Chicago The Musical - 4 stars
What a delight to witness a full house at theatre and with such a major production. The UK touring production of Chicago The Musical came to the Edinburgh Playhouse and with such a well-known show comes an equally renown reputation. Six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy for starters and now becoming the longest running American musical in West End and Broadway history means high expectations and casting is crucial.
For the Edinburgh nights we have Darren Day as Billy Flynn and his credits include lead parts in Grease, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Copacabana, a seasoned professional and playing Mama Morton we have Sinitta still looking fabulous after a lifetime on stage with Mutiny, Cats and Little Shop Of Horrors on the West End but perhaps better known for her pop career with Top 3 hits like Toy Boy and So Macho. Playing Roxie Hart Faye Brookes was seen recently in the final of ITV’s Dancing On Ice and Mary Sunshine is played by Divina De Campo from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb ((Theme From) New York New York) with choreography from the legendary Bob Fosse the story is set in 1920’s Chicago where Roxie hart murders her ‘bit on the side’ when he threatened to walk out on her. Confined to the cells she hires the top criminal lawyer to convince everyone of her ‘innocence’ by generating sensational stories to hide her guilt.
The orchestration, the glitz and the glam all transform the Playhouse stage as each signature move and song was delivered to the highest quality. The ten-piece band with MD Andrew Hilton were exceptional and with a prolonged opening of All That Jazz what a spectacle in terms of sounds and visual. The whole cast are in seductive black, the dancing explores
every tap, shuffle, and acrobatic treat imaginable from an amazingly athletic cast with a real Razzle Dazzle.
Sinitta has her fans to applaud every song, Darren Day as Billy Flynn breezes through his numbers with professional ease and Divina De Campo shares her operatic range with perfect pitch earning particular applause. Djalenga Scott as Velma and Faye Brookes as Roxie Hart take on many songs and when combining their dancing skills on Hot Honey Rag they are spectacular.
Runs till October 2 at Edinburgh Playhouse.
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