The new round of "Chicago" China tour has begun. The first performance will be held at Shenzhen Guangming Culture and Art Center on October 24. This round of tour will last until January 2025. The last mid-season tour of the original "Chicago" was in early 2020. Four years is not a long time, but for everyone who is passionate about the original Broadway and West End musicals, a few years seem like a lifetime ago. Fortunately, The top original musical is back, and this cast is definitely worth a return to the theater.
cast
The cast of this mid-tour is mainly composed of London West End resident casts. Judging from the presentation of the premiere, the performance of the actors will undoubtedly provide audiences who have watched the original "Chicago" with sufficient motivation to return to the theater. reason. Particularly outstanding is the interpreter of the role of Roxy - Sarah Soltar.
Since 2007, Sarah has successfully obtained this role and continued to explore and present it in depth in the following six years. In 2018, "Chicago" returned to the West End On stage, Sarah has once again taken on the role of Roxy for a long time, and so far has set a record for the longest-running role as Roxy in the West End. To be able to retain the same role for a long time in the highly competitive West End, it is obvious that both the audience and the producers have fully recognized Sarah Soltar's interpretation of Roxie.
The old British magazine "Time Out" commented on her performance: "It is the blend of cunning and innocence performed by Sarah Sotat that gives Roxy her soul."
Judging from the feedback from the audience, This assessment is appropriate. Sarah has demonstrated excellent abilities in line delivery, singing skills and use of body language. Faced with the complex and multi-faceted character of Roxy, selfish, stupid and full of contradictions, Sarah accurately conveys every layer of the character's emotions through a series of rich and interpretive body parts. Especially the multiple solo passages can accurately let the audience feel every detail of her processing. This is undoubtedly the result of years of focusing on the same role and continuous honing and improvement in actual combat on the stage.
Stage
The stage design of "Chicago" is epoch-making. One of its major innovations is to move the orchestra pit in front of the theater stage for traditional plays directly to the stage. This change allows the theater to make full use of the orchestra pit. occupy more space and increase the ticket sales area, but making such a decision is not only based on cost control considerations. On the contrary, it is a vivid embodiment of the "less is more" aesthetic concept upheld by "Chicago". This concept also makes "Chicago" unique in the field of musicals and has become a rare classic. work.
If measured by traditional standards, the stage art design of "Chicago" may be a little "shabby". However, the seemingly simple design style is actually centered on jazz music and singing and dancing. It abandons complicated stage devices and decorations and places the band directly on the stage. By constructing a three-dimensional stage space, the band becomes the audience's sight. part of.
But at the same time, the three-dimensional band stage occupies most of the space of the large stage. In order to expand the performance space of the singers and dancers, it is even necessary to borrow space from both sides of the stage to build two ladders that can be unfolded and retracted. When the leading actors perform, The backup singers and dancers can only use a few chairs as props to sit on both sides of the stage. Simple? It does seem simple, but the designer's ingenuity contained in it is amazing. This design not only cleverly creates the unique atmosphere of Chicago nightclubs in the early 20th century, but also provides unprecedented possibilities for deep integration of the band and the plot, as well as real-time interaction with the actors.
At the same time, the vertical space of the stage is magically opened. The steps in the middle of the three-dimensional band stage divide the stage into two, creating a huge stage depth. The plot can be between the big stage and the band stage, props, chairs and The ladders happen simultaneously, switching the stage among a variety of free scenes, which also brings great viewing pleasure.
A little history
The formation of today's stage style of "Chicago" is the result of the wisdom and joint efforts of three generations of theater artists.
The story of the play originated from two murder cases of beautiful women that Watkins reported while working as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. After entering the theater world, she transformed these materials into a drama script, and successfully completed it in 1926 Taking advantage of the social popularity of the case itself, the work achieved initial success after its premiere.
