Chicago (1975 BROADWAY /2000 FILM)KEY FACTS

MUSIC: John Kander LYRICS: Fred Ebb

BOOK:…………………………………..DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER: Fosse

BASIS:……………………………………………………….NARRATIVE:

Takes place in the20’s.Set on Vaudeville stage.Roxy Kills someone and she goes to prison, Amus hires a lawyer- Billy Flyn. Velma also wanted the spot light (like Roxy).Roxy meets Velma in prison and they become a team and became a double act.Both Roxy and Velma are desperate to be introduced into show business.

MAIN CHARACTERS:Billy Flyn is persuasive, manipulative, and masculine. An educated lawyer and like a Hollywood agent.Roxy Hart is desperate, sexy, selfish, not very bright as she never thinks about the consequences, sympathetic as her selfishness isn’t malicious, just childish. All she cares about is Vaudeville.Amus is charming, funny, vulnerable and a timid man. He is an average man he isn’t smart or good looking. Amus is never selfish however he is manipulated easily.Matron Mama Morton is a powerful sexy woman who is funny and tough. She is a cook at the County Jail.Marry Sunshine.Velma Kelly is sarcastic and sexy. Velma kills her husband and her sister. Velma learns how to hold her tongue to save her Vaudeville career.

THEMES:

Show business- a show within a show.Relates to Fosse’s background of night clubs, the Burlesque style.Death.Love.Law.Court.

FORM/STYLE/STRUCTURE:

Musical Vaudeville.What happens real life reflects on Vaudeville- realism.Dark musicalCorruption and exploitation.Fosse’s favourite show business.Chicago a metaphor for what’s happening.

KEY SCENES:

All That Jazz, introduces Velma Kelly, introduces the theme of murder and death.Razzle Dazzle- court room Billy Flyn.1970’s there was no justice- they had already made their choice before they had even got into the court room.

DANCE & MUSIC STYLES:

Common Fosse styles- The Rake, The Stack, The Drip, The Crane, Linkage and Steam Heat.Fosse liked to use hats and canes within his work.He used isolation of the body within his choreography and also small movements.Fosse also included small gestures such as finger clicks often.Fosse loved his sound effects!!He preferred to work with a small ensemble of dancers.Fosse used minimal set within his work.

In the photograph below there are a few of Fosse’s key actions that I have previously mentioned within his motifs: