World-famous Musical Comes to Aberdeen, and it is Criminally Good
by Miles Stebens
photo courtesy of Tristram Kenton
“Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery… all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.”
Thus begins the international multi-award-winning musical, Chicago. Indeed, Chicago tells a story combining all those lovely things.
The musical is based on a play of the same name which took its inspiration from the coverage of real-life trials in the early 1920s in Chicago. Several women in jail, accused of murder, rose to celebrity status through the riveting media coverage of their cases.
As many of them were acquitted, it created the legend that ‘Pretty Girls Get Free’ – attractive women could not be convicted, as they would dazzle the all-male juries with their beauty. Based on their real-life counterparts, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, from arrest to acquittal.
Not wanting to give too much of the plot away, let me say this: a feast for your ears and eyes, the musical is absolutely worth it. If you’re a musical fan like me, make sure you don’t miss this one! It’ll be running at His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday, April 2nd with a fantastic cast.
photo courtesy of Tristram Kenton
Faye Brookes and Michelle Andrews shine as the glamorous Roxie and Velma respectively; B.E. Wong is wonderful as the sympathetic reporter, Mary Sunshine, and Sheila Ferguson is bound to blow you away with her vocals as Mama Morton, the matron of the prison block.
Liam Marcellino makes sure to ‘razzle dazzle’ you as the greasy, avaricious lawyer, Billy Flynn, who turns Roxie and Velma into tabloid celebrities by spinning a tale about their cases to gain the public’s sympathies and support.
Jamie Baughan, as Amos Hart, might just sing his way into your heart like he did mine; as Roxie’s gullible husband, Amos is the only honest character in the entire musical and embodies the outsider, often overlooked, which I think many of us can relate to.
photo courtesy of Tristram Kenton
Chicago will plunge you into a world of razzle-dazzle, of glamour and lies, and mesmerise you with catchy tunes and stunning choreography (the ventriloquist act, depicted above, is an absolute masterpiece).
If you’ve been looking for a wonderful night out, look no further! Aberdeen Performing Arts is finally back and has a whole range of fabulous shows lined up – Chicago is not one you’ll want to miss!
Only here this week, make sure you book your tickets now and let yourself be charmed by this fantastic performance.
For more information and tickets, go to Chicago | His Majesty's Theatre (aberdeenperformingarts.com).
