Denny Paschall, Brandy Norwood and Micahel Scirrotto (Jeremy Daniel)
The name on everybody’s lips is gonna be “Brandy.”
That’s what happens when you cast a multi-platinum selling singing sensation as your leading lady. The Grammy Award-winning Brandy Norwood is doing the Charleston across the Kennedy Center stage as “Roxie Hart” in the touring production of Chicago.
With upbeat, catchy music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, a clever book, and show-stopping dance numbers styled after Bob Fosse’s original choreography, Chicago is a production that aims to please. And it does!
There isn’t much of a message to take from the jazz-era musical, and that’s just fine. Through energetic numbers like “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango,” and “We Both Reached for the Gun,” accompanied by a live, on-stage orchestra, this cast razzle dazzles.
This is a show that can’t stand without a strong company, and this production has it. Svelte and sassy, the female chorus members infuse sex and attitude into group numbers, delivering solos with bite, humor, and passion. All equipped with the dance chops this musical demands, the company brings energy and fun into Chicago from curtain open to close.
While Brandy’s music career will bring more than a few fans to the show, her voice is not the only one worth noting. Brent Barrett’s smooth and powerful voice is a delightful surprise in his spot-on portrayal of lawyer Billy Flynn. Roz Ryan is excellent as Matron “Mama” Morton, winning our hearts and applause with her signature solo “When You’re Good to Mama.” She teases the song, belting at just the right moments and holding the notes that reflect her enthusiasm for the role. Of course, she ought to be good at it—she’s been playing the part since 1996.
Dressed in what effectively amounts to black lingerie by costume designer William Ivey Long, the women undulate, kick, shuffle, and roll alongside the male chorus members in tight, low-rise pants and a collection of vests and fishnet shirts. Roxie and Velma Kelly (Terra C. MacLeod) stand apart in short slips.
MacLeod brings the necessary attitude to her role, going perhaps just a bit over the top in her portrayal of the media-hungry double-murderer. Like Brandy and Monica, the two make a solid pair in their show-ending duet, and throughout the show as their relationship develops. But for all her acclaim as a singer and experience as an actress, Brandy gets off to a rocky start in this reprise of her Broadway debut.
To be clear, the problem is neither her voice nor her stage presence. She has pipes that could carry a weaker actress, and she does warm up to the role later in the production. The problem is in those first few scenes, where audience members are expected to believe Roxie is fast, loose, and a jilted lover turned murderer.
As her name suggests, Brandy carries a sweetness that the actress struggles to mute for the rougher persona she’s meant to embody in this production. Even before shooting her lover in an unconvincing fit of rage, Brandy as Roxie gazes at the man with love, not lust. It is not the look of a possessive woman, but of an enamored one. In this brief set-up to the murder, she seems more like a schoolgirl than a mistress.
The sudden switch from doe-eyed paramour to killer is tough to follow. It’s hard to believe her callousness when she defends the action, telling a police officer, “he was trying to walk out on me, the louse!” But the disconnect is most clearly felt in “Funny Hunny,” a backhanded “song of love and devotion dedicated to her dear husband Amos.” The number about a dopey, spineless husband is Brandy’s first in the musical. She kills it musically, but it’s difficult to believe she’s singing about Amos Hart (Paul Vogt). She sings insults like, “I can’t stand that sap,” instead of spitting them.
Brandy comes into her own in prison, where the persona of Roxie the egoist and celebrity is a much better fit than Roxie the vixen. Her uniquely stunning voice combined with the showmanship of the company makes this a production worth seeing. Chicago is ultimately a crowd pleaser and well-worth the visit.
Chicago is at the Kennedy Center Opera House through April 16. Buy tickets here.
