Chicago is entertainment with a capital E. Photo / Jeremy Daniel
Nothing ever lasts forever. No matter how long-lasting a career, a performance, a news story looks on paper, the threat that one small thing could see you disappear into the background is always right around the corner.
Those themes sit at the heart of Chicago, yet this classic production is
not going anywhere fast. Right from the first notes of All that Jazz, it is clear why Chicago has lasted as long as it has. After a patchy 1975 debut, the 1996 revival is now Broadway's second longest performance and it's now jazz-handed its way into Auckland's Civic Theatre.
Despite the 1920s setting, there is something ageless about this high-energy, high-stakes world of fame-seeking criminals. Carmen Pretorius is a doe-eyed delight as Roxie Hart, Chicago's latest celebrity murderess more desperate for attention than she is for survival, while Amra-Faye Wright captures her rival Velma's spite and repressed desperation with delicious malice.
It's clear after the first four songs are delivered back to back that there isn't much story here. The show makes vague comments about the media's vapidity and celebrity culture but, as things speed from one number to the next, the focus remains on the showpieces rather than diving into these themes.
But, boy, it does deliver. Chicago is bombastic Broadway blockbuster, with an onslaught of memorable ballads that are only matched the frenetic and fabulous routines that accompany them. Razzle Dazzle, Cell Block Tango and Roxie — few shows can rival Chicago when it comes to sheer volume of show-stopping hits and there's hardly a dud in the bunch.
