first night review: chicago @ the saenger theatre

The cast of Chicago (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

​Jazz, crime and fame make a sinful combo: Chicago @ The Saenger Theatre
Review by Eileen Daley

The truth is in the telling when it comes to sensationalist crimes, as the residents of Chicago know. Any monster can become a bombshell underneath the right lighting. In 50 years (or so) of this jazz musical’s nonstop runs, our obsession with fame hasn’t changed so much as grown, so its spectacle-as-message is prescient as ever.

Chicago’s revues, jailhouses and courtrooms of the 1920s feel like familiar settings, given that it’s a sister city of our own New Orleans when it comes to corruptible authority figures and miscarriages of justice. But the minimalist set, which showcases the phenomenal chorus dancers and jazz orchestra, keeps the show from feeling drab or grimy. Instead it’s all about the glitz and glamour of putting on a performance to save your life.

Taylor Lane and Ellie Roddy star as Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two incarcerated ingenues who
are preparing for their separate trials. Their only hope of avoiding death row is to parlay their
growing infamy as smoking hot murderesses into a sympathetic jury. Both stars shine when it comes to vocals and Bob Fosse’s iconic choreography, making every complex song and dance look easy.

Another standout was Josh England as Amos, Roxie’s belittled husband—an understudy who
proved more than capable (I’ll hear no Mr. Cellophane slander in this house!). The cast took the musical performances in interesting directions; most songs started with precise, wholesome annunciation and ended in sultry belting, the singers’ arcs mimicking the corrupting influence of jazz itself.

It feels good to imagine a world where crime leads to fair consequences from one’s community and rehabilitation of the selfish myopic attitude that brought it about. But until then, we have Chicago to hold up a funhouse mirror to our twisted morals. And after a show like this, I’ve got to say: damn, it feels good to be a gangster.

​Chicago plays at The Saenger Theatre through June 15th. Click here for more information and ticketing

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