So once again, please remember this is not my job. I don’t get paid. I wasn’t asked to do this. In fact, I KNOW more people in these productions than I don’t. o the chances of me saying many negative things about anything are slim. The number one reason I am doing this is I feel like we are being ignored lately and I know it’s nice when you as a performer can print out a review (or for me it used to be cut it out of the paper) and read it to mom or grandma. It was important. It meant something. And it makes you feel good about what you accomplished. I like commenting on movies mostly. I also wrote a big book (shameless plug – please go to amazon and buy. I will sign it!) Other than that, this is for you my friends…ignore, share or tell me to shove it. Privately please! Not all over Facebook!! I’m a sensitive soul after all.
Yours, Shannie
It’s so great to see dancers’ dance! It’s not always an easy feat here in Syracuse. Ah but when it happens, it’s so exciting and exhilarating, not only for the audience but for the dancers as well. Dancers don’t get to manipulate a crowd the way actors and singers do. We can’t control tempo. We are at the mercy of the band. We don’t hold the crowd in the palm of our hands as an actor can, using comic timing to elicit laughter or drama to wrench tears. All we can do is MOVE… and hope that when that perfect sweet spot in the music hits, when your fellow dancers are bouncing with anticipation and hitting every move just a bit harder than they did in rehearsal…because they just can’t help themselves…something electric has happened – and then WHAM – the audience roars their approval.
That is the payoff. And that is what audiences in the Bevard Room at the Civic Center are eating up right now at Covey’s Chicago.
So, I’m a little biased here, as a former dancer. I am also insanely jealous. It’s hard, isn’t it? As both a friend of multiple people in the show and on the production staff. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Swallowing your pride and going to see the show you didn’t get into, supporting your friends who are in a something you don’t care for, cheering for colleagues of a different production of a show YOU just did a few years ago…these are not easy things to do.
And yet, I watched several people do it without malice or regret the other evening. And have seen many others do it recently at performances in other theaters as well. I am very impressed with the amount of support and kindness that I have witnessed recently. I hope it continues. I know it isn’t easy. But leading with kindness never is.
So. On that note…I’ve done Chicago. Twice. Not only do I know it backwards and forwards, diagonal and upside down, but I am a dancer that is of an age to have grown up being taught Fosse in dance class. If you haven’t seen Covey’s version already you should know, this is a little bit different.
What I always appreciate about Garrett Heater (director) is that he is always willing to try something different, not completely re-invent the wheel, but definitely add, subtract, maybe even multiply a little here and there. With this show (you may have already heard) he has added small black and white movies throughout, that glow above the rail on the stone wall. It’s a great touch. Garrett is a genius at these, as I’ve seen his work in other shows. Flipping the theatre around again and making use of the upper level is also extremely useful. (Though there were perhaps one or two times, in a few dances numbers especially, where he may have gone over-board?) There are some gorgeous lights happening up there as well. Some seem to be coming straight up from the floor and crawling up the back wall like fire. Really delightful.
Garret also made two stellar casting choices in Tallon Larham and Eric Feldstein. Tallon is so ridiculously good as Billy Flynn, so obviously THE choice for the part, I can’t believe no one in town thought of it sooner. On the other hand, Eric is playing so completely against type for everything I’ve ever seen him in that my mouth was hanging open the entire time.
Miss Camille Millar as Velma Kelly and Miss Maggie Stephens as Roxie Hart are both stunning triple threats. They look sound and move effortlessly. They make every move seem simple. (Again, I am jealous!) Maggie is rough-edged hard, and powerful. She will knock you over if you get in her way. By contrast, Camille is flirty, mischievous and desperate. They make a dangerous, devilish pair and they are magnificent to watch.
Amanda Kurey has made some clever choreography choices here. Never outright using either Fosse’s original or Ann Reinking’s current iteration, she instead shuffles around some of the steps and inserts them throughout. You get enough of a Fosse flavor to take note if you are really looking. But what she is really great at is layering choreography. I admire that. It’s a fantastic way to mix your legit dancers and your musical theater movers (don’t worry. That wasn’t an insult, they know what I mean.) so that the audience sees a stage full of professional dancers up there! And they look like it too! It’s thrilling. there are 17 ensemble and lead dancers at any given moment dancing on that tiny floor space and they deserved every ounce of thundering applause they got.
My only complaint would be that I wanted more of them. It is a shame to lose the entire overture to one of the black and white movies, cute as it is, especially when you have the talent to pull it off. Ditto for the “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag” Finale which just seemed to be missing a lot of steps that both ladies were more than capable of handling.
Sue Berger’s costumes for the show are picture perfect. My friend sitting beside me even remarked that everyone was wearing the same SHADE of black! I especially loved the boys as cops in the pre-show ushering the girls back to their cells as though they were only out in the “yard” for their allotted hour. And Amos wearing the same mechanic outfit the entire performance except when he put on a clip-on tie for the trial was quite hilarious.
But the two best costumes go to Kenia Chacon playing a sweeter but no less wonderful Mama Morton than I have seen before, and D. Williams, swirling and twirling about as Mary Sunshine in black and silver sparkles. This is the second time Williams has played the role and the performance has only improved.
The sound is crystal clear, I can hear everyone and with Tony Vadala in charge I would expect no less. With Colin Keating leading a line of perfect pit players across the back of the house, you can’t really go wrong here. He’s close. You can see him watching everyone, players and performers. I loved catching him give the band their cut-offs. It’s just a really nice bit of theater magic to SEE everything happen at once – final note of music hits, singer cuts off and dancers nail that final pose, everyone is perfectly in sync, and sitting on the side I can actually see the music director holding his musicians, waiting for the applause to die down, waiting for the right moment to let them go on.
God these are the moments I live for. How lovely for me that I got to catch one of them.
I would love to tell you when and where to go and see this production, but they are completely sold out!
**Special shout out to the cast members who were kind and patient enough to have their pictures taken with members of the Front Row Players. Many of them are avid theatre lovers and you made their night!