Half a century later, director Bob Fosse obtained the adaptation rights. He invited well-known Broadway songwriting partners Fred Eber and John Kander to join with the intention of adapting this drama into a musical. Amber and Kander not only undertook the songwriting task of "Chicago", but were also deeply involved in the adaptation of the script. However, in the early stages of creation, rehearsals only lasted a week. Bob Fosse had a heart attack and postponed his original performance plan. After undergoing heart bypass surgery, Bob Fosse had a new understanding of life. Si decided to reinvent the work with a more satirical and metaphorical black humor.
Under this creative concept, the three main creators brought a forward-looking musical in an advanced way. However, because the audience at the time was unable to fully understand the author's artistic concepts, the musical "Chicago" was not widely recognized during the audition period, which caused the creators to postpone the performance again and make a lot of modifications.
On June 3, 1975, the musical "Chicago" was finally officially staged on Broadway. The response from critics was mixed. In addition, they missed the 1975 Tony Award selection due to postponement and entered the 1976 selection cycle. It coincided with the musical year and they encountered a strong competitor "On the Line". All 11 nominations were unsuccessful.
Until 20 years after the premiere of the original version, a more suitable era background continued to write a new chapter for the classic legend of "Chicago". In 1996, director Walter Bobbie and Bob Fosse's student Ann Lakin revived the musical "Chicago." On the basis of retaining the essence of the original choreography, he minimized the costumes, makeup and props, and removed the overly flashy and sensational elements of the original version.
This minimalist production won high praise from theater critics and won more than 50 major awards after its Broadway run, including six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award. In addition, the film adaptation of the musical also won two British Academy Film Awards and six Academy Awards. Since then, the tour versions of "Chicago" we have seen are all re-arrangements based on this re-typesetting version.
Entering the new century, although "Chicago" has established the overall framework and artistic specifications, it still shows subtle differences and styles through the personalized interpretations of different directors and starring teams. This China tour version of "Chicago" is undoubtedly a sincere invitation to the audience. With its outstanding artistic charm and performance standards, it is worth stepping into the theater again to experience first-hand the standards and heights of truly excellent stage art. . The new round of "Chicago" China tour has begun. The first performance will be held at Shenzhen Guangming Culture and Art Center on October 24. This round of tour will last until January 2025. The last mid-season tour of the original "Chicago" was in early 2020. Four years is not a long time, but for everyone who is passionate about the original Broadway and West End musicals, a few years seem like a lifetime ago. Fortunately, The top original musical is back, and this cast is definitely worth a return to the theater. cast The cast of this mid-tour is mainly composed of London West End resident casts. Judging from the presentation of the premiere, the performance of the actors will undoubtedly provide audiences who have watched the original "Chicago" with sufficient motivation to return to the theater. reason. Particularly outstanding is the interpreter of the role of Roxy - Sarah Soltar. Since 2007, Sarah has successfully obtained this role and continued to explore and present it in depth in the following six years. In 2018, "Chicago" returned to the West End On stage, Sarah has once again taken on the role of Roxy for a long time, and so far has set a record for the longest-running role as Roxy in the West End. To be able to retain the same role for a long time in the highly competitive West End, it is obvious that both the audience and the producers have fully recognized Sarah Soltar's interpretation of Roxie. The old British magazine "Time Out" commented on her performance: "It is the blend of cunning and innocence performed by Sarah Sotat that gives Roxy her soul." Judging from the feedback from the audience, This assessment is appropriate. Sarah has demonstrated excellent abilities in line delivery, singing skills and use of body language. Faced with the complex and multi-faceted character of Roxy, selfish, stupid and full of contradictions, Sarah accurately conveys every layer of the character's emotions through a series of rich and interpretive body parts. Especially the multiple solo passages can accurately let the audience feel every detail of her processing. This is undoubtedly the result of years of focusing on the same role and continuous honing and improvement in actual combat on the stage. Stage The stage design of "Chicago" is epoch-making. One of its major innovations is to move the orchestra pit in front of the theater stage for traditional plays directly to the stage. This change allows the theater to make full use of the orchestra pit. occupy