Chicago at the New Alexandra Theatre Birmingham Review
Chicago
New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
12-31 December 2016
Reviewed by Catherine Brown
Chicago the musical is a must see show currently playing at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. This raunchy show had me enthralled, and I found it startling to discover that the flawed characters were based on real women in 1920s Chicago.
The story begins with Roxie, played superbly by Hayley Tamaddon, shooting dead the man she has been having an affair with. Neil Ditt plays her dopey car mechanic husband Amos whose lack of affection has pushed her away. Amos naively offers to cover for Roxie until he realises the truth.
Once in prison, Roxie meets Mama Morton (Mica Paris) whose unofficial job it is to get the inmates the press coverage they need to avoid conviction. Billy Flynn (John Partridge) is the ruthless lawyer whose allegiances are swayed depending on who can get him the most money. Realising that she may be found guilty, ruthless Roxie comes up with a plan to make her appear even more vulnerable. She borrows tips from another inmate Velma (Sophie Carmen-Jones) with the intention of not only being found innocent but also to keep her name in the tabloids.
Photo by Catherine Ashmore
The orchestra are positioned on a tiered staging which gives the audience an extra insight into the effort put into a production like this. I particularly enjoyed the cast interaction with the conductor. The dancers oozed sex appeal and the raunchy moves including gyrating hips and high kicks were executed precisely and appeared effortless.
The voices of the lead roles were all strong, but it was Mica Paris singing ‘When you’re good to Mama’ and AD Richardson as reporter Mary Sunshine who stole the show for me. I found myself tapping my toes along to favourite tunes including ‘All that jazz’, ‘He had it coming’ and ‘Razzle Dazzle’. The scantily clad dancers are mesmerising and the acrobatics they perform have the audience transfixed.
Photo by Catherine Ashmore
The theatre is easily accessible by car or train and has plenty of parking nearby. We were welcomed into the bar before the show, which is a beautiful room to relax with a drink and chat to friends. It was possible to pre-order drinks for the interval using a phone app and there was a range of merchandise available in the main foyer.
I found the show fascinating and the quality of the performances, both acting and musically was excellent. The energy and passion in the show left everyone with a smile – it’s bizarre how a murderess can make you like her! I would give this entertaining show a 5/5 rating.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £17.50 to £63 (plus £4 transaction fee).
Chicago is at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham until 31 December 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3011.
New Alexandra Theatre, Suffolk Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 4DS
