Chicago the Musical has to be one of my all-time favourite shows and so I was already giddy when I took my seat in the front stalls at Leeds Heritage Theatres beautiful “Grand”. I’m a Bob Fosse fan (think Cabaret and you’ll know who I’m talking about) and his iconic trademark black bowler hat, chair, white gloves, sassy, saucy and “All That Jazz” choreography are ever present in this work which was first staged in 1975 on Broadway.
The show however has its roots in the real Chicago of the early 20th century. A time when Chicago was run by gangsters, an era that was half jazz-age glamour and half prohibition fuelled criminality. Reporter Maurine Watkins was charged with the task of reporting on the female inmates of Cook County Jail’s “Murderess Row”. The inmates were glamourised and just as the kiss and tell tactics of today’s tabloids can turn transgressors into celebrities, so the reports of ‘sob sister’ Watkins created a voracious appetite to ‘follow’ the trials and tribulations of these femme fatales. Watkins ultimately fashioned these stories into a play which took to Broadway in 1926. Amen to that and the Kander and Ebb revival in the 70s!
Confession time. I have seen Chicago many times, the most noteable on Broadway. As an anniversary treat hubby and I had dinner at Sardi’s before the show. Let me tell you it was powerfully good. Broadway song, dance and storytelling at its very best. I have also performed the part of Roxie Hart at the Alhambra Theatre and at the London Palladium, so I’ve studied the text. Okay, I’m a superfan so I had huge expectations on Tuesday night and honestly this production is the best version of the show I have seen in a UK theatre. The atmosphere was electric. By that I mean buzzing and crackling and fizzing. Almost like we had all been plugged into the National Grid.
With notable performances by Faye Brookes (Coronation Street) and Djalenga Scott as Roxie and Velma respectively, two big name attractions Russell Watson as Billy Flynn and Sheila Ferguson as Mamma Morton I felt the real success of this production was in the hands of ensemble. All of them powerfully good, physically strong, displaying a maturity and cohesiveness that shouted out beyond the footlights. Excellent vocals, the dance is sublime, the darkness and moody nature of this iconic show captured perfectly. Having said that Chicago is peppered with humour from start to finish and the audience was swept along from start to finish by the entire cast.
Time for another confession. Maybe it’s all this talk of “murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery . . . all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts” . . . anyway, I digress. I enjoyed my evening at Leeds Grand so much I went back the night after to see it all again. I was delighted to see a poster on the entrance doors saying, “Tonight the role of Billy Flynn will be played by Liam Marcellino”. With Covid still rife amongst us it has been incredible to watch the theatre community’s understudies finally having their moments in the spotlight and the recognition they so deserve. Hugh Jackman made this powerful and very public statement last December. “The courage, the brilliance, the dedication, the talent”, he said, “The swings, the understudies, they are the bedrock of Broadway” and Mr Marcellino embodied all of this and more, way more. What a talented young fella who deserves top billing in his own right. Spot on vocals, brilliant comedic timing, charismatic, suave; the glue that holds Roxie’s storyline together.
This touring production was at Leeds Grand until Saturday 14th May. The tour is coming to a close with dates still to play in Wimbledon, Manchester, Sunderland and Oxford. Beg, borrow, steal a ticket. Get swept along as we did and stay to the very last note by the fabulous orchestra led by charismatic MD Andrew Hilton.
You’ll be dancing in the aisles as you exit the theatre and jazzing all the way home!
Review by Deana Morgan
