Broadway’s favorite vaudeville show is in San Diego through the weekend. Broadway San Diego is presenting “Chicago” as directed by David Hyslop from Feb. 13-18 at the Civic Theatre.
The longest-running American musical in Broadway history with a book from legendary dancer and director Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb features a series of acts about murder, mayhem and fame set in 1920s Chicago. Following nightclub dancer Roxie Hart’s trial for the murder of an ex-lover as she tries to turn her infamy into a vaudeville career, the production shows the variety of vaudeville performances of the era. Each song mirrors a separate act like singing, ventriloquism, female impersonators, acrobatics, rope tricks and more. The stunning dancing ability of the ensemble and actors like Kailin Brown as Velma Kelly made the show breath taking. The choreography, from Gregory Butler and based on the original show’s dances, cannot be matched by other shows.
For the music lovers, a unique aspect of the show is the orchestra being on stage throughout the show. The musicians even have their own dance at one point while conductor Cameron Blake Kinnear had several lines. The layered frame they sat upon featured many trap doors and hidden stairs the actors used to enter and exit.
The set from John Lea Beatty remained static throughout the show, with actors interacting with the frame in unique ways as each character took center stage for their variety act. Simple props like chairs, a ladder and top hats were put to exquisite use as the actors kept the same black dancing costumes on for the entire performance, with only a few coats and a pair of silver shoes to mix it up. While this slimmed down set, props and costume design were simple, it also reflected the limited items a touring vaudeville group would have access to.
In addition to their impeccable dancing, Kailin Brown brought humor and a level of relatability to the icy and aloof Velma Kelly rarely seen in other performances. Velma serves as the elegant and successful actor foil of the jealous Roxie, played by Katie Frieden. Frieden’s depiction of Roxie lacked the lower-class edge and brash emotions the character typically has. Instead, she showed an unusual tenderness towards her mechanic husband Amos Hart, played by Robert Quiles who was an audience favorite despite only having one solo song. Frieden’s flights of affection toward Amos made the antagonistic character more endearing.
J. Terrell as Mary Sunshine and Illeana “illy” Kirven as Matron “Mama” Morton both have an impressive set of lungs used to devastating effect as they belted out some of the most heartfelt songs in the show. Connor Sullivan as a swaggering Billy Flynn stunned while holding a high note for an inhuman amount of time, much to the chagrin of the “shaking” acrobats in lifts around him.
The cast also includes Paul Amrani, Olivia Lacie Andrews, Bentlei Benak, Faith Jordan Candino, Jason Carroll, Austin Taylor Dunn, Ed Gotthelf, Olivia Greco, Chelsea James, Liz Lester, Joe Meldrum, Adolfo Ortiz-Feder, Lauren Teyke, Kodiak Thompson, Francisco Thurston and Cait Zuckerman.
Vaudeville dominated America’s theater scene for several decades. This show offers a glimpse into what attracted those historic audiences – and how the elusive fame performers chase can make a star rise and fall with such speed as to cause whiplash.
