Razzle my dazzle

Current mood: Wishing I could wear hosiery like that

The set is spare, but the choreography, costuming (scant but effective), and lighting are dramatic, slinky, and HOT! The musical numbers and staging are more than faintly familiar, as I come to realize that the movie version managed to faithfully protray most of the original show (having now seen the show, I can say that I think Hollywood also did a decent job of casting most of the movie, especially with Queen Latifah. The only one I'm not convinced about is Renee whatsherface - I now know that Roxie needs a bit more moxie and a little less of a pouting moue, which I'll admit Renee does play to perfection. However, Roxie needs curves to back up that strut and wiggle, and a jutting collarbone doesn't quite cut it...). The singing - fantastic, with dead-on 1920s and slightly crude inflection. The dancing, I would call, "spicy," if an all-black-clad cast could properly be called, spicy. Hmmm, let's go back to sexily slinky, with dancers moving their bodies in a jointless, prowling manner that can honestly be called catlike. Also, there's a whole lotta spreading goin' on (see note below). The monologues/solo numbers are fun, but sometimes drag on a bit. I'm all for limited doses for megolomania, but really prefer the heightened dramatic and artistic tension of tightly-written ensemble pieces. The end is a bit anticlimactic, but it could partly be due to the fact that the whole cast plays so seamlessly together that you don't want the show to end. And everyone just looks so GOOD! (Dancers really do have bodies that need to be showcased.)

Now, that's Chicago.

(For the record, this really isn't a show for children. Leave the under-7 years olds at home, tucked in their beds, dreaming PG-rated, mischiveous thoughts, so you won't have to answer questions like, "Why don't more pretty ladies wear clothes like THAT," or, "Can I really kill people that are mean to me," and, "What does she mean, he was a zero in bed...")