Chicago National Tour Puts Unique Spin on Classic Broadway Show

I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down… And all that jazz.

The national tour of Chicago has made its way to San Diego, and the show did not disappoint. Those who are familiar, however, will notice it’s not quite the same as what they’re used to, particularly when it comes to the set design and costumes.

Katie Frieden and Kailin Brown in the National Tour of CHICAGO Credit Jeremy Daniel

Connor Sullivan in The Touring Production of CHICAGO Credit Jeremy Daniel

Okay, well, to be fair, I’ve personally never seen any other live iteration of Chicago, and I never made it through the movie (sorry). I say this because I had a chance to interview Robert Quiles, who played Amos Hart, and he told me it was based on a 1996 New York City adaptation where it was just the actors, dressed in all black, on a black stage with the band behind them. Judging by my partner and other’s reactions within the audience, though positive, it was certainly a little different.

I also usually haven’t seen any of the live versions of other shows I review around here, so that’s also nothing new. Though some aspects of the show might have benefitted from some added glitz and glam, it worked well as a sort of stripped-down version of the story that felt a little more raw.

Who’s Who in This Version of Chicago?

Katie Frieden as Roxie Hart in The National Tour of CHICAGO Credit Jeremy Daniel

J. Terrell as Mary Sunshine in The National Tour of CHICAGO Credit Jeremy Daniel

To reiterate, everyone did an amazing job, and I thought the cast was stellar. Quiles was just as sweet and kind in his character on stage as he was when he spoke to me, and his rendition of “Mr. Cellophane” was heartfelt and he delivered an authentic performance.

Though I never made it through the movie — I was young and now want to give it another go — Kailin Brown looked almost exactly like Catherine Zeta Jones’s Velma Kelly, and I love them. They did such a great job as Velma and they totally felt like they were Velma, like they didn’t even have to act at all, which was great.

Katie Frieden took on the role of Roxie Hart, and I think she was an excellent choice. She played the role really well when it came to the trial involved and how she dealt with the fame that came with it. Her storyline is such an interesting look at how the public deals with murder, and I think this was one of the parts that felt better to have everything stripped down to the black setting it had. It brought more focus onto the topic at hand as opposed to all the flash, and I thought that was a smart choice in that regard.

Kailin Brown as Velma Kelly and Company in the Touring Production of CHICAGO Credit Jeremy Daniel

Connor Sullivan took on the role of Billy Flynn, the lawyer for everybody and the reason Roxie ultimately gets the attention she does. He was just as charming as he needed to be and he did a great job acting opposite Frieden.

In general, I also just loved how gay this was. There was a lot of LGBTQ+-friendly stuff going on, including J. Terrell’s stellar performance as Mary Sunshine. All of the dancers were also easy on the eyes and showed a lot of skin, which I’m never going to complain about.

Overall Thoughts

I enjoyed this one. I was nervous going into it because of how much I struggled to watch the movie. That said, much as I loved the all-black because of how unique it was, I do still think there would be parts that should bring out a little more of the “razzle dazzle” that’s sung about in the show. I like how it was presented as more of a neo-noir murder mystery, but it was an adjustment to watch a play that didn’t have any real set or costume changes in the mix.

Katie Frieden as Roxie and Company in The National Tour of CHICAGO Credit Jeremy Daniel

I also could be wrong, but I think the end of the first act was originally the beginning of the second. It felt like it took a long time to get to intermission and hardly any time at all once it was done, and the last ten to fifteen minutes of the first act felt like it should have been at the beginning of the second. There are always reasons for the choices, but that did feel off-balance.

Overall, the cast did a great job and nailed all of the necessary flips and tricks, and everyone involved should be proud of what they’ve done.

Catch Chicago while it’s in San Diego from February 13-18. Grab your tickets at Broadway San Diego.

Have you ever seen chicago live? What did you think? Have you seen both the all-black and the traditional version? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!