From the iconic initial beats of “Pop, Six, Squish…” to the flash and flummox of lines like “Give 'em the old razzle dazzle” – the sassy, sleazy charm of Chicago is undeniable. Kander and Ebb’s 1975 mega-hit is one of those shows that has become part of the fabric of our collective culture, a timeless call-back for anyone who has ever struck a pose on a rickety chair while wearing an imaginary bowler hat, or day-dreamed a (strictly imaginary) bloody revenge fantasy, and all that jazz.
Australia’s latest tour of this jazz-era spectacle of seductive murderesses, greed, corruption and the fickle nature of tabloid infamy struts into Sydney’s lush Capitol Theatre after doing time in Perth and Melbourne. Under the direction of Karen Johnson Mortimer, this staging of Walter Bobbie’s six-time Tony-Award-winning, stripped-back 1996 Broadway revival (the second-longest running show on Broadway) comes a mere six years after it toured Down Under in 2019. Producers Crossroads Live presumably made a safe bet that this show is a surefire seat-filler (and they’d be right). Or, as one pinstripe-wearing Billy Flynn might say: “Give ‘em an act with lots of flash in it, and the reaction will be passionate…”
But with the memory of Casey Donovan’s brilliant performance as Matron Mama Morton and Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s delightfully deranged Roxie Hart being so fresh for Aussie theatregoers, many die-hard musical theatre fans are understandably hesitant to splash out on a ticket this time around. However, the chance to see the new star-spangled leading cast is an enticing premise – and for the most part, it pays off.
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Notorious showgirl Velma Kelly gets a kick of manic energy from Zoë Ventoura, who has taken a side-step from her career in television to kick-ball-change into this bucketlist role – and she is a fair match for Lucy Maunder’s Roxie Hart. Lending her chops as a local legend of musical theatre and cabaret, Maunder injects the cherubic and narcissistic leading lady with a suitably scatty, haunted-porcelain-doll-like energy. Chicago championed anti-heroes before they were even a trend, and this Velma and Roxie bring enough camp fabulosity and dangerous thrill to rival a Disney villain.
Meanwhile, Anthony Warlow’s unexpected turn as the cunning criminal lawyer Billy Flynn is one of the most compelling elements of this production. An internationally-acclaimed musical theatre heavyweight who is legendary for the gravitas he has brought to shows like The Phantom of the Opera and Sweeney Todd, Warlow’s version of the famously sleazy lawyer leans more towards a Trump-ish businessman (or perhaps moreso, Warlow plays the man that Donald Trump probably imagines himself to be) and it’s uncomfortably effective. Peter Rowsthorn (of Kath & Kim fame) is another surprising delight, adeptly stepping into the (clown) shoes of wronged hubby/sad puppy, Amos. And while Asabi Goodman (Hairspray) brings the powerful vocals and confident presence that are mandatory for a role like Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, the performance unfortunately lacks the “wink wink, nudge nudge” sensibility and over-the-top vaudevillian comedy that this iconic character demands and deserves (she is soft-butch royalty, after all).
The supporting ensemble is the true backbone of this show however, and the finesse that the troupe assembled here brings to Gary Chryst’s Fosse-inspired choreography (all crooked limbs, hip rolls, and so, so many jazz hands) and is the foundation that upholds the whole show, alongside their masterful physical comedy (and ability to embody the brazen confidence required for a show where William Ivey Long’s slick costumes have most performers sauntering around in little more than see-through black mesh). This is exemplified in what is arguably the show’s most fabulous number: ‘The Cell Block Tango’.
The deceptively sleek staging is another key to this show’s success – the tiered black-box bandstand is central to the action, and the visual of the musicians at work echoes Chicago’s self-refferential style of satire (character’s literally declare “My exit music, please!” before making an exit). The stage is as dark and shadowy as the pitch-black comedy and bleak commentary at the heart of Chicago, amplifying the impact of Ken Billington’s lighting design – which douses the action in blood-red pops and washes of brilliant colour that could rival the illuminations of Vivid Sydney. The lighting design arguably peaks with ‘All I Care About is Love’ – when Billy Flynn is framed and engulfed by a tease of dancers wielding delicate, floaty white ostrich feather fans.
Interestingly, Kander and Ebb’s commentary on sensationalist media frenzies and the empty pursuit of celebrity status still carries some weight in today’s media-saturated climate. The public’s frenzied eagerness to fangirl over a convicted killer can find parrallels in the obsession with Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s post-parole life. But unlike Blanchard’s oft-Hollywood-ised story, there really is no redeeming arc for the killings that both Roxie and Velma committed in cold blood. These characters have more in common with Patrick Bateman than anyone else, and their narcissism and frivulous pursuit of fame can lead one to ponder where each of us draws the line between the persona we project and the fears that it masks.
In Time Out Sydney’s review of the 2019 tour, Ben Neutze wrote: “history (particularly recent history) suggests men are far more likely to engage in exploitative and criminal behaviour and still rise to fame and enormous power”. This observation packs even more of a sting now in 2024, when all evidence suggests that women are much more likely to be victims of violence rather than the perpetrators, and at the hands of men with varying levels of power and status.
This revivial doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but there’s no denying that Chicago is a classic for a reason. While discerning musical theatre fans (this critic included) are hungry to see more fresh new musicals on Aussie stages – and thank goodness there’s some on the way, including the just-announced Sydney premiere of Hadestown – perhaps the biggest learning we can take from this revivial (of a revival) is that there are actually far too many people who don’t really know this musical(!?). Apparently, Catherine Zeta Jones’s Velma from the 2002 film adaptation doesn’t live rent free in the corners of everyone’s mind? Let alone Renée Zellweger’s Roxie? Every human on Earth doesn’t inherently know “the name on everybody’s lips”? In my mind, this is a wrong that must be set right – and this 2024 tour is our chance to share Chicago with legions of scorned femmes, true-crime fanatics, and anyone in need of a bit of the ol’ razzle dazzle. “Come on babe, why don’t we paint the town?”
Chicago is playing a strict seven-week season at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre until July 28, 2024. Find out more and snatch up tickets at chicagomusical.com.au.