Chicago at DPAC Didn't Razzle-Dazzle This Reviewer

Logan Floyd (center) stars as Velma Kelly in the national tour of Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville at DPAC (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

I'd like to start by mentioning that I am a massive fan of the brilliant work of choreographer and director Bob Fosse, who directed and choreographed and penned lyrics for the original 1975 production of Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, based on the 1926 Broadway play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and set in Chicago in the Roaring Twenties. Plus, Chicago features the music and lyrics by Broadway giants John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Zorba).

The current APEX Touring production of Chicago, which opened last night -- and runs through Sunday -- at the Durham Performing Arts Center, is based on the show's award-winning 1996 Broadway Revival, directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, which won six 1997 Tony Awards®, including the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

Jeff Brooks stars as Bill Flynn in Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, playing through Sunday, April 30th, at DPAC (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Even though the current cast members are all quite competent, their solid performances cannot not lift this bland production sufficiently to warrant recommendation. Somehow, even with all the talent behind it, this presentation of Chicago simply falls flat.

Velma Kelly (played by Logan Floyd) and Roxie Hart (portrayed by Katie Frieden) are the show's two central characters -- a pair of murderers who hope to parlay their infamy into careers as vaudeville performers. They are both users and manipulators who are helped by the sleaziest of lawyers, Billy Flynn (played by Jeff Brooks). (Ironically, Flynn is the most honest character in the play.)

Chicago stars Christina Wells stars as Matron "Mama" Thornton (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Brian Kalinowski plays Amos Hart, Roxie's sappy, patsy of a husband. And Christina Wells' performance as "Mama" Morton, a corrupt prison matron, also adds to the unethical morass.

The problem for me is the staging of this production of Chicago. The band is on stage, rather than in the orchestra pit. I actually like this, except that the performers were so shrouded in the shadows that it defeated the purpose. Also, scenic designer John Lee Beatty's bleacher-like bandstand took up about three-quarters of the stage, leaving little room for sets or choreography. The set was pretty much limited to half a dozen chairs and a couple of ladders.

Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, playing through April 30th at DPAC, stars Brian Kalinowski as Amos Hart (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Costume designer William Ivey Long's costumes were another problem. They were all nicely stylized if standard Fosse black, with short dresses over long legs in stockings for the women and open vests and tight pants for the men. Unfortunately, there were virtually no costume changes during the show other than changing derbies for fedoras.

I found most of the songs to be bland. The best number I heard was actually a Dixieland-style version of "Mister Cellophane," played during the entr'acte opening the second act. Kudos to musical director and conductor Cameron Blake Kinnear and his orchestra. It was far more interesting than the slower, whiny version sung by Brian Kalinowski as Amos Hart.

G.A. James stars as Mary Sunshine in Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

At least there is plenty of Fosse. There is no shortage of jazz hands, shoulder rolls, pelvic thrusts, splits, flying arabesques, feet on chairs, legs over chairs, slide steps, high kicks ... well, you get the idea. There were so many people lying down with one leg pointed straight up that I thought my hamstring might rupture.

At many points, I found myself thinking of better ... better Kander and Ebb (Cabaret), better Roaring Twenties (Some Like It Hot), even better Fosse (All That Jazz). There was little nuance as pretty much all of the characters are unredeemable. I was disappointed.

Katie Frieden (left) and Logan Floyd star as Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly in the national tour of Chicago:
A Musical Vaudeville, playing now through Sunday, April 30th, at DPAC (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse's CHICAGO: A MUSICAL VAUDEVILLE (In Person at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 28th and 29th), originally directed and choreographed on Broadway in 1975 by Bob Fosse, with 1996 Broadway Revival directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, and starring Logan Floyd as Velma Kelly, Katie Frieden as Roxie Hart, Jeff Brooks as Billy Flynn, Brian Kalinowski as Amos Hart, Christina Wells as Matron "Mama" Morton, and G.A. James as Mary Sunshine and presented as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/dpac_chicago_digital. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdM4bWEKvOk&t=3s. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://twitter.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/DPACLive. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. DPAC COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/vaccination-and-covid-19-test-requirements. WRAL GREATEST HITS OF BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/category/broadway. THE TOUR: https://www.chicagoontour.com/home, https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoOnTour, https://www.instagram.com/ChicagoOnTour/, and https://twitter.com/ChicagoOnTour/. CAST & CREATIVE TEAM: https://www.chicagoontour.com/cast. CHICAGO (1975 Broadway and 1979 West End Musical Vaudeville): https://chicagothemusical.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/chicago-9942, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(musical). CHICAGO (2002 Film): https://www.miramax.com/movie/chicago/, https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/439832/chicago#overview, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299658/, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chicago-film-by-Marshall, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(2002_film). TICKETS: $37.50 and up, plus taxes and ticket fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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