My first introduction to Chicago was the 2002 Oscar winning film which I immediately loved, in fact I even wrote a movie review in my university student news paper. Basically that is what I had to compare the performance to other than a community theatre production back in 2004 up in Sudbury that I don't really remember.
Right away I was put off by the vocals of Terra C McLeod in All That Jazz which is one of my favourite songs from the show. She did this weird vocal trick that I didn't like. I thought that the actress playing Roxie, Bianca Marroquin was okay. I guess I am used to the film version where it plays things very seriously, this production really played up the comedic aspects of the show, for me it didn't work. I was irritated for example during the cell block tango how the actress playing Mona shook her head from side to side like an airhead every time she she said Lipshitz. Elvis Stojko's voice and performance on the other hand took me by surprise and made the show for me. He has this really deep, rich voice that resonates, and he can hold that long note at the end of "We both reached for the gun."
It was kind of neat getting to see late broadway legend/Law & Order star Jerry Orbach's cousin play the role of Amos, a bit of trivia for you Jerry Orbach was the original Billy Flynn. I also recognized one of the ensemble members from when she was in We Will Rock You. Overall though I was underwhelmed and prefer the movie. The stage show leaves lloose ends that the movie doesn't *minor spoiler* like how exactly did Velma Kelly get out let of her murder charges? I am glad I got to see Elvis, but I am glad I didn't pay more than $25 for my ticket! Elvis sadly took of pretty quickly at the stage door so I didn't get an autograph or anything.
With Rock of Ages I had the exact opposite experience, where I liked the stage show better than the movie. I thought the story in the stage show made more sense and I didn't like the changes made for the movie. I had seen Rock of Ages with my sister back in 2010, I thought it was okay, we were familiar with some of the cast from their We Will Rock You days, that can make it hard to suspend belief as you see them as so and so playing a role as opposed to just the character. I think the movie had the same problem, I liked it, but for example you don't see the character of Stacee Jaxx you see Tom Cruise as Stacee. Because with this production the cast was all unknown to me it really allowed them to inhabit and become their roles for me. I quite enjoyed the actor who played Lonny he was great, I thought the character in the Canadian production played by Aaron Walpole was really annoying, but this guy was super funny. I did find that the actress Shannon Mullen who played the lead Sherrie tried a little too hard to emulate Julianne Hough from the movie.
Overall it was a lot of fun, and our seats were great so I got a close look at the costumes. There is a little irony though with the venue because a lot of the bands whose music they were playing Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Whitesnake, Journey have played that exact stage. I had come straight to the show from work and we'd stopped at Arby's for dinner which turned out to be pretty funny because there were three different references to that restaurant in the show! One of my complaints is that as we were leaving my mom saw the actor who played Lonny and I missed him. My other minor complaint is that I didn't get a programme, because there was none. I have emailed the show's production company to see if I can get hooked up with one, if I don't I have a couple cool souvenirs a pic with the show's fictional band Arsenal's name on it and a protest flyer prop from the stage. Here's a pic:
As if the shows weren't enough this week with work I got to go the Chorus entertainment building on Thursday night for an advance screening of Game of Thrones season four episode one which premieres tonight. It was really fun, everyone's name was on a guest list, we had to check in. There was free booze and passed appetizers of lobster/phyllo puffs and coconut shrimp (Popcorn too of course) A good night! We also saw the pilot of this new series Silicon Valley which was pretty funny. It's been an interesting week to say the least now time to get back to work!
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