Chicago (Teen Edition)

Chicago – a 1920s story of jazz, murder and media – premiered on Broadway 50 years ago and while a few of the ideas may have dated, its musical brilliance has lost nothing in that half-century. This production might be the ‘Teen’ edition but Musical Theatre Crew’s Chicago doesn’t shy away from musical and choreographic challenges of the full version, and Crew’s large cast work hard under Leiz Moore’s direction. Although only college-age, many of the performers have been studying voice and dance for a decade or more (some working with Crew – a musical theatre training school / production company – for that long also), and the experience is evident, despite occasions of ambition and effort not quite sustaining reach.

The cast do a good job with stamina, energy, and the technical demands of the show – particularly in some of the big numbers, such as ‘We Both Reached For The Gun’, which is staged to excellent effect, with part of the ensemble behind a scrim, choreographed as jangly marionettes dancing at the ends of red ropes. ‘Razzle Dazzle’ was also a stand-out, with the stage transformed into a three-ring circus (a visual representation of the song’s analogy of the justice system as show biz). Both hectic and running like clockwork, the circus incorporated jugglers, dancers, tumblers, clowns and more, all with tight, smooth ensemble texture and without ever losing focus, vigour or musicality.

Some of the more nuanced dynamics of the script, however, such as chemistry and connections between characters, didn’t quite emerge – it will be nice to see this develop more as the season continues, although the considerable challenges of producing the show with double- and triple-cast roles (with many performers alternating between principal and ensemble roles) might preclude some of this connection and, indeed, may be at least partially responsible for the issue in the first place.

Lucy McKenna (the opening night Roxie) was confident, vocally strong, very watchable and relished playing with Roxie’s performative enthusiasm and feigned naivety – a perfect foil for the bitter resignation embodied by Velma (Harriet Gould on opening night), the accused murderess whose celebrity is so hastily tossed aside when Roxie arrives in the prison and becomes the newest media darling. Gould brought Velma’s furious frustrations to life with a slightly crazed desperation that suited the role, and hit her stride (after a slightly tentative beginning) in the second act with ‘Class’ – sometimes omitted in the Teen version; wisely retained in this production, for the opportunity it afforded. In this absolutely cracking rendition of the duet with Mama Morton (Grace O'Halloran on opening night), both performers managed to defy their age and squeeze every last drop of cynical, gutsy lament out of the song. Other memorable numbers included the evergreen crowd-pleaser ‘Mr Cellophane’, with Kiri Patterson, opening night’s Amos Hart (Roxie’s spurned, downtrodden husband) finding all the right pathos.

The ensemble is always dedicated and energetic, although at times the production as a whole feels a little mechanical: shiny but needing a little more depth or dynamic emotional shape. Again, this may be a symptom of the time/resource challenges of running triple-cast rehearsals. Regardless, the evening was tight and enjoyable, and supported well by technical elements including the epic costuming of this huge cast, all in multiple outfits – a task adeptly handled by costume designers Helen Cronin and Mandy Lowrie. The band are also strong and cohesive under musical director and conductor Andrew Castles, and despite challenges with the sound balance at a few points, generally Crew’s Chicago looks and sounds great, and should grow nicely with the season.

Review by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg

Anica Boulanger-Mashberg is a Hobart-based writer, editor and reviewer.

Photographer: Jessie Barclay