Connor McClung, a senior who plays Amos Hart, says "playing Amos is a balancing act, because he is upset most of the time. She kills her boyfriend in her apartment after coming home and finding him with two girls. She was known for having a performing act with her sister Veronica, but she killed her husband and her sister after finding them together. References to the '20s ("Roxy's dress is really a flapper dress; there are references to gangsters like . to read our character analysis for Billy Flynn and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Hugh Jackman was apparently offered the role, but declined due to him thinking that he was too young. These characters from the movie Chicago are displayed from top to bottom according to their prevalence in the film, so you can find the lead characters at the top of the list. The matron of the Cook County Jail who believes that all favors she gives should be reciprocated or paid for. She doesnt have the brain. In the musical, Flynn sings three songs. Nationality. The all-black costumes (think of your GCSE drama class performances) and disappointingly simple set (they manage to rustle up some confetti for Duncan James rendition of Razzle Dazzle, but thats about as fun as it gets) unintentionally reveals the fragile illusion of glamour that the characters ofChicago have consumed. It was the Hollywood film version that suggested that. This upsets Velma greatly as she becomes old news. The decision to use non-singers and non-dancers is always controversial in musicals, especially in these days when big stars are needed to headline expensive productions. So here's our list of audition songs for Chicago, broken down by character. These are women who are repeatedly manipulated, cheated on, dismissed and abused by the men in their lives. The villainy of the six Cook County Jail murderesses, as told through Cell Block Tango, is temptingly redemptive as we hear the list of their murdered partners crimes against them. Billy Gardell plays Chicago police officer Mike who starts attending an Overeaters Anonymous group to lose weight where he meets soulmate Molly. He is genuinely polite and determined despite being rather selfish and in the cases for himself. If the accused managed to bring in the drama too and ended up coming across as funny instead, you realize the kind of credibility and believability found in this musical. He is furnitures salesman and a regular guy, but hed promised Roxie to take her to the show business. BUY TICKETS. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. But when Roxie Hart (Rene Zellweger) also winds up in prison, Billy takes on her case as well - turning her into a media circus of headlines. musical villains mashup // 20+ shows ???? Of Zellweger and Gere, it can be said that they are persuasive in their musical roles and well cast as their characters. Rated PG-13 Identifying the character type and personality traits can help you better understand what the larger role of the character is within the story. It draws upon the societal obsession with celebrity criminals and scandal journalism that characterised the era and remains relevant in 2018. November 16, 2022 2:39PM. Not that youd pick up the next loose firearm and shoot your lover after discovering his or her infidelity to you (ladies, dont, no matter how angry you are; some people are not worth the jail term to serve) but people who, in their quest for fame, end up confusing it with infamy. Roxie, with some help from Amos, ended up getting his services in order to secure her freedom. Sometimes I consider her character as a commentary about journalists that got so persuaded with one presentation of the case that they almost went biased towards it. Most versions got it right. Musicals; . Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Even vaudeville has its own spin on sharing these stories. The reason is that it isn't about Roxie. The show takes place in Chicago, Illinois in the 1 920s. So as we navigate some truly difficult times, in which the legal and political systems seem to repeatedly fail women and absolve their abusers and harassers, we need to make sure that we are willing to stand up for the women in our lives. Velma has already captured the attention of newspaper readers, but after the poor sap Amos pays Billy his fee, a process begins to transform Roxie into a misunderstood heroine. character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! As the best lawyer in town, Billy is just as big a celebrity as any of the glitzy, glamorous jazz singers. And even folks who never attended law school can tell how he managed to defend Roxie Hart. Otherwise, she is at best Flynns puppet because being a lawyer includes teaching your client what to say to the media and in court. Velma Kelly is one of the main characters of the musical Chicago. Set in the 1920s and based on real events, this satirical show follows wannabe jazz age stars who get their fame not just for their singing or dancing talent, but for committing murders that make sensationalized headlines all across . "All I Care About (is Love)" serves as Flynn's jingle, in which the crooner claims not to care about wealth or materialism and works for his love of women (later revealed to be a complete lie), "They Both Reached For The Gun (The Press Conference Rag)" serves as a ventriloquist act with a call-and-response between Billy's "dummy" Roxie and the press, and "Razzle Dazzle" (a champagnesque piece with what Jerry Orbach described as "Brechtian subtlety"[1]) serves as the explanation of Flynn's modus operandi: make the case a distraction so that the jury loses attention. Part Size: Supporting. She even bragged it to Mama Morton. Congratulations are in order for Days of Our Lives fave Billy Flynn (Chad) and his wife, actress Gina Comparetto. They'll love you a lot more when you hang. William "Billy" Flynn is the deuteragonist of the musical Chicago, and all of its adaptations. The only prop that could have outdone the guns were the feathers that welcomed Billy into the story. A nalyst: Upon moving to Los Angeles, Flynn landed a job as an analyst at Warner Bros. Studios. Roxie is not very bright and never thinks about the consequences of her actions before she says or does things, but She will does whatever it takes to be a huge star. Videos. You know why? The Phantom of the Opera: What Was the Monkey Music Box For? In the musical version, you are left to judge that on your own. Theatre Owned / Operated by Coronet Theatre Corporation (Lester Osterman and Richard Horner) Produced by Robert Fryer and James Cresson; Produced in association with Martin Richards, Joseph Harris and Ira Bernstein. Watkins loosely based Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, Billy Flynn and other characters in the play off the individuals involved in these famed Chicago courtroom proceedings. A topnotch vaudeville performer, Velma Kelly was incarcerated for her murder of her husband and her sister after catching them in bed. And that says a lot about some lawyers from the Prohibition Era from this musical is set to today. