![]() ![]() Jamie Baughan, who has a powerful voice, got a huge round of applause and the sympathies of the audience. He's a big comfortable man who loves his wife but she isn't interested in him and he sings of his life in the pathetic Mister Cellopane: "Cellophane, Mr Cellophane shoulda been my name, Mr Cellophane 'cause you can look right through me, Walk right by me and never know I'm there." Throughout they are all belting out the famous songs - All That Jazz, the sinister Cell Block Tango, Razzle Dazzle and the rest - but the audience on the opening night in Belfast just loved one character more than any other, Amos Hart, husband of the two-timing Roxie. They move seamlessly from inmates in the jail, to journalists on the prowl, to members of the crowd. The boys are finely toned and the girls slim and supple and all are on top form in the Opera House. This production is visually impressive black is the dominating colour and fishnets and skimpy costumes the fashion. They pin their hopes on money-fixated slimy lawyer Billy Flynn (Liam Marcellino) who brings the stage alight as he supports the girl most likely to get off and promises to get them maximum publicity to follow their dreams. There's a tussle between them to gain the public sympathy and be freed to pursue a career in vaudeville. They each killed their lovers and ended up in jail. The story is based on actual crimes reported by journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins in the 1920s (B E Wong played her character Mary Sunshine with surprising results) including a murder by a young woman of 23 who became the character Roxie Hart (Billie Hardy) and her cell mate Velma Kelly (Djalenga Scott). The music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and the choreography by Bob Fosse are constant - it's the cast that give the show something extra special. There have been two non-musical films of the story: "Chicago" in 1927 and "Roxie Hart" starring Ginger Rogers, in 1942.IT'S not surprising that Chicago the Musical has been running round the world for almost 50 years. The darkly comic material, slicked up with a hot tin-and-brass sound by orchestrator Ralph Burns, who died recently, is based on a 1926 play, Chicago, by Maurine Dallas Watkins. Both played murderesses in the Windy City of the Roaring '20s who use slick lawyer Billy Flynn to get out of jail and into vaudeville careers. The 1975 staging starred Gwen Verdon as Roxie and Chita Rivera as Velma. 11, 1996, and talks of a film version have lasted nearly as long. The Chicago revival opened on Broadway on Nov. Along the way, such names as Goldie Hawn, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell were bandied about as casting possibilities, and Larry Gelbart and Wendy Wasserstein were mentioned as possible scribes. Plans to make a movie version of Chicago have dragged on for years. The score by composer Kander and lyricist Ebb is considered one of the best from the team, and includes "Razzle Dazzle," "All I Care About," "Cell Block Tango," "A Little Bit of Good," "I Can't Do It Alone," "My Own Best Friend," "Roxie" and "All That Jazz." * The stage show has a free-wheeling, presentational vaudeville frame - the story is told as a series of vaudeville specialty numbers (the fan dance, the ventriloquist act, the sad clown number, etc.). It is not yet clear how screenwriter Condon is adapting the libretto by Ebb and Fosse into a film script. The movie is expected to be released at Christmas 2002. Paul Bogaev (TV's "Cinderella" and "Annie") is music director. (Britney Spears has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the bit part of "Go to Hell Kitty.") Reilly as Amos and R&B singer Mya as cellblock girl Mona. 12 in Toronto for the new feature-film musical, "Chicago," which draws on elements from the smash 1975 John Kander-Fred Ebb-Bob Fosse musical that is still enjoying a hit revival run on Broadway.ĭirected and choreographed by Rob Marshall, who scored big with TV's "Annie," the film is produced by Marty Richards and Miramax's Harvey Weinstein and executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron of Storyline Entertainment.Ī spokesman confirmed that the picture (with screenplay by Bill Condon) will star Renee Zellwegger as Roxie, Catherine Zeta Jones as Velma, Richard Gere as Billy Flynn, Queen Latifah as Matron Mama Morton, Christine Baranski as Mary Sunshine, John C. ![]()
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