Creative Date Week 2 - Chicago

I watched the movie Chicago a few years ago and was really fond of the musicals songs in it. So I went to see this Broadway musical last Friday with my friend. Beside the classical and razzle-dazzle music and performance, I really enjoy how the performers interact with the orchestra on the stage. Unlike other musicals where orchestra usually play as a background music and hide in the dark, Chicago brings the whole orchestra vertically as a backdrop of the show. Musicians are sitting on a staircase-like structure where also has two pathways that allow performers to come in and out. It blends well with the front performance and the performers invite the conductor and musicians into the show and even act as part of the story occasionally.

Another thing I notice about Chicago is how they use limited performers to multiplay different roles. In the movie, there are many other characters like reporters and policemen. On the stage, they use the same performers with the unchanged dress code, but they try to switch to different roles by exaggerating the personalities and using props to achieve the effect. At first, it was a bit confusing if the audience had never watched the movies before, but soon it becomes easier to interpret as they use the same tricks through out the play.

However, there are still some disappointments with the play. First, the mixed love-hate feeling between two main female characters are not very well depict in the show. Also, the last part of the dance used to be my favorite part in the movie, but in the musical is a bit rush and plain where the actresses not even change the dance suit. Despite of these, it is still a fun and beautiful musical to watch, I am afraid that I am just too familiar with the plot so I keep comparing it with the movie.

I took a photo of the stage with the orchestra at the end of the show: