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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Greed, murder, corruption. And all that jazz. “Chicago,” one of the highest grossing musicals of all time, razzle-dazzles audiences at the Hippodrome through Sunday.
The musical, based on a play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins, was first performed in 1975. Over the years, the title characters have been played by many different stars, including Bebe Neuwirth, Marilu Henner, Taye Diggs, Billy Zane, George Hamilton and, most recently, Usher and Ashlee Simpson.
Folks who are expecting the elaborate costumes and sets from the 2002 Oscar-winning film will be sorely disappointed. Traditionally, “Chicago” is performed with black costumes on an all-black set, and the version at the Hippodrome is no different. The absence of color helps keep the focus on the actors’ talents and doesn’t distract the audience with wild colors and outrageous set design.
Bob Fosse’s choreography often consists of multiple dancers on stage at the same time, making it hard to concentrate on one specific person. The dancing oozes sexuality with clean, sharp lines and is by far one of the best aspects of the performance.
“Chicago” as it is written for the stage is much funnier than the film version. Michelle DeJean, playing Roxie Hart, is definitely the highlight of the show, with perfect comedic timing and no fear of making ugly faces or contorting her body into weird shapes.
Terra C. MacLeod plays Velma Kelly with a style so over-the-top that it becomes distracting. Her Joan Crawford-esque performance is good, but slightly irritating. However, her strong singing voice, incredible dancing ability and timing, especially during the number “When Velma Takes the Stand,” far outweigh the slight annoyance.
Melba Moore as Matron “Mama” Morton is good, too, although her multi-octave singing is much more entertaining than her acting. Her voice has held up well since her days as a singer in the early ’70s, and she wastes no time in letting the audience know she can still hold a long note, stealing the stage during her first number, “When You’re Good to Mama.”
Some of the best numbers for both dance and song include “We Both Reached for the Gun” and “Cell Block Tango.” Perhaps the best sung number is “Class,” a song between Velma and Mama that is both hilarious and sad.
Melba Moore returns to stage in ‘Chicago’
Melba Moore, a rhythm and blues singer and actress, returns to Broadway in her portrayal of Matron “Mama” Morton, Cook County Jail’s bribe-taking matron.
“[Big Mama] is fun; she’s strong,” Moore said. “I like making people laugh, and once I got the lines under my belt and the human element started to come out, I really started enjoying the part.”
Moore, who started out as a backup singer for Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Liza Minnelli, is most known for her performance as Lutiebelle in the Broadway show “Purlie,” for which she won a Tony award. She also had musical hits in the ’70s and ’80s, including “I Am His Lady,” “Falling” and “Read My Lips.”
– Emily Campbell
If you go
“Chicago”
» Venue: The Hippodrome, 12 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore
» Times: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday
» Cost: $25 to $65
» More info: www.france-merrickpac.com
ecampbell@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:06 AM MST on Mon., Oct. 6, 2008 re: "Wicked ‘Witches’"
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Examiner Reader said:
GOOD
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Bessica said:
The government should get out of marriage entirely. Straight or gay, we need good family law to protect children, we need contracts for interdependent relationships. Marriage is an important institution. Rename the legal part something else for EVERYONE. Many GLBT on the site **bisexualmingle c o m** want the same-sex marriage.
8 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I thought it was a great production and both Alexa Ortega and Adam Barry were absolutely fantastic.
23 agree | 16 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Government Inspector: Quite poorly done. Actors unprepared. Line delivery mishaps. Overpriced. Prop failure at the end. It reminded me of sequels such as Oceans v11 - v13, where a group of well known actors use their names to draw a crowd and sell tickets. Uk. The result is a mediocre performance, in part because of too many cooks -- and some of these cooks, e.g. Geoff Hoyle are really good. Hopefully this review will save someone else the time and money.
24 agree | 17 disagree
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Parkside Poulegene said:
Re: High School Musical I just took my daughter Sharmuta to this show and we had to leave early! When we got home I took away all her "High School Musical" CD's and tee-shirts. If she even mentions the show again she's grounded for a month, and that goes for her other mother too. This show is really racist, homophobic and pro-Zionist and pro-Bush-Terror. There's too many white people in it. This show needs to be shut down and outlawed.
18 agree | 18 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for the first honest review that I have read on this production. The length of Act two was tortuous to sit through.
391 agree | 338 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I bet the scene where Macbeth and Macduff are branishing their CLAYMORES is a hoot!
307 agree | 320 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Playing naked? Not really - the main character's body is covered by fur! As the reader before wrote the actor playing Macbeth is extremely hairy. It is quite strange to see how hairy a mans body can be... His body hair was the most impressing thing of the whole play.
330 agree | 299 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Bloody, Bold, Resolute, and Naked - AND HAIRY!!! I read an article that all actors were not allowed to shave any body hair three months before the play started to look "naturally". So it is impressive how hairy the actor playing Macbeth is - he has a furry chest and even a quite hairy back and bushy pubic hairs. It is very unusual today to see such a hairy actor fully nude, because normally an actor shaves at least his back hairs doing a nude scene on stage or in a movie... So big compliments to Daniel Eichner for presenting us his great furry body fully nude!
359 agree | 314 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Good review... one of the few critics able to articulate some of the problems with this show. I left at intermission and the lighting was troublesome. sometimes I wonder what the other critics are thinking --- if you are still curious fgo on Saturday afternoons when the tickets are "pay what you can."
393 agree | 351 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Munch claims "there is no denying" that the nudity in WSC's "Macbeth" "does little to enhance or elevate Shakespeare’s Scottish play." Well, the critics at www.PotomacStages.com and www.DCTheatreScene.com have taken the opposite view. Potomac Stages, in fact, wrote: "in no uncertain terms that this is a quality production that presents "the Scottish play" in a new and very effective light (or is that a new and very effective darkness?)." DC Theatre Scene wrote: "The actors’ nudity provides an extra dimension to their presentations...By being physically naked, these actors become emotionally naked as well. This production of Macbeth is a great gift to those who have the will to receive it. We are unlikely to see anything like it in the foreseeable future." So it seems the only thing there is no denying is that Munch doesn't speak for everyone.
411 agree | 320 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Tonight's performance of "Macbeth" started at 8:05 pm and was done precisely at 10:30. I'm not the best at math, but that seems like under 2 and half hours...not over 3 hours, which the critic claims the play to be.
397 agree | 362 disagree
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JaimeK said:
Shame Fat Pig wasn't given an actual review on the acting. There were some pretty phenomenal performances. Especially Erin Riley as Helen and Courtney Ryan as Jeannie. Very VERY good show.
523 agree | 411 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Closes in 4 days
455 agree | 406 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why review it a few days before it closes and not mention its closing in the review?
447 agree | 436 disagree
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EdnBetty said:
We just returned from Titus Andronicus, the play that Kenneth Tynan called "the worst play Marlowe ever wrote". We expected gore and got it! Tsoutsouvas was also great, but Valerie Leonard was vamping it over the top. And that voice set my teeth on edge!
751 agree | 486 disagree
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Reader said:
Yes, "She Stoops to Comedy" at Woolly Mammoth is a treat!
551 agree | 470 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Oh, we just a-DORed this show!
578 agree | 463 disagree
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