Who can forget Renee Zelwegger as ROXIE HART or Catherine Zeta Jones as VELMA KELLY  (she won a Best Supporting Actress award at the Oscars) in the movie adaptation of the hit broadway musical CHICAGO?  And yes, Richard Gere was there too. He played the conniving, manipulative and duplicitous lawyer Billy Flynn. I love that movie!

Well, last December 3, I was fortunate to be invited to the gala show of  CHICAGO at The Theatre of Solaire Resort and Casino.  The longest running American musical has finally come to Manila! Set in the 1920’s , the story revolves around greed, ambition, revenge, self-gratification and ultimately hope.  Roxie shoots her lover, ends up in jail where Velma Kelly is (a has-been performer who killed her sister and husband after catching them doing the “spread eagle”), meets Billy Flynn (who makes her the talk of the town for $5000), uses her mouse-of-a-husband Amos to further her case and gets acquitted and forgotten all in the same day.

My favorite number is the cell block tango.

POP. SIX. SQUISH. UH UH. CICERO. LIPSCHITZ.

Did you know that  some of Hollywood’s elite have played characters from the hit musical?

USHER played Billy Flynn, SOFIA VERGARA as Matron “MAMA’ Morton, BRIAN MCKNIGHT took on Billy Flynn too while BROOKE SHIELDS gave life to ROXIE HART.

Photos were not allowed to be taken inside the theatre.

This was taken at the very end of the show.

 
THE BQP MEETS THE CAST OF CHICAGO

I met the lead stars at the Chicago after-party. (L-R) BIANCA MARROQUIN as Roxie Hart, ROZ RYAN as Mama and TERRA C. MacLEOD as Velma.  All three women gave powerful performances.  Can you do cartwheels on heels? Well Roxie and Velma sure can!

Truthfully, I kept on comparing the musical to the movie.  I was expecting for at least a change in the set but there was only one setting used.  The high rise stage where the musicians and the conductor stayed served as the backdrop all throughout.  The performances were very solid, the actors adept and my god– was I envious of the hard rock bodies of the dancers!

You should see these girls dance! BRAVO!

 

The men of CHICAGO – JEFF MCCARTHY as lawyer Billy Flynn, dancer ADAM PERRIGRINE and C. NEWCOMER … well, you have to figure out who he plays in the musical!

You can catch Chicago at Solaire Resort and Casino until December 21.

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4 comments

  1. cut evening graduate class in NY to see this. very entertaining, great performance. BQP, very lovely. BQP and A, lovely, classiest couple, always ! 🙂

  2. This is perfect! Though I haven’t seen Chicago but with your feature, I was able to know how entertaining this broadway musical was.
    Thank You BQP for sharing. You look fabulous and classy with your black dress. (as always) 🙂

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