The title of the production is Chicago which was directed by Walter Bobbie, performed at the Ambassador Theatre. The author of the original play was Maurine Dallas Watkins. John Kander and Fred Ebb are the original writers of the musical, book, and lyrics with Bob Fosse being the co-author and original director.
The first words that come to mind as I think about the production are murder and corruption. What I especially liked best about the production were the musical parts. The music and lyrics went well with each other, especially with the current scene of each musical.
The musical was presented in an early 1940's feeling. Just the sound of the trumpets and the saxophones made me feel like I was watching a re-enactment of a 1940's murder. Just everything about the play made it feel like it was a vintage play. Between the use of the stage lights, the black and white clothing, and the mysterious and jazzy feeling the instruments produced made this a vintage feeling for myself.
The play exceeded my expectations. I do not really care for Broadway plays, but this play caught my attention and I was into the play.
The performances were great. Melanie Giffith (Roxie Hart), Brent Barrett (Billy Flynn) and P.J. Benjamin (Amos Hart) were my three favorite performers to watch. Just the way they portrayed their characters made me pay attention and watch carefully when they were acting. Just the kind of humor they used made the play interesting to watch. Kind of kept me on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next.
I suppose the only short coming of the play was that the band took up a great deal of the stage. The actors and actresses did not have very much room to move around on stage, especially with there being 10-15 actors on the stage at any one time. At times, there was too much action going on and you had to keep on looking from left to right to see the actions and reactions of the performers.