Rent - June 21

Her Perspective: B+

I went to see this with a couple of girlfriends of mine. I have seen this show before at the same venue and neither of my friends really knew anything about it. The last time I saw Rent, they were having horrible sound issues and I couldn't hear a word, much less be able to hear how good (or bad) the performers were.

If you don't know anything about this show, I'd advise you to at least read the story line before you go. The way it's written, there are times when several people are singing at once and you can't distinguish what each one is saying, so the story line gets a little lost. That comment came directly from one of my friends, so it's not just me. Add in the adrenaline of the performers and the band and it can really take off so fast that the audience may be left confused.

However, the Ordway usually does shows very well and they were able to keep the pace down for the most part. The stage was set up very well and allowed the action to flow well between scenes. This is very important for this particular show since it moves very fast. The lighting was great. Good effects and we had no trouble seeing anything.

The actors were fantastic! Anwar Robinson was in the role of Tom Collins. You may remember Anwar from the 5th season of American Idol (I know I remembered him). Although he was technically flawless in his singing, he wasn't very believable as a gay man. His body language kept giving him away. The actor playing Angel was awesome! He had extremely high energy, as did the rest of the cast. The actors playing Mark and Roger (the main characters) have exceptional voices that blended perfectly.

Angel's death scene was quite odd. They had him standing on a table with people sitting around him that had a white parachute over their heads and were moving their arms and heads around, making the parachute move. I suppose they were supposed to be clouds, but it all looked very weird. Honestly, that is the only criticism I have of the director.

One note: Usually I get lost in shows like this and I feel like I'm a character in the show, just watching. However, for some reason, I wasn't drawn into this show. I'm not sure why. There was nothing really wrong with it. Perhaps it's just my state of mind and stress level right now.

Overall, I would highly recommend this show. The Ordway does shows very well and it is a good choice for venue if you like the theater.

Chicago, The Musical, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts - July 15, 2007

Synopsis: In 1920's Chicago, Velma Kelly, a vaudeville singer is arrested for the murder of her husband and sister. Roxie Hart, her biggest fan, who is having an affair, shoots and kills her lover when he threatens to leave her. In jail, she meets up with Velma and figures out that she needs not only a lawyer, but the lawyer, Billy Flynn. She convinces her husband to come up with the $5,000 fee for Billy and, for a while, she is the biggest celebrity murderess on the cell block, taking the spotlight from Velma. Velma, in desperation, tries (unsuccessfully) to convince Roxie to join her act once they both get out. Suddenly, an heiress is brought into jail for killing her husband who was cheating on her. Billy turns his attention to her and, desperate to get the attention back, Roxie faints. Upon awakening, she falsely claims she's pregnant. In an effort to garner sympathy with the jury, Billy convinces Roxie's husband to divorce her since the baby is not his. At the trial, Billy uses his "razzle-dazzle" to convince the jury that the murder was in self-defense and just before the verdict is read, there is a shooting/murder on the courthouse steps. Roxie is free to go, but rushes after the cameras and reporters, trying to get more publicity. They are more concerned with the "next big thing". Finally, Velma and Roxie get together to form a double vaudeville act.

Her perspective: B-

First, let me say, I love musicals. I missed this one the first run at the Ordway, but when I heard it was going to run for another week, I made sure not to miss it this time. However, I think watching the movie first somewhat ruined this one for me.

Don't get me wrong, the acting and singing was phenomenal. Gregory Harrison starred as Billy Flynn, and I think that was the highlight of the show for me. The orchestra was up on the stage in full view of the audience and the conductor played a part in the show. That was fun.

However, being that this was a Fosse show and a Broadway tour, I expected more. The choreography was bland and uninteresting; not nearly as "sexy" as I was expecting. It was very repetitive. The costumes were unimaginative and most of them didn't fit the actors or the character they were playing. There were also precious few costume changes. The chorus never changed their costumes and the leads/supporting actors had maybe one or two changes. The actress playing Velma should have been made to look "prettier". Her hair was tied back in a very severe bun and she looked old.

I was rather disappointed with the show as a whole and wished I had paid less for my ticket. It seemed that the sound people were having trouble getting the right mikes on at the right times as well. However, the novelty of live theater, especially with a couple of well-known actors, was not lost on me. I still had a good time.