[REVIEW] Chicago at Oxford’s New Theatre is ‘razzle dazzling’

The Ocelot’s Jessica Durston was invited to attend the opening night performance of Chicago the musical at the New Theatre in Oxford.

Picture it. It’s the late 1920’s, Chicago, Illinois.

Okay it’s not really – but Chicago the musical’s Scenic Designer John Lee Beatty certainly did his darndest to bring it to life for audiences at Oxford’s New Theatre right from the get-go.

The scene and tone for the show were pre-set with a single chair – complete with bowler hat - and spotlight placed carefully on the left hand side of the stage, to greet audience members on arrival to their seats.

There was also a giant, gold-gilded, frame outlining the stage space, bringing a further touch of glamour to the on-brand red and black 1930’s theatre interior – this musical’s tour really lucked out with this Oxford gem. These little touches married everything together in such a way that made you feel as though you had stepped into Chicago, during the flapper era, when the curtain began to rise and the distinctive first notes of ‘All that Jazz’ could be heard.

The musical follows the story of the two lead characters Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. These two criminal club performers and murderesses are constantly competing for the limelight, whilst trying to keep themselves out of jail, with the help of charismatic lawyer Billy Flynn.

Faye Brookes was playing the role of fame-obsessed, rising star Roxie Hart. She is best known for her role as Kate Connor in Coronation Street, but has performed in lead roles within a whole host of other musicals. Her characterisation was believable and you could not help but fall in love with Roxie, just as the majority of the cast find themselves doing throughout the performance. Her vocals were also sharp and impressive and she brought captivating, flirty, cheeky, fun to the role.

Complementing Faye well as her more distinguished rival Velma Kelly, was Djalenga Scott. Djalenga also has screen and television credits, as well as a seemingly endless list of previous theatre roles. She was spellbinding as the cool but secretly insecure Velma, and demonstrated some eye-watering flexibility with her high kicks – her feet near enough reached her eyeballs! She gave some memorable vocal performances, and was a stand out in a lot of her ensemble numbers amongst the rest of the cast.

The pair made it difficult for audience members to place themselves on either team Roxie or team Velma. Both lead actresses had copious amounts of energy that saw them through all the musical’s numbers (with some big theatrical song and dance performances requiring back-to-back appearances from the two ladies).

The New Theatre’s opening night performance also had 1980’s pop performer Sinitta as Mama Morton, the club’s slick owner who wheels, deals, and accepts and gives more back-handers than Andy Murray on the tennis court. She gave some elegant vocal performances and her duet harmonies with Djalenga on ‘Class’ were a highlight.

Lee Mead took on the role of Billy Flynn, and did a good job of schmoozing the audience and having them hang on his every word, just as his lawyer character does with the Chicago press, and well everyone else within a five metre radius of him. Vocally he was the strongest amongst the cast, and powerfully delivered every word he sang.

Furthermore, Jamie Baughan as the loveable idiot, Amos Hart, was a real crowd-pleaser. He had everyone laughing and rooting for his underdog character. Ironically, you could not take your eyes off him in his white gloves during his rendition of Mr Cellophane (for those that do not know – this is a song where Amos describes how invisible he is to practically everyone around him).

The ensemble performers were also not to be forgotten easily. Each individual was amazingly dedicated, and did not feel any less significant than the main stars on the bill. They added depth and body to the performance and carried themselves effortlessly through the choreography, moving themselves professionally, and in a wonderfully slinky manner, around the set.  

On that subject, lets now discuss the staging. The nightclub setting was created with clever use of staging. The band and conductor were embedded into the set, at a variety of different heights to create the illusion of depth, and a performance stage area.

Throughout the performance, the band’s conductor was included in some of the dialogue within the nightclub scenes, which helped further with the immersion.

The band did not just feel like they were there simply to provide the musical’s iconic score from John Kander and Fred Ebb, but that they were characters within the show themselves. As they were permanently in view during the majority of the show, they became part of the club’s furniture so to speak.

Ann Reinking’s dance choreography, physical theatre routines, and use of chairography were mind-blowing and provided such a feast for the eye – and for the libido too! The actors also used props to seamlessly and professionally enhance their performance. It’s amazing how much the use of a mini-parasol, a pom pom, feather fan, or a bowler hat and cane, can lift a routine.

Large ladders would also swing into view at the edges of the stage, and cast members would perform some numbers at death-defying heights to inject more drama into their performances.

Reinking’s impressive and innovative work as choreographer did Bob Fosse’s legacy proud and brought Chicago into modern times. ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’ in Act I perfectly exemplifies what I am getting at. Faye Brookes as Roxie performs the song sat on the lap of Billy Flynn (Mead), and acts as though she is a ventriloquist puppet, miming his own vocals, whilst acting the words out.

Not only did this add some comedic value to the show, but perfectly expressed the control that the lawyer has over Mama Morton’s club dwellers, and their careers.

As an audience member, you really felt as though you were watching a traditional vaudeville show, due to the costume, props, colour scheme, and the varietal and entertaining nature of each number. I also enjoyed how a lot of the scenes were introduced by a member of the cast as if it was the next item on a vaudeville show itinerary.

And of course I cannot pen this review without mentioning the cast’s fantastic rendition of the brilliant ‘Cell Block Tango.’ This was a highlight for me personally. William Ivey Long designed beautiful and tasteful black lingerie outfits for each of the ladies performing the number, that brought that balance of sexiness and class to the number. I also appreciated his choice of dressing the incredibly handsome male ensemble actors in tight black trousers and vests over their bare chests.

Back to ‘Cell Block Tango’ - each femme fatale character was armed with a chair and hanging-overhead spotlight, and made their musical monologue count. Their voices blended sweetly together and the performing individual would have the rest of her co-stars providing low, soft, back-up vocals to enhance her solo part.

The tales of how these well-loved vixens offed their romantic partners garnered quite a few laughs from – not surprisingly – most of the female audience members in the room – sorry boys, the lyrics are funny! I found it difficult not to root for these sexually liberated and fearless women – even if one did stab her husband ten times, and another fix her partner his favourite drink with arsenic. There are many moments throughout the show that hearken back to the new wave of feminism that was taking place during the decade.

Moreover, David Thompson’s script adaptation, and Walter Bobbie’s direction, is playful with the use of comedic elements and brings light to a story that does include a lot of dark moments. Fundamentally, Chicago is based around the true story of the famous Beulah Annan - one of many women who were on ‘murderess row’ as a result of the lethal combination of illegal alcohol (prohibition times remember) and easy access to firearms.

The tale also shows how fleeting, fake, and cruel the fame game is, and how one moment you can be at the top, and the next, you’re a nobody again.

Roxie and Velma are constantly competing and chasing the limelight, and ultimately it does not make them happy. To paraphrase the great Mick Jagger the two actresses don’t get what they want – but they get what they need.

And on that note, I think this is a good place to wrap this review up. In short, if you are delighted by murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, and treachery – go and see Chicago. And if you’re not…go and see it anyway. You might surprise yourself.