Starting from November 14th, the classic Broadway musical “Chicago” will embark on its 2024 tour in Beijing. With its catchy jazz, spicy dance moves, superb singing skills, live bands, dense humor, and all staff online performances, it has brought continuous days of audio-visual feast and joyful time to fans of the capital theater.
The musical version of “Chicago” has a history of nearly 50 years since its premiere. It was created by the “musical master” Bob Fox in 1975 and premiered on Broadway. It is the longest running American musical in the history of Broadway in New York and the West End of London. This drama is adapted from a sensational real case that occurred in the city of Chicago in the 1920s. In addition to the beautiful jazz music and dance performances, the character stories in the drama also have great social value. Viewers who have watched the show multiple times have expressed that every time they watch Chicago, they can see a different perspective.
Chicago is also known as a representative work of jazz musicals. In 1996, the Broadway remake of “Chicago” won six Tony Awards. In addition, ‘Chicago’ has won 5 American Drama Table Awards, 2 Oliver Awards, and 1 Grammy Award, each of which carries significant weight. The 2003 film adaptation of the musical “Chicago” also won six Oscars.
It is reported that “Chicago” has toured a total of 11 cities and 74 shows in China. To ensure the stage presentation effect and first-class performance, the stage props, lighting, and sound system of the musical “Chicago” are all produced, transported, and installed by the foreign party. In addition, the technical leader of the group came to China six months in advance to inspect theaters in various places to ensure that the technical standards for performances are met.
At the same time, in order to let more domestic audiences know about the musical and “Chicago”, the co producer of this domestic tour, Beijing Four Seas One Family Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., and the co organizer of the Beijing station, Beijing Jingyan Cultural Media Company, arranged multiple activities such as actor roadshows, actor meetings, and backstage visits, allowing more curious audiences to enter the theater and enabling students majoring in performance related majors to have conversations and learn from international first-line production teams.
Alexandra Girard, one of the actors who played Roxy in the play, said at an actor meet and greet event held at Beijing Foreign Studies University on November 13th, “The stage in Chicago is not as complex as other performances, so the requirements for actors are very high. At the same time, Bob Foss’ dance is not just a simple performance, but also has a dramatic effect that drives the plot. Perhaps it is because of the simplicity of the stage that the audience can feel the sincerity of this performance even more
It is worth noting that in order to increase interaction with Chinese audiences, several actors in the production team actively opened social media accounts, and further narrowed the distance with the audience by sharing their tour experiences, observations of China, and intimate interactions with the audience. Several actors expressed that they cannot resist the temptation of Chinese cuisine, as each city has its own unique characteristics. At the actor meet and greet in Beijing, Ian Kelsey, who played lawyer Billy in the drama, bluntly stated, “The hardest part of touring in China is weight control, and my favorite is hotpot self-service.
On the night of the Beijing premiere, the theater was packed and the atmosphere was lively and extraordinary. The plot of ‘Chicago’ is like a magnet that tightly attracts the attention of every audience member, compact and gripping. The characters in the drama are vividly portrayed, and the actors showcase their personality traits and emotional changes with superb singing and acting skills, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the plot while also deeply resonating and emotionally connecting with the characters. During the performance, the audience burst into laughter and thunderous applause, giving great recognition to the performances of the actors and the band on stage. Even after the performance ended, there was still a lingering aftertaste, and many viewers expressed their desire to brush up again or again. The audience’s love and praise for this work prove the enduring charm and influence of ‘Chicago’ as a classic musical
