CHICAGO Hits Cincinnati Thru 12/6

The merry murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart are in Cincinnati this week for a short engagement Chicago: the Musical at the Aronoff Center through December 6th. One of my favorite musicals that somehow seems to continue to run, I was excited to see it once again.

Set in the 1920s Chicago prohibition era, Chicago: the Musical focuses on two women who are about to go to trial for murder. Velma isn't happy when Roxie one-ups her murder, gaining the media attention and her slick lawyer. The two have a back and forth relationship throughout the play, with Velma trying to keep ahead of Roxie until the end when they both realize how easy it is to become yesterday's news.

One of John Kander and Fred Ebb's best collaborations, along with Bob Fosse, make this show a favorite among audiences. Tom Wopat played the slightly sleazy, Billy Flynn, who you can't help but like with little charm. And unfortunately Wopat seemed a bit under the weather. Tom Riis Farrell was a loveable Amos, earning many sympathetic aww's from the audience. Carol Woods definitely stole the show as Matron Mama Morton. And Velma and Roxie, Terra MacLeod and Bianca Marroquin balanced each other well. MacLeod had the edginess for Velma and Marroquin could deliver Roxie's lines with the necessary flair.

What I've always loved about the show is the staging and the lighting. With a simplistic set, the audience relies on the lights for the setting, especially with the use of the lines in the spotlight to represent the bars of the jail. I find it interesting to see how a the sparse set allows one's focus to be on the characters and their movements, particularly with the choreography of this show.

Chicago: The Musical will play the Aronoff Center December 1-6, 2009: Tuesday-Friday at 8:00PM, Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM, and Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM. Tickets range in price from $20.00-$62.00 depending on the seat location and performance date. Tickets may be purchased from an authorized ticket agent online at BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com/Cincinnati, in person at the Broadway Across America Box Office downtown in the Mercantile Center and the Aronoff Center Box Office or by phone at 1-800-982-2787.