Chicago

Set in the corrupt city of Chicago during the jazz-age of the late 1920s, this production had ‘All That Jazz’!  As night club singer Velma Kelly and vaudeville performer Roxi Hart, the partnership formed between Janet Whyte and Susan Andrews was electric.  Both set the tone of the show as they each portrayed their characters with great confidence and delivered outstanding performances through drama, numerous familiar musical numbers and slick choreography. As the ‘silver-tonged prince of the court room’, Andrew Welsh provided great ‘Razzle Dazzle as a charismatic Billy Flynn. Playing the “Keeper of the keys and countess of the clink”, Claire Foster made a fine Matron ‘Mamma’ Morton reminding the jailbirds of the women’s block of Cook County Jail, “When you’re good to Mamma, Mamma’s good to you”!  However, in lightening things up a bit, playing Mary Sunshine, Gemma Wilson remined us that there is “A little bit of Good in Everyone”. As Roxie's poor gullible sad sack of a husband Amos, Jamie McCaw brought great amusement to the role and brought the house down with his interpretation of ‘Mister Cellophane’. All remaining principals skilfully characterised their parts well with the remaining ensemble providing great support to the overall production. The lighting, staging effects, music, drama and choreography all added to what was a polished production. A thoroughly enjoyable ‘Chicago’!

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