Chicago is perhaps the most popular of Kander and Ebb's impressive catalogue of musicals. It is currently the third longest-running show in Broadway history and 2002's film adaptation kick-started a slew of film musicals. It has surpassed cult status to become one of the most familiar and recognisable shows of our time. So for ATC to programme it as the end of year musical feels safer than safe (by which I mean more boring than boring). Thankfully, director Michael Hurst had other ideas.
Hurst sets the story in the present day, and shows us how today's generation might grapple with the situations at hand. This new interpretation of a classic flips many standard features on their head, and brand new musical arrangements present the songs in such a way that it is like hearing them for the first time. The musical arrangements are mostly very successful, which is testament to the strength each song has to stand on its own.
Where the original Chicago has a script chock-filled with innuendo and laced with cynicism, Hurst's direction eschews subtlety, wearing its tits on it sleeve as it were. This makes for some awkward moments where the understated script and the outspoken presentation are at odds. In regard to such occasions, though, I would rather see the script altered to accommodate the style of this production rather than the reverse.
Amanda Billing is the stand-out star as Roxy. Shane Cortese also delivers a delightfully sleazy Billy Flynn. Lucy Lawless, though, gave rather a patchy performance. Her take on Velma started off assured, but as Velma's confidence takes knocks, so too did Lawless' grasp on the character. She felt like a different person each time she appeared. And her vocals sounded best in the more standard musical treatments.
See this show for a bold new take on a strong musical. This is Chicago for the porn-watching, smart-phone dependent generation.
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