REVIEW: Lucy Maunder Shines As Roxie Hart As Walter Bobbie's Revival Of CHICAGO Receives A New Sydney Season With A Fabulous New Cast

Thursday 13th June 2024, 7pm, Capitol Theatre

Walter Bobbie’s (Director) 1996 Broadway Revival of Fred Ebb (Lyrics & Book) John Kander (Music) and Bob Fosse’s (Book and Original Director/Choreography) CHICAGO is receiving a fourth Australian season with a fabulous new cast.  Finally arriving in Sydney on its current Australian tour, this new company is consistently strong in delivering the hedonistic story of murder and media manipulation. 

CHICAGO is the musical theatre adaptation of former court reporter for the Chicago Tribune, turned playwright and screenwriter, Maurine Dallas Watkins’ stage play of the same name (now retitled Play Ball), written in 1926  While a fictional satire, the real cases of the  24 year old car mechanic’s wife Beulah Annan and 39 year old cabaret singer Belva Gaertner, both of whom had been acquitted of murdering their lovers, inspired the central characters of Roxie Hart (Lucy Maunder) and Velma Kelly (Zoë Ventoura) respectively.  While Watkins intended her play to shine a light on the corrupt legal system and the media manipulation of the outcome of court cases of the women that were filling the Cook County Jail, CHICAGO has become a hit and Broadway mainstay with the revival running since 1996.  In the context of contemporary conversations around violence against women, CHICAGO also holds a new relevance for women wanting the power to fight back and defend themselves.  

Given that nightclub dancer Roxie aspires to also having her own act and her name in lights, and Velma was a vaudeville performer before she murdered her sister and her husband, CHICAGO is told through a series of vaudeville acts presented in front of a 14 piece band led by Musical Director/Conductor Anthony Barnhill.  The band is housed in a tiered bandstand that forms the dominant feature of John Lee Beatty’s scenic design and allows a variety of entrances, vertical variety and a simple backdrop to the Bob Fosse inspired choreography by Ann Reinking (1996 Broadway Revival Choreographer), recreated by Gary Chryst.  William Ivey Long’s costuming (1996 Broadway Revival Costume Design) draws on the evolution of vaudeville as it merged with burlesque and the more risqué supper clubs of the 1920’s with black lingerie and bare flesh.  Ken Billington’s Lighting design allows for implied understanding of events with common themes and a variety of effects. 

Given that the 1996 Broadway Revival of CHICAGO has been seen in three previous Australian productions, multiple tours around the world, and is still open on Broadway, holding the record for the longest-running musical revival and longest running American musical in Broadway history, the success of any production now really relies on the casting and this current company is as close to perfection as possible.  The 2024 Australian Tour casting and direction returns Roxie to being younger than Velma and more intrinsically naive, Billy Flynn to be more seductive in his ‘magic’ and Amos as more of a mime comic reliant on his physical reactions. 

As Velma, Zoë Ventoura delivers a strong calculating character that conveys that the remaining half of a successful vaudeville double act is wise to the ways of the world, particularly the underworld of bargaining and bribing for what she wants.  She captures the sneering entitlement with a gravitas that ensures it is clear that Velma was the top story and prize client, at least until her position as front-page headliner was challenged by Roxie.  Anthony Warlow is deliciously commanding and seductive as lawyer Billy Flynn.  He has the requisite voice and stage presence to convey the power Billy holds to convince a jury that his clients are innocent.  Warlow’s physicality has a subtlety that conveys the confidence of a man secure in the knowledge that his skills are worth the $5K fee he commands while also believing that his looks and charm hold a seductive power over everyone he interacts with.

The role of Mama Morton requires a big bold voice that captures the power the prison warden holds while ensuring that its clear she can be bought and Asabi Goodman is well matched for the character.  As Mama Morton is more removed from the ‘spotlight’ of putting on an act her performances are more static than others but the power lies in the voice and Goodman can shift from a deep growling depth to lyrical with ease, ensuring the complexities of Mama Morton’s character is conveyed.  Peter Rowsthorn delivers a delightfully clownish Amos Hart, Roxie’s mild mannered mechanic husband.  With Amos characterized as being so bland he is forgettable, Rowsthorn ensures that Amos’ emotion is expressed in his physicality and facial expressions with a delightfully pathetic expression of a broken man in a captivating Mr Cellophane.  S. Valeri provides vocals with pure classical tones in contrast to the other characters as the “sob-sister” journalist Mary Sunshine sent to cover the human-interest side of the court cases and ultimately a target for Billy’s media manipulation. 

The standout performance, however, comes from Lucy Maunder as Roxy Hart.  Maunder captures the underlying innocence and naivety of the young wife who wanted more for her life than the passionless marriage she settled for.  She conveys that while Roxy has made some calculated moves, often she acts out of ignorance, at least until she’s guided by Mama Morton and Billy Flynn and she learns how to work the system to her advantage.  Maunder has a history of delivering performances that express that she fully connects with the character and their underlying motivations and emotions, and this is no different.  There is an honesty and intuitive element to her expression that even though the numbers are presented as vaudeville acts there is an underlying truth below the contrived performance.  Her smile and facial expressions are captivating and enhance her ability to ensure the audience is firmly Team Roxie for this production. 

With CHICAGO having its origins as the original being directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse and the revival choreography being designed “in the style of Bob Fosse” by Ann Reinking, dance remains a core component of the appeal of the work.  The execution of the choreography is precise across the board with a skilled ensemble of dancers supporting the work.  The work is also known for its clever lyrics and the entire company ensure that Fred Ebb’s lyrics are clear while retaining the requisite accents. 

This production of CHICAGO is well worth seeing.  A entertaining evening of escapism in the form of an iconic piece of Broadway theatre, even if you’ve seen previous productions, either in Australia or across the world, see this and celebrate the strength of Australian Musical Theatre talent.

https://chicagomusical.com.au/

Photos: Jeff Busby

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