Lots of leg...and all that jazz

Random thoughts on last night's show downtown:

'Chicago' is a show that tears me apart a little. Because on one hand, the strong (and, it has to be said, sexy) women wreak of girl power, and there's something irresistably entertaining about that. But on the other hand, it celebrates getting away with killing whatever douche you are currently mixed up with. And that I cannot support, even if you are Roxie Hart.

It was nice to get to see Tom Wopat as Billy Flynn. I've always thought his voice was stellar, and it fills me with a sense of community or bartering or togetherness to see the same broadway people playing different roles. What a life. (It probably sucks, but then why does it look like there would be nothing better?)

The orchestra sat on stage (facing the audience) the entire show. I've never seen this done, and I loved it! They took up so much space that the show itself was performed on the smallish strip of stage in front. The cast members sat in chairs lining either side of the stage while they weren't acting, and it made for a nice, casual feeling. You couldn't help but feel comfortable.

Or maybe we just felt comfortable because the cast was basically wearing only underwear. Well, I couldn't ever decide if their scandalous outfits made me MORE comfortable or LESS comfortable. It certainly goes against everything that seems normal for these girls to be singing and dancing in nothing but their sexy black skivvies, but if THEY are fine with it, then shouldn't this put the audience at ease? One thing's for sure, I've been walking around the house all day wearing nothing but sheer hose, stilettos, and a suit jacket.

Something 'Chicago' lacks is a big number. There's no show-stopping song that brings the house down. Neither for the ensemble nor for the soloists. And it was kind of a shame. Because these girls obviously had talent. Yet the only one who really got to show her stuff vocally was Mama Morton, who ended her 'When You're Good to Mama' in truly amazing form. More where that came from, please.

This has nothing to do with the production really, but I was shocked while when perusing the program during intermission I came across this little blurb. Read it and weep: "Phantom of the Opera fans will be happy to learn that its composer, Oscar-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber, has unveiled a sequel, which premieres in London March 9. 'Love Never Dies' continues the story of the Phantom, who has left his Paris Opera House lair 10 years later and is haunting the fairgrounds of New York's Coney Island." I'm sorry, I think I just hallucinated. And there are simply no words, except, seriously Andrew? Seriously? Love may never die, but sequel plots set on Coney Island definitely do.

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