Randuwa II: "Chicago" at the Keegan Theatre

Sunday, March 25, 2018

"Chicago" at the Keegan Theatre

After three plays in the past two years at the Keegan, it was time to take them up on a musical. The Keegan is an intimate theater space with great bones in a neighborhood of the DuPont area of Washington, D.C. I have appreciated the production values that I've experienced in their plays. And I was not disappointed with "Chicago" either.

The set and lighting design worked very well together. The costume design was less coherent, but not distracting. The choreography was by and large exciting and excellently executed. But, of course you would want to know about the acting, eh?

To this I would say without hesitation that it was overall marvelous. The three principle characters of Velma, (Jessica Bennett), Billy Flynn (Kurt Boehm) and Roxie Hart (Maria Rizzo) were pitch perfect all around. In fact, Maria's portrayal of Roxie was utterly compelling and energetic from start to finish; it was fresh and authentic. Supporting characters were also full of verve and originality. In particular Michael Innocenti's take on the hapless Amos Hart was not simply played to point, but with nuance and a depth that conveyed a pin prick awareness of the character's humanity without dipping into maudlin. Likewise, Chris Rudy's take on the cross-dressing reporter Mary Sunshine came with delightful rays of humor and irony. The one disappointment was Rikki Howie Lacewell's portrayal of Martin Mama Morton. Potentially a show stealer of a role, it was nearly a show wrecker. And it's not that she doesn't have the chops--her voice is lovely and the songs were sung in tune with the conviction of someone who is a singer. In other words, she failed to embody the character. Her physicality was noncommittal and tepid. She engendered none of the power, the menace, or the charisma of the character. I know this sounds harsh, but seriously, I felt sorry for her. Surrounded by such exceptional talent, she was out of her league on this one.