'Chicago' Falls Short of Potential

When the curtain rose on opening night of “Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville,” the immediate impression was a blinding burst of glamour—glittering costumes, vibrant music, colored lighting. Yet despite all the components of what should be a great show—Frank Ebb and Bob Fosse’s script, John Kander’s music, stunning choreography, and an impressive set—the performance does not live up to its potential.

After only an extraordinarily rehearsal period of only three weeks, “Chicago” opened before audiences at the Agassiz Theater this past Thursday. Directed by Chris N. Hanley ’07 and musical director Alexander D. Gordon ’06, and co-produced by Hanley and David S. Jewett ’08, the musical is the first rendition of “Chicago” that has shown in the northeast in ten years. The production will run on the Agassiz stage until March 18.

“Chicago” follows the story of Roxie Hart (Samantha G. Barnard ’09), a vaudeville wannabe who murders her lover after he walks out on her. Sent to jail, she quickly discovers that she can win both freedom and fame by playing off of the sympathy of the scandal-loving city of Chicago. Meanwhile, fellow jailbird and vaudeville legend Velma Kelly (Anna Haas) jealously tries to win back the spotlight as the year’s most sensational murderess.

The staff and crew of “Chicago” set the bar high for its performers.

The costume design team, led by head designer Annie Z. Li ’07, did a phenomenal job of creating an almost-Las Vegas-like glam that effectively brings the rowdy vaudeville scenes of the roaring twenties to life—black wife beaters are paired up with ties and bowler hats, bright showgirl dresses are slashed to display more flesh than fabric, and kimonos flap open to reveal push-up bras and fishnet garters. The lighting design by Hanley perfectly accompanied the mood of the show.

But while the overall atmosphere scores a powerful hit on the sensations, the cast does not quite measure up to par in generating emotions. Perhaps because the production does not use body microphones, many of the performers cannot be heard over the—ironically “background”—orchestral accompaniment.

Despite this technical difficulty, several performers demonstrated at the opening night performance that their strengths lie only in singing, and not in both acting and singing as musical theater requires.

As the lead, Barnard, whose sultry angelic voice shows so much promise, was one of these performers who proved disappointingly bland as an actress. Although her singing is technically perfect, her accompanying movements are stiff and artificial—an enormous contrast to her counterpart, Haas, whose acting seems so realistic and instinctive.

Hands down, Haas carries the show. An undergraduate at Emerson University majoring in Musical Theater and Directing and minoring in Dance, Haas commands the spotlight whether she is dancing, singing, or acting. Particularly memorable in her “I Can’t Do it Alone,” Haas is alternately sensual and energetic, and performs all the demanding acrobatics of a very difficult routine while simultaneously singing in a strong, throaty voice that carries over the orchestra.

Haas is not the only performer who feels at home in her acting skin. When a cellphone in the audience burped up a loud, Latin ring in the middle of Act II, the heavily rouged, corset-clad Matron Mama Morton (Julia E. Cassis ’06) didn’t miss a beat. Casually turning to Haas, she remarked, “Some people should learn to turn be respectful and turn off their cellphones in shows,” and then breezily finished her lines before launching into a spirited, hearty duet of “Class.”

As one of the male leads in the show, Benjamin K. Glaser ’09 as Amos Hart, also delivers an impressive performance. Glaser is stunningly convincing as Roxie’s pathetic husband, tottering clumsily and bashfully around on the stage. He has not simply reenacted John C. Reilly’s version of the character from the 2003 Rob Marshall film adaptation of “Chicago”—instead, Glaser puts his own spin on his character, playing Amos with an almost childish eagerness and gullibility.

Beyond some natural talents in the acting department, “Chicago” also boasts some excellent dancers in its cast, and an overwhelming strength of the production lies in the choreography, courtesy of Christine M. Fitzgerald ’07, Michaela B. “Mimi” Owusu ’07, and Megan M. Powell ’08, and Nicola E. Ulibarri ’08.

“Cell Block Tango” is the peak of the choreography—in fact, the peak of the entire production’s artistic achievement. In this scene, the lighting, music, and costumes all come together to enhance an amazing choreographic scene. The scene begins with hazy, red-bordered silhouettes of six jail girls dancing fluidly behind screens—before the girls emerge for a mind-blowing dance, featuring a lively group number and a unique solo by each of the dancers.

Sadly, for the most part, the production did not make the most of the amazing choreography—especially disappointing as audiences usually flock to Fosse shows specifically for the dancing. In many of the synchronized group numbers, the cast was noticeably out of sync.

The final dance routine—in which Haas and Barnard pair up for a classic vaudeville duet complete with bowler hats, garters, and coattails—is especially illustrative of this. During opening night, while Haas was already twirling, Barnard was a step behind, just finishing a kick.

“Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville” is definitely an entertaining treat and a fairly successful artistic endeavor. It has the right materials, creative ideas, and talented people. It is good, but it has not quite made the most of “all that jazz.”

—Staff April B. Wang can be reached at abwang@fas.harvard.edu.