♪♫ And All That Jazz ♫♪

I was around 12 or 13 years old when I purchased an 8-track, yes, you read that right, an 8-track of the original Broadway cast recording of Chicago. From the first wails of the muted trumpet followed by 5,6,7,8, I was enthralled, I listened to it over and over again until I knew every word to every song, even the "bad" words. :-O I would go up to my bedroom, close the door and perform every number, complete with my own choreography. As much as I loved the show, I never saw the play. I did see the film when it came out in 2002, but it wasn't the same. I enjoyed it and all, but it didn't meet my expectation after years of listening to Jerry Orbach, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera singing my favorites, Razzle Dazzle, Roxie and, of course, All That Jazz.
Tonight, because of the generosity of a dear friend, I was given tickets to the opening night of the national tour of Chicago at the beautiful Altria Theater, and my oldest daughter and I ventured out on our night at the Theater. I was really excited, but a little apprehensive too as a lot of touring shows I have seen have ended up disappointing me. This one didn't! I loved it! This particular production was done with the original Bob Fosse choreography, and his unmistakable style just makes me happy, the bowlers and the stylized movements....ahhh...genius! And what a kick ass cast! The ensemble looked like an ad for some home exercising machine. All I can say is the human body, male or female, is a beautiful thing! I know being on the road has got to be hard, but you would never know it looking at this cast's performance, high energy and vocally, spot on! I had a hard time not singing along. Now, I wonder how much the soundtrack will cost on iTunes.

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I spent an evening at the theater tonight. A friend of mine that I met last year when we did "Company of Angels" together, Lanaya Burnette, was cast in RTP's [title of show]. Richmond Triangle Players was running a special tonight for theatre professionals for 2 for 1. I decided that I would go with my daughter. I didn't really know what to expect. I no longer buy every new cast album that comes out of New York the way I did when I was in high school, and I haven't seen a show in New York since 1981. I had heard of [title of show], but had no idea what it was about except for the little synopsis on the Facebook events page. For some reason I thought it would be filled with old-fashioned campiness. Boy, was I wrong! It was edgy, and full of energy, and extremely contemporary. I'm new to contemporary musical theatre. I grew up with My Fair Lady and The Music Man. I remember when I was in middle school and I purchased the original cast albums to A Chorus Line and Chicago. I felt like I was getting away with something listening to the lyrics that contained the "words I wasn't allowed to say" peppered here and there occasionally in some of the songs. I saw the show tonight as a grown up, and I didn't have to go upstairs and listen to my album with my door closed for fear that I would hear my dad say I had to take the album back. I had the best time! I laughed and even cried a little. The cast is amazing and they work together like a well oiled machine, and the vocals are strong and blend together so well you'd think that these four actors really did write this show and worked on it for months and months. Daniel Cimo and Chris Hester establish a great rapport immediately with each other and the audience. One of my favorite numbers early on was "An Original Musical," I laughed out loud at Cimo's portrayal of  The Blank Page and Lanaya Burnette's rendition of "Die Vampire, Die" is humorous but thought provoking at the same time, and finally Georgia Rogers Farmer nails the power but also brings such a gentle sweetness to "A Way Back to Then" that I found myself wishing I had a tissue. The theatre wasn't nearly filled tonight, and that is a shame. RTP's production of [title of show] will be one that you will be sorry you missed, so don't take the chance. You only have until June 4th. Call for tickets!