Chicago
Starring Nana Visitor, Vicki Lewis, and Robert Urich
The National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
Tickets:  (800) 447-7400
Playing through January 2 

Chicago.  What a Town!  What a Time!

 Now playing at The National Theatre, the musical comedy Chicago is pure entertainment from beginning to end.  The marvelously talented cast, the sparse props, and non-stop action, song and dance routines, and the show-within-the-show at the end give Chicago a Vaudeville feel – appropriate since the story takes place during the 1920s. 

Chicago is the story of two women – one a well-known entertainer, Velma, played by Vicki Lewis; one a well-known entertainer want-a-be, Roxie, played by Nana Visitor -- who are both incarcerated, awaiting their trials for murder.  Both, in unrelated incidents, had murdered their lovers, and both had hired a slick attorney, Billy Flynn, played by Robert Urich, to defend them.  The Billy has an unsurpassed record for getting women acquitted of murder charges because he knows how to manipulate the press, how to win public sympathy, and how to sway the testimonies of witnesses.  Velma and Roxie vie for his attention because he loves the publicity of the really sensational cases -- trials that demand the biggest headlines rate his top priority treatment.  They really want his top shelf treatment because the penalty in Chicago for murder was hanging.  

With this one cloud hanging over them, they, Roxie especially, found extremely comedic ways to get Billy’s undivided support, and manage to complicate their lives at the same time within the small confines of the women’s prison.  The number titled “We Both Reached for the Gun,” sang by Billy, Roxie, and Company, was especially hilarious as Billy coaches Roxie on how give a press interview.  

Visitor, Lewis, and Urich give exceptional performances, totally unexpected of TV regulars we never knew could sing, let alone dance.  Visitor and Lewis are marvelous dancers, and their vocal ranges, to say nothing of their comedic stage presence, were outstanding.  The roles are perfect for them, as is Urich’s.  Urich leaves the dancing to the chorus of ladies in his entourage, however, which reinforces his image as a “Star” in the courtroom, but he does sing with impressive talent.  Chicago is fast paced, and the choreography is vigorous, but it is obvious how much Visitor, Lewis, and Urich are enjoying themselves, and the audience goes wholeheartedly along for the merry ride.

The show’s cast is balanced with good choices from the “girls” and “boys” in the chorus to the big three.  The  highly talented chorus is fun to watch, as their roles weave in and out of the story.  Not only do they back up the stars with mesmerizing choreography, but each also has a distinct singing and speaking role.  Even the orchestra got into the act, being positioned at the top center stage in the middle of the action, as several actors interacted with the conductor.

 Matron “Mama” Morton, who takes really good care of the girls in her prison, played by Carol Woods, was especially commanding when she nearly brought down the house with “When You’re Good to Mama.” M. E. Spencer, in the role of Mary Sunshine, radio show hostess who believes there’s “A Little Bit of Good” in everyone, is a joy. 

 Chicago is nonsensical, totally irrelevant, and pure entertainment.  There are no moral messages, no political agendas, no militant stance for or against anything.  It is simply a must-see musical comedy for adults who just want an evening full of a lot of good laughs.