A scene from actors performing in ‘Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville’ at the Los Alamos Little Theatres. Courtesy/Thomas Graves Photography
Review by KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Shimmy off to the side, Broadway, there’s a new player in town. And it just might be as talented, innovative and spectacular as you.
That new player is the Los Alamos Little Theatre (LALT), which opened its newest production, “Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville”, this weekend.
The musical follows the escapades of Roxie Hart, a blue-collar housewife living in Chicago in the 1920s, who aspires to be a star on Vaudeville. When Roxie is arrested for the murder of her lover and tossed into jail, you’d think that dream of stardom would end but actually the opposite happens. While in jail, she meets fellow inmate, Vaudeville performer and chief rival for the public’s and presses’ attention, Velma Kelly. Who will win their freedom and a spot in the limelight?
“Chicago” is LALT’s final show for the 2022-2023 season and, boy, did it end with a glorious bang. In a play where showbiz is literally a cutthroat business and the competition for fame and fortune is downright dirty, you might be wondering who among the cast is the real prima donna, the diva, the showstopper? The answer is: everyone. You read that correctly; every single person – from the ensemble to the leads – is an absolute star.
The ensemble really shines in this production. Whether they are turning up the temperature with a sizzling rendition of “Cell Block Tango” or portraying a captivated press corps salivating over the newest murder in Chicago during “We Both Reached for the Gun,” the ensemble is expertly injecting energy and excitement into the show. Special shoutout to Stacy Buck who performs some gravity-defying acrobatic tricks with aerial silks and to every man in the ensemble. I don’t want to spoil anything but there is one musical number that has the men dressed in certain costumes and behaving in a manner that only the most confident and self-assured could pull off.
As for the leads, they are all terrific. Roxie and Velma carry massive egos and utilize questionable means to achieve their desires. This could easily make them unlikable but Megan Pimentel as Velma and Holly Robinson as Roxie offer so much charisma and chemistry to their roles that you eagerly look forward to seeing them reappear on the stage. Besides, when you hear Pimentel sing “All that Jazz” and Robinson croon “Roxie”, it is understandable that their characters would be a little bit vain since both actors have terrific voices.
Speaking of a great set of pipes, Kevin Pelzel as the criminal lawyer Billy Flynn effortless cranks up his suave, smooth talking skills in every note he sings.
But I have to say there are two people who just dominate every time they set foot on stage: Donavan Price as Matron “Mama” Morton and Patrick McDonald as Amos Hart. With her power-house voice, Price brings the house down with her sultry rendition of “When You’re Good to Mama” and McDonald, a real star of the local performing arts, expertly balances Amos’ timidity with some incredible dance moves and vocal notes in “Mister Cellophane”.
What makes “Chicago” such a fun production is that the band shares the stage with the actors and even get interwoven into the story. Music Director Nick Denissen previously said that he had to pair down the number of instruments and musicians due to the size of LALT’s stage but you would never know it; the music sounds just as lush as if a full orchestra was performing.
Not only does “Chicago” sound great but it looks great. Costume Designer Chandra Marsden and Assistant Costume Designer Lisa-Jo Dunham killed it with their costumes, many of which were hand-made. The whole ensemble looks incredible in their glitzy flapper dresses, gold sequined suspenders and bowler hats. Velma’s and Roxie’s bedazzled, sparkly leotards are gorgeous and Billy Flynn is one sharp-dressed man with his shiny suits and jaunty bow-ties.
All of this – the performances, the music, the costumes – are under the incredible and capable direction of Hadley Hershey, who also is the stage manager and lighting designer.
Watching this show Saturday night, I had a lot of thoughts swirling through my head. I wondered what I could possibly write to convey just how special and amazing this show is. In the end, I decided one simple word could be used to accurately describe this production: perfection.
LALT continues its performances of “Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville” 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through May 20. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, May 14.
Tickets are being sold for general admission through VIP seating with discounts for seniors and students. They can be purchased at lalt.org or at the door.