more space and increase the ticket sales area, but making such a decision is not only based on cost control considerations. On the contrary, it is a vivid embodiment of the "less is more" aesthetic concept upheld by "Chicago". This concept also makes "Chicago" unique in the field of musicals and has become a rare classic. work. If measured by traditional standards, the stage art design of "Chicago" may be a little "shabby". However, the seemingly simple design style is actually centered on jazz music and singing and dancing. It abandons complicated stage devices and decorations and places the band directly on the stage. By constructing a three-dimensional stage space, the band becomes the audience's sight. part of. But at the same time, the three-dimensional band stage occupies most of the space of the large stage. In order to expand the performance space of the singers and dancers, it is even necessary to borrow space from both sides of the stage to build two ladders that can be unfolded and retracted. When the leading actors perform, The backup singers and dancers can only use a few chairs as props to sit on both sides of the stage. Simple? It does seem simple, but the designer's ingenuity contained in it is amazing. This design not only cleverly creates the unique atmosphere of Chicago nightclubs in the early 20th century, but also provides unprecedented possibilities for deep integration of the band and the plot, as well as real-time interaction with the actors. At the same time, the vertical space of the stage is magically opened. The steps in the middle of the three-dimensional band stage divide the stage into two, creating a huge stage depth. The plot can be between the big stage and the band stage, props, chairs and The ladders happen simultaneously, switching the stage among a variety of free scenes, which also brings great viewing pleasure. A little history The formation of today's stage style of "Chicago" is the result of the wisdom and joint efforts of three generations of theater artists. The story of the play originated from two murder cases of beautiful women that Watkins reported while working as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. After entering the theater world, she transformed these materials into a drama script, and successfully completed it in 1926 Taking advantage of the social popularity of the case itself, the work achieved initial success after its premiere. Half a century later, director Bob Fosse obtained the adaptation rights. He invited well-known Broadway songwriting partners Fred Eber and John Kander to join with the intention of adapting this drama into a musical. Amber and Kander not only undertook the songwriting task of "Chicago", but were also deeply involved in the adaptation of the script. However, in the early stages of creation, rehearsals only lasted a week. Bob Fosse had a heart attack and postponed his original performance plan. After undergoing heart bypass surgery, Bob Fosse had a new understanding of life. Si decided to reinvent the work with a more satirical and metaphorical black humor. Under this creative concept, the three main creators brought a forward-looking musical in an advanced way. However, because the audience at the time was unable to fully understand the author's artistic concepts, the musical "Chicago" was not widely recognized during the audition period, which caused the creators to postpone the performance again and make a lot of modifications. On June 3, 1975, the musical "Chicago" was finally officially staged on Broadway. The response from critics was mixed. In addition, they missed the 1975 Tony Award selection due to postponement and entered the 1976 selection cycle. It coincided with the musical year and they encountered a strong competitor "On the Line". All 11 nominations were unsuccessful. Until 20 years after the premiere of the original version, a more suitable era background continued to write a new chapter for the classic legend of "Chicago". In 1996, director Walter Bobbie and Bob Fosse's student Ann Lakin revived the musical "Chicago." On the basis of retaining the essence of the original choreography, he minimized the costumes, makeup and props, and removed the overly flashy and sensational elements of the original version. This minimalist production won high praise from theater critics and won more than 50 major awards after its Broadway run, including six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award. In addition, the film adaptation of the musical also won two British Academy Film Awards and six Academy Awards. Since then, the tour versions of "Chicago" we have seen are all re-arrangements based on this re-typesetting version. Entering the new century, although "Chicago" has established the overall framework and artistic specifications, it still shows subtle differences and styles through the personalized interpretations of different directors and starring teams. This China tour version of "Chicago" is undoubtedly a sincere invitation to the audience. With its outstanding artistic charm and performance standards, it is worth stepping into the theater again to experience first-hand the standards and heights of truly excellent stage art. .
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