What do you call a media manipulator who makes a fortune whipping up the public’s fascination with murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery?
That would be Billy Flynn. No, wait — Jerry Springer.
It may seem like inspired casting to put the king of sleaze TV into the role of the mercenary lawyer who turns no-name criminals into tabloid sensations in the classic Kander and Ebb musical “Chicago.” Since reviving the show in 1996, New York producers Barry and Fran Weissler have extended its box office appeal by placing celebrities in pivotal roles. (You may recall that Atlanta’s own Usher made headlines when he donned a tux to play slick Billy just a few years ago.)
But Springer’s appearance in Theater of the Stars’ Fox Theatre production falls flat.
As a talk-show icon who has created a performance vocabulary from crossing his arms, rolling his eyes and standing back while the mayhem ensues, the 65-year-old former Cincinnati mayor brings the same posture to the stage. He sings passably but speaks in a wooden style and attempts not a single tap phrase. Oh, he flutters his hands a little. But he has absolutely no sense of “Razzle Dazzle.”
Happily, Springer is supported by a pair of dynamic leading ladies (Bianca Marroquín as Roxie and Terra C. MacLeod as Velma) and a seriously sexy ensemble that turns up the sizzle on Ann Reinking’s adaptations of Bob Fosse’s jazzy choreography.
Marroquín is lovely to watch and brings sincerity to the part of Roxie, the 1920s siren who murders her lover in a fit of passion, then hires Flynn to defend her. If this Roxie eases into the edginess, MacLeod’s Velma is a hardened, cold-blooded murderer with a sarcastic sneer and leggy sinuousness. Led by the cunning Velma, “All That Jazz” starts the show with wicked high energy and sets the tone for an evening of stellar dancing.
I’d be remiss not to mention Tom Riis Farrell’s adorably putzy take on Roxie’s husband, Amos, and veteran trouper Carol Woods’ gutsy and occasionally misty-eyed portrayal of Matron “Mama” Morton. As court reporter Mary Sunshine, D. Micciche resists campy caricature to evince a voluptuous and almost pretty creation.
When “Chicago” hits its mark, as it frequently does here, it’s an exceptionally juicy and intelligent piece of musical theater. Gimmicks and cameos do nothing but slow it down.
THEATER REVIEW
"Chicago"
Grade: B
8 p.m. tonight-Saturday. 2 p.m. Saturday. 1:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday. $20-$67.50. Theater of the Stars, Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-800-982-2787, ticketmaster.com.
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