The touring production of the Tony Award-winning musical “Chicago” will be making its way to IU for the sixth time at 7 p.m. Jan. 23. Tickets are on sale now at the box office and online through the IU Auditorium website, starting at $34 for the general public and $23 for IU students.
“Set in the heart of the 1920s, “Chicago” follows Roxie Hart as she aspires to reach fame and her competitor, Velma Kelly, a fading star. Both women get tried for murder, but the sly lawyer Billy Flynn comes up with a plan to manipulate the media with their celebrity to get them acquitted for the murders they did in fact commit.
The musical is dark, flamboyant and dives into the justice system’s corruption in the face of celebrity and manipulation of the media.
“Chicago” is an adaptation of the 1926 play of the same name written by Maurine Dallas Watkins, who was a courthouse beat reporter for the Chicago Tribune. The story was inspired by her coverage of the trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner in 1924.
The original Broadway musical opened in 1975 to mixed reviews from critics, being considered too cynical and caustic, and greatly overshadowed by “A Chorus Line,” which premiered the same year.
However, 1996 saw a revival of the musical which led to its skyrocket to fame. This revival went on to win six Tony Awards, get a film adaptation and become the second longest running musical on Broadway. What made this revival stand out was its stripping down the typical elements found in musicals at the time. Costumes, set design and lighting weren’t the main focus of this musical; the actual music and story were.
Ansley Valentine, an associate professor in the Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance at IU, has directed his own production of “Chicago” in the past and explained that the choreography and singing is what really stands out in the show.
“Up until that point its sort of concert style presentation of a musical was, you know, looked at as sort of a one-off and not necessarily being very commercially viable,” Valentine said. “Now there are many other productions that have followed it that have, you know, used that same model to great success.”
Linda Pisano, the chairperson of the Department of Theater, Drama and Contemporary Dance, has done costume design for a production of “Chicago” and said the show uses silhouettes to convey the time period despite a stripped back approach to the often elaborate aspects of musical theater. She said something as simple as shape of a hat, style of a shoe, or the cut of a jacket can indicate the time period to the audience.
Even 100 years after the conception of the original play that became the plot of the musical, “Chicago” still stands the test of time and finds relevance in today’s world. Max Cervantes, who plays Billy Flynn in the touring production of “Chicago,” said the show is sometimes eerily relevant.
“I think now more than ever this show is relevant and I think that it’s important for audiences across the country and across the world to see this sometimes farcical and sometimes brutally honest look at American politics,” Cervantes said. “It just goes to show that there are so many faults within our system, our justice system, and I think it’s a perfect way to put a mirror up to society while also giving them a good opportunity to laugh and to experience joy.”
Cervantes, who is a first-generation American and the son of a Mexican immigrant, said the opportunity to play a role like Billy Flynn is a great way to show up for himself and his community.
Pisano said that while this show offers the typical entertainment of musical theater, it also provokes reflection in audiences.
“It’s really a place for audiences to both be entertained and informed about asking questions of themselves,” Pisano said. “Because it’s deeper than just being entertained, it really asks a lot of questions about everything from gender and women in particular, incarceration and the way we think about history.”
Whether audiences have seen this story through watching the film or are unfamiliar with it, Valentine said this production will bring to life this popular show, inspiring audiences to reflect on the world while also having a good, entertaining time.
“I think if people know ‘Chicago’ from having seen the film adaptation, they might be surprised to see what it’s like on stage,” Valentine said. “But I think that’s one of the powers of theater, is that we can have a story and be able to tell it in more than one way and still get across the same point.”