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The Man in the Iron Mask, The Man in the Iron Mask (Genre), The Man in the Iron Mask (Character) and more. The movie stars sweet-faced Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, who kills her lover and convinces her husband to pay for her defense; and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, who broke up her vaudeville sister act by murdering her husband and her sister while they were engaged in a sport not licensed for in-laws. No wonder Chicago has been honored with 6 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy, and thousands of standing ovations. In rare cases, such as Roxie Hart's, he will take a discount rate in exchange for a cut of proceeds from selling ephemera and media rights fees related to the case. He only accepts cases that can match his attorneys fee, quite hefty enough to push Amos to bankruptcy. Jones and Zellweger as Velma and Roxie in Chicago. She is an aspiring actress who gets into trouble with the law after murdering a man she was having an affair with and enlists the help of Billy Flynn to get her out of jail and into spotlight as a star She was portrayed by Gwen Verdon in the 1975 musical, and by Rene Zellweger in its 2002 film adaptation . to read our character analysis for Billy Flynn and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Billy Flynn is one of the city of Chicago's most effective defense attorneys; he can win any trial and usually represents women who have murdered their lovers. Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart will step into the role of Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago on Monday, January 17, at the Ambassador Theatre. Leading Characters Roxie Hart Best known as the sweetie little jazz murderess, called by her lawyer Billy Flinn. The story is inspired by the screaming headlines of the Front Page era and the decade after. The character either plays a major role, as a central element to . Since she has lied far enough to prolong her newfound fame, she then faked a pregnancy. Here Comes Baby: "Days of our Lives" star Billy Flynn (Chad DiMera) and his wife, Gina Comparetto, recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary. Even if she seems to be silly and childish, also she can be really dangerous. She enjoyed the fame and can be considered as a quick study after faking a pregnancy in order to get back into the front pages of Chicago again. Without Flynn and with a dose of brainless arrogance, she almost got hanged if not for a need to live again and enjoy being the media celebrity all over again. Billy Flynn said it best too Its showbiz!. Billy is a lot like a Hollywood Agent. The musicals commentary on the way the public become the jury in high profile crimes remains relevant today, as time and again the public are accused of unfairly meting out justice (often via Twitter) and taking part in so calledwitch hunts. Yeah, it is a parody of the legal system but the main reason why it succeeded in being funny is because of the truth found there. Flynn wasn't pink-slipped. Also, there are some Kander and . Photographs of Jones and Zellweger sourced via Pinterest, and of Mazz Murray via Chicago On Stage. Now comes word they'll be adding a plus one . Show Guides. While professionally a lawyer, in the story he was more like a press relations officer and a spin doctor. In prison, she develops a rivalry with the star Velma Kelly, who killed her own husband . Husband: Charlie. Beware Terrible view from normal price balcony seats Phantom of the Opera Her Majesty's Theatre, Top 30 Most Influential People in Musical Theater. Sexy, funny, powerful and tough. He is the person who presents all the vaudeville acts during the whole play. Roxie has several press . Show Guides. A vaudeville is a light, comic number, combining music and pantomime to entertain - but not to educate, or suggest a lesson in morality. Real friendship between women barely exists inChicago, and the main characters scheme against each other and refuse to make connections that arent based on personal gain. Chicago Play Critique Character Analysis. These are Roxie Hart, Amos Hart, Velma Kelly and Billy Flynn. (Avoiding Spoilers) Grew up in cynical times. include an upper and lower case character and a number. The 2002 movie Chicago was adapted from Bob Fosse's 1975 Broadway musical, Chicago. Though it was practically accidental, the result was a female-driven powerhouse of a musical which culminates in the thrilling alliance of two hardened veterans of showbiz. But later on, as presented here in Chicago The Musical, the lawyers job is to provide the client with something to say to the press and to the jury, something that Roxie Hart badly needed. The Phantom of the Opera: What Was the Monkey Music Box For? B oat: He once lived on a sailboat in Marina . He is joined in the cast by "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" winner Jinkx Monsoon who plays Mistress Morton. It features Billy Flynn, the corrupt lawyer Roxie Hart, as he attempts to turn her trial into a media circus. . And even folks who never attended law school can tell how he managed to defend Roxie Hart. Fosse, who grew up in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s, lived in a city where the daily papers roared with the kinds of headlines the movie loves. I will also talk about my ideas for the costumes for the prison girls. C.bjfW{wy&-E0i8U`zmMm/+Z3'kW-TUS
&s^&1!.!.IQk Bob Fosse choreographed the protection with his style of jazz hand, side ways shoulder rolls, and bowler hats. She is actually innocent, but because she only speaks Hungarian and refuses to plead guilty, she is found guilty and hanged. Billy Flynn has been a mainstay on the Chicago blues circuit since the mid-80's. In a typical set he'll segue from sophisticated Texas jump blues into raw Delta or postwar-Chicago style sounds. Thanks for reading. . For Fosse, the Chicago of Roxie Hart supplied the perfect peg to hang his famous hat. Billy is a smart, educated lawyer who can persuade anyone to do anything. School Nova Southeastern University; Course Title PHIL 100; Uploaded By jackhayes76. A topnotch vaudeville performer, Velma Kelly was incarcerated for her murder of her husband and her sister after catching them in bed. "Chicago" is a musical that might have seemed unfilmable, but that was because it was assumed it had to be transformed into more conventional terms. If you get the opportunity to see it live, do it. Lets analyze the characters that made a dent in our memory among the musicals that we have seen so far. *Our system only provides suggested monologues or songs for select characters if we have matching monologues and song information in our database.