Review: Chicago ****
Chicago is one of those shows that attracts groupies, and many of them seemed to be in the audience at the Grand – mouthing the lyrics and anticipating the high points long before they arrived. That's not to say this was a totally uncritical crowd; familiarity with other productions meant they knew their onions and expected a lot.
Being a newcomer to this outstanding musical and the distinctive choreography originally coined by the legendary Bob Fosse, it was blindingly obvious from the opening minutes that his was a gift which was to mark his own and a generation of choreographers that followed. The "name" in the show is Gary Wilmot as Billy Flynn, the sleazoid lawyer and fixer who hitches his hype-manufacturing wagon to the female killer whose story is most likely to make him money. But the heartbeat lies with Velma and Roxie, the competitive glamour pusses played by Twinnie-Lee Moore and Mirian Elwell-Sutton. Apart from having complementary and stunning voices, they and the rest of the cast are killer dancers. Wilmot's dance sequences are minimal, although he makes a good fist of ensemble songs and Billy's trademark number Razzle Dazzle.
This is a top-quality show, whose cast – and a great 10-piece band – do full justice to the wit of the music and lyrics, the comedic storyline and the inventiveness of the choreography.
Leeds Grand Theatre
Email to a friend
Print this page- Three-inch blanket of snow heading our way today
- Barnsley’s Keith Hill invokes Fawlty Towers over link with Leeds job
- Alan Shearer in list of favourites for Leeds and England jobs: Latest odds
- McCormack feels United search can be narrowed down
- Redfearn throws down gauntlet as queue builds at Elland Road
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -9 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
