Evolve Theatrics’ Chicago, celebrating the celebrity of glitzy murderesses in the Jazz Age. The Kander and Ebb music is memorable and the Bob Fosse trademark moves are appropriately slinky and cool. (Choreography by Andrew Muylle)
Director Helen Hart and the Evolve team get extra points for being fast on their feet and reworking/instant-understudying for mixed small roles held by cast members zapped by illness at the last minute. I was told ahead of time and still hardly noticed. The show must go on!
Wikipedia tells us that "The musical Chicago is based on a play of the same name by reporter and playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins, who was assigned to cover the 1924 trials of accused murderers Beulah Annanand Belva Gaertner for the Chicago Tribune. In the early 1920s, Chicago's press and public became riveted by the subject of homicides committed by women. Several high-profile cases arose, which generally involved women killing their lovers or husbands.”
And these killers were the stars of the show. Velma (Meghan Malulsek) and Roxy (Ember Stokes) along with their motley gaggle of glam cellmates (Abigail Tykocki, Lou Sears, Makayla Marrison, Leah Thelen, Nicole Martin) Their Cell Block Tango was a show stopper.
Meghan was sultry and polished as Velma, with a killer voice, to boot — collaborating with the cynical schmoozing shyster lawyer, Billy Flynn, well played by Ian Whipp. Upstart murderess Roxy Hart has the nerve to upstage Velma’s murder-fame. Ember Stokes was disarmingly underhanded and angel-voiced as Roxy, though she seemed “too young” to me… but I’m probably warped by having seen a 50-year-old Gwen Verdon do the role in 1975.
Juicy supporting roles included the prim “lady” reporter Mary Sunshine played by Scot Muncaster; Matron Mama Morton, wheeler-dealer of the cell block (Joyce E. Kramer-Cox) and the sweet patsy we love to ignore, Mr. Cellophane (Marty Snitgen).
The set was minimal so the mood and era was created by lights and costumes. A huge, light up Chicago sign created by the late Dan Southwell for the company's 2013 production was restored by Bob Hill for this show. Costumes were fab and flashy (Terry Selman).
First Christian Church is a small-ish venue and it is filling up fast. Seating is general, so get there at least a half hour early for any chance at the front row. Note the at the show is rated PG-13. Get tickets at http://evolvetheatrics.com First Christian Church is northwest of Frandor, 1001 Chester Road north of the corner of Covington Court. The church parking lot is north of the building and fills up fast. Additional parking is off Covington, just south of the church. Doors are open on both north and south sides of the church.