Chicago razzle-dazzles closing night audience at Fox Theatre

With fiery dance sequences and bold vocal numbers, Chicago: The Musical enthralled audiences at the Fox Theatre this past week with its final performance.

Racy, risqué and riveting, the play unfolded to accent talent within the company. Bianca Marroquin (Roxie Hart) and Brenda Braxon’s (Velma Kelly) energy and vocal flair add vitality to the production.

The two Broadway stars exhibited an amazing chemistry that hailed a huge response from the audience.

The opening musical number “All That Jazz” set the stage for a production radiating playful tension and seductive intensity; the number featured Braxon and the company.

The Fox was packed for the show’s closing performance, with a young audience dominating the playhouse. Several Tech students along with students from other area universities came out dressed up to fill the rows.

With ravenous applause, the audience reacted with enthusiasm toward characters Matron “Mama” Morton (Roz Ryan) and Roxie’s husband, Amos (Ray Bokhour). Ryan belted out “When You’re Good to Mama.” Stripped of elaborate choreography, her voice carried the number.

Playing upon being lonely and unimportant, Amos generated laughs and sympathy. “Mister Cellophane” allowed him to stand out in a suit and white gloves.

With the live performance outshining the movie, the musical captured a dynamic show and more musical numbers. “I loved the theater version, especially seeing the additional scenes,” Jennifer Williams, a first-year Earth and Atmospheric Science major, said.

However, seeing the movie Chicago before the play helped some to follow the plot-line more easily. “Seeing the movie definitely helped me understand the play because the sequence of scenes in the play was pretty confusing,” Tracy Welch, a first-year Biomedical Engineering major, said.

Upcoming productions at the Fox this season include Oliver!, Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray and Movin’ Out.