With more and more musicals such as Cats, The Sound of Music and Les Miserables having toured the country, and after Catherine Zeta-Jones won Oscar glory for her portrayal of Velma Kelly, Chinese theatre-goers are eagerly looking forward to the musical Chicago.
A touring version from the UK, starring Claire Taylor as Roxie Hart and Rachel Stanley as Velma Kelly, will give three shows at the Great Hall of the People from tonight to Sunday.
Hu Jingyun, general manager of the local presentation company, GHTY Culture & Arts Co Ltd, believes the production will be a magnet for fans.
The musical is adapted from a play based on the real-life murder trials of two women that caught the public eye in Chicago in the 1920s, a time when crimes of passion resulted in celebrity headlines.
Set in jazz-age Chicago, the story centers on chorus girl Roxie Hart, who murders her lover, then hires suave lawyer Billy Flynn to defend her. Alert to the power of publicity, Flynn fosters her show aspirations and positions her as a celebrity jailbird, manipulating public opinion via a malleable press.
Meanwhile, Flynn's rival client Velma Kelly languishes in Roxie's shadow; while the hanging of an innocent woman underlines the musical's cynical take on the legal system.
"There's no doubt that this is a great show. It's rarely been off the stage, either in London or Broadway, since its first performance in 1975," says music critic Jin Zhaojun.
When lyricist Fred Ebb died in early September, every obituary cited two musicals from his long collaboration with composer John Kander and director/choreographer Bob Fosse: Cabaret, their first Broadway hit from 1966, and Chicago.
Though both became multi-Oscar-winning films, the greater popularity of Chicago was cemented by a Broadway revival in 1996, which moved to London's West End the following year.
"Musicals are acknowledged as being big providers of popular entertainment," says Liu Huan, a well-known Chinese singer.
"In Chicago, the themes of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery are treated with wry humor and tongue-in-cheek irony, shaken up with beautiful dancers and great music to give the audience a good time.
"Comparisons between 'justice' and 'show business' are highlighted by telling the story through a series of sensational acts," he says.
Composer Li Haiying watched Chicago on Broadway a few years ago. He says that a major reason why the show has enjoyed great popularity for so long is that its themes remain relevant: trial by media; the quest for celebrity; the fickle brevity of fame.
"The play is littered with effective dramatic metaphors. The puppetry of a press conference is portrayed by having Flynn actually speak for Roxie, as would a ventriloquist," he further explains.
"The circus act of an execution is portrayed as a high-wire rope act. And the showmanship of the courtroom literally becomes a glitzy performance."
In addition to its themes and meanings, Chicago has plenty of highlights such as Fosse's sinuous and sensual choreography, the cabaret-style staging and 1970s costumes.
Also worthy of mention is Kander's score inflected with jazz and ragtime. He wrote some great songs for the musical, including the dazzling entry All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle.
"Under the very lively direction of Dan Jackson, the band on stage is consistently impressive, taking their own turn in the spotlight for solos after the intermission. At the end they received the biggest cheer of the night," says Lun Bing, theatre reporter with the Beijing Youth Daily, who watched the show by the same cast in London's West End in September.
He also says that both Claire Taylor and Rachel Stanley are impressive in their leading roles.
"Stanley's interpretation of Velma is much softer and sincere than the cold, hardened Velma portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the famous film," he says.
"She throws her leg over chairs with complete confidence at one moment, and then tries desperately to convince Roxie to let her back into the spotlight, giving the play its high stakes and dramatic tension."
Claire Taylor plays Roxie Hart with a naive innocence. Like a little child who strives for attention, she is willing to use her beauty to get it.
It is said that one of the stars of the show is Christopher Howell as Roxie's put-upon, long-suffering husband Amos Hart.
"Although he only gets one song, Mister Cellophane, he played it with such feeling he nearly stole the show," says Lun.
The cast arrived in Beijing on Tuesday and they all expect much of the coming shows.
"I am sure the audience here will enjoy it like all the other audiences around the world," Cavin Cornwall, who plays the lawyer Flynn, told local press. "People should come with an open mind. If you love music, if you like dance, you will love the show, no matter if you have watched the theatre musical or not."
All the performers and the tour manager Robyn Horton said they were impressed by the massive venue - the Great Hall of the People.
"The venue is amazing, we have never performed on such a huge stage," said Horton. "We are excited to perform at such a prestigious hall."
Taylor said she cannot believe just how massive the auditorium is.
But that is the problem, many insiders believe. The Great Hall of the People is not a venue for theatre, but a national congress hall. With 5,000 seats on the first and second floors, it is really too big for a Broadway production, although foreign ensembles always feel honored to perform there.
The cast do not seem too concerned about potential problems.
"From my point of view, it is not bad to perform at such a huge venue and to such a huge auditorium. What's more, we have reconstructed the stage to make it fit our show," said Taylor.
Cornwall is even more confident: "Actually it's a challenge for us, as we have to communicate the play to the audience. But we are professional performers, it's our job to tell the story, portray the characters and command the stage. And we know how to do it."
(China Daily December 24, 2004)
