tongue-in-cheek duet "Class").

Local audiences are also bound to be pleased by the quality of the tour, with faithful direction by Walter Bobbie, an excellent dance ensemble and two engaging leading ladies.

"Chicago," with book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and original choreography by Bob Fosse, tells the story of two 1920s-era women cellmates who, with the help of the enterprising lawyer Billy Flynn and the gutter press, become national celebrities.

Canny nightclub dancer Roxie Hart kills her lover, then manipulates the system by talking her unwitting husband, Amos, into taking the rap, inventing her defense, and manipulating the press and public to gain sympathy. Competing for the media spotlight is her cellmate, the tap-dancing tough girl Velma Kelly, who's in prison for killing her husband and her sister.

Fosse designed the original show in a colorful vaudeville style with each musical vignette ---- including "All That Jazz" and "Razzle Dazzle" ---- presented as a separate, show-stopping number. Despite its great score, bitingly witty book and superb cast (Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera), it was overlooked by Tony voters because it had the bad fortune to open the same year as "A Chorus Line." It also opened in the post-Watergate era, and its "crime does pay" cynicism was out of step with the post-Watergate times. Although "Chicago" ran for nearly 900 performances, when it finally closed it was virtually forgotten.

A 1996 revival by Ann Reinking gave the show a new, modern look ---- all-black costumes and bowler hats in the Fosse style and the band seated onstage in a black metal bandstand ----- a sharper, less-cynical and more updated book and another dream cast (Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton). and it became a huge smash. It won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, and is still running at the Shubert Theatre in New York. It is now the longest-running musical revival in Broadway history.

The touring production is sharp, smart, well-danced and mostly well-cast.

Terra C. MacLeod is a standout as Velma Kelly. She's got a rich, hard-edged vocal style that's perfect for the tough-as-nails character, endless dancing stamina and the kind of supple muscularity that's a perfect fit for Fosse and Reinking's choreography. As Roxie, Michelle DeJean has an ear-pleasing, big voice, a softer, warmer personality and a curvier figure that not only suits her character but is a good contrast with the angular MacLeod.

Roz Ryan co-stars as "Mama" Morton, the double-dealing prison matron gets one of the show's best songs, the bluesy "When You're Good to Mama." Ryan has just joined the touring company and she didn't appear to have much time to work up any stage blocking, so she mostly just stands and sings, but with a robust, growling, terrific voice like that, who cares?

Eric Leviton is endearing as Roxie's sad-sack husband, Amos, delivering one of the show's most well-received, tug-at-the-heartstring numbers, "Mr. Cellophone." And R. Bean is a delight as the easily manipulated, opera-singing newspaper crime reporter Mary Sunshine (who has some surprising secrets of her own).

In recent years, "Chicago" producers have tried to keep the musical fresh by stunt-casting the lead roles with TV, movie and music celebrities. I'm not a big fan of this trend, as "Chicago" is strong enough to stand out its own and the addition of marginally talented co-stars doesn't serve the challenging choreography and score well.

A favorite role in "Chicago" for celebrity fill-ins is that of the greedy attorney Billy Flynn, because it doesn't require an enormous amount of singing or dancing ability. Stepping into the role of Billy for the San Diego engagement is the ultra-tanned TV/film celebrity George Hamilton.

Tuesday was Hamilton's first night in front of an audience, and he looked a bit like a deer in the headlights ---- bobbling several lines, delivering his dialogue to the rafters (rather than his co-stars), limited expression in his face or line delivery, and moving stiffly around the stage. He also didn't even attempt to dance. But Hamilton, who's 68 years old, also surprised with his sweet and sturdy singing voice.

The dance corps is fantastic, as is the 14-member onstage orchestra, jubilantly led by musical director Leslie Stifelman.

"Chicago" remains one of the best musicals ever written, and the solid touring production in San Diego, with a few exceptions, serves the show well.

"Chicago"

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 5; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6; 8 p.m. Sept. 7; 2 and 8 p.m. Sept. 8; 1 and 6 p.m. Sept. 9

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, Third Avenue at B Street, San Diego

Tickets: $19-$75

Info: (619) 570-1100

Web: www.broadwaysd.com