A Lively Legacy, A Come-Hither Air
Ben BrantleyNovember 15, 1996: WHO would have thought there could be such bliss in being played for a patsy?
READ THE REVIEWTheater: Ambassador Theatre / 219 West 49th Street, New York, NY, 10019
Synopsis:
The razzle-dazzle musical where a sensational murder trial is acted out in vaudeville specialties. The score includes "Razzle-Dazzle," "All That Jazz" and "Mister Cellophane."
BUY TICKETS BUY GROUP TICKETSNovember 15, 1996: WHO would have thought there could be such bliss in being played for a patsy?
READ THE REVIEWNovember 23, 1996: Any gripes about the producers of “Chicago” charging full-scale prices for a stripped-down show evaporate like vapors from bathtub gin the second Bebe Neuwirth & Co. open the show with a pulse-quickening rendition of “All That Jazz.” This concert staging, wonderfully choreographed by Ann Reinking (with a credit to “the style of Bob Fosse”), is a bit more elaborate than when presented by City Center’s Encores series in the spring, but even if it weren’t, the performances, wit and sophistication of the show would more than earn a place on Broadway.
READ THE REVIEWBroadway's busiest revolving door, better known as the nearly 10-year-old revival of Chicago, has someone new passing through: the R&B superstar with the single moniker of Usher has joined the company through October 1. The 27-year-old, baby-faced Grammy Award winner is the latest performer to wear the dapper duds of silver-tongued lawyer Billy Flynn, and while he's a good two or three decades younger than most of his predecessors, the tuxedo fits decently enough. He won't linger in the memory -- like Jerry Orbach or James Naughton -- but neither does he embarrass himself or producers Barry and Fran Weissler, who tapped him for the role.
READ THE REVIEWIn that dicey district known as Broadway, there are no sure bets, but reviving a cherished old musical comes close. Find a Rodgers and Hammerstein gem that's been away for a while or dust off a fondly remembered piece of froth like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and nostalgic theatergoers will probably beat a path to your stage door.
READ THE REVIEW