CHICAGO. Director: Tânia Nardini. Musical Director: Kevin Kraak. Choreographer: Gary Chryst. Cast: Kiruna-Lind Devar, Samantha Peo, Jonathan Roxmouth, Tankiso Mamabolo, M. E. Marvey, Dean De Klerkand more. At Artscape Opera House.
BEVERLEY BROMMERT reviews
Catchy tunes, admirable choreography, slick presentation and unabashed glamour à la vaudeville, not to mention swift-paced delivery, form a heady amalgam in this latest production of the evergreen musical Chicago.
However beguiling it may be, the fact remains that this show is at heart (assuming it has one) a deeply unedifying depiction of mores in a particular society: avarice, murder, corruption, adultery and casual violence all appear perfectly acceptable as part of the rich texture of life.
Paradoxically, that explains its perennial appeal, since for a couple of hours the audience can suspend not only credulity, but also any regard for that inconvenient organ, Conscience, in surrender to the ultimate freedom of uninhibited amorality. Sharp-edged humour and cunning theatricality serve to promote the whole liberating experience …
Ticks all the boxes
This South African production ticks all the boxes when it comes to addressing the triple threat that is an integral part of performing in musicals. Vocal and instrumental performances are irreproachable, the characters are portrayed with authority, and the dancing is noteworthy.
Musical director Kevin Kraak elicits crisp execution from the dozen or so instrumentalists under his baton.
A powerful element in enhancing the show’s impact is the set design, described by original director Walter Bobbie as reflecting the pervasive theme of entrapment. (Ironical, given the abovementioned freedom from moral constraints).
Apart from the obvious image of criminals physically imprisoned behind bars, there is the more abstract concept of flawed individuals trapped in their own moral bankruptcy. Then there are the spacial confines of the stage on which the dancers perform, and of the structure “like an exaggerated jury box” in which the musicians play; lastly, less apparent but more telling, is the entrapment of the audience who have been temporarily absorbed into this alarming world …
Offset by vivid lighting, the minimalist set is an ideal showcase for the dazzling proficiency of Chicago’s dancers, whose collective energy never wavers in delivering sleekly coordinated, high octane dance.
A must-see production
As for the characters, they assume a vitality all their own when portrayed with insight by seasoned actors like Samantha Peo (Velma Kelly), Jonathan Roxmouth (Billy Flynn) and Tankiso Mamabolo (Mama).
Kiruna-Lind Devar, in the lead as callous Roxie Hart, offers an intelligent interpretation nicely balanced somewhere between cartoon caricature and plausible psychopath. Dean De Klerk’s Amos is an effective foil for Devar’s Roxie, by turns exasperating and endearingly naïve.
Among the steady succession of highlights throughout the show, some stand out for individual excellence – such as the snappy pas de six and serial cameos of Cell Block Tango, or Velma’s bravura solo performance of a dance duo with nothing but a chair for company in I Can’t Do It Alone.
To sum up: polished execution from musicians, singers, dancers and actors makes this a must-see production, all the more worthwhile in view of its sobering relevance to today’s society, way beyond the Chicago of the roaring ‘twenties.
What: Chicago
Where and when: Artscape, Cape Town from Wednesday 27 August to Sunday 28 September 2025 | Montecasino’s Teatro, Johannesburg from Friday 3 October to Sunday 9 November 2025
Tickets: Ticketmaster
WS